It steals all my attention.
I need to fuck her.
Now.
"And you said yes, and you have the pictures on your phone of him fucking himself?" he asks.
"No." She sets her mug on the table. "I said I'd think about it."
"Isn't your family famous?" Remy turns to me. "Sorry. It is true, though."
"It's not a secret," I say.
"That would be good for your career, right?" Remy asks. "You should do it. Unless, uh… straight people are possessive."
"It's not a straight thing. It's you seeing men as fucktoys," she says.
"Maybe," he says. "But the point stands."
"It could be awkward, yes," she says. "Thank you for stating it so eloquently."
He chuckles. "But if he'd let you show those photos, that would be a big draw."
"It would," she admits. "But what if it was Adam, offering to take naked pictures of you? It would be weird."
He looks at me and raises a brow interesting comparison. "It would be hot. I'd definitely say yes."
"Really?" She looks at him incredulously. "You'd let my boyfriend see your dick?"
"It deserves to be seen," he says.
She hides behind her hands. "I can't tell if you're kidding."
"It would be unconventional." He looks to me again. "But still hot."
"Stop looking at him like that. You're making it weirder," she says.
"Like what?" he asks.
"Like you're wondering what his reaction would be to your dick," she says.
"I'm considering your hypothetical question," he says.
She lets out a low groan. "You're impossible."
"You asked," he says.
A laugh spills from my lips.
They stop at the same time. Look at me with the same what's so funny expression.
"You're just like me and Liam," I say.
"I still haven't seen photos of this Liam," he says.
"He's your type," she says. "Conventionally attractive."
"God forbid," he says. "Who would want to see a conventionally attractive man naked?"
"Are you going to look at his face?" she asks.
"Oh no. Is he ugly below the neck? I need the total package, Danny. You know that," he says.
She laughs. "He seems in shape."
"Seems?" He raises a brow. "Only seems."
"I didn't get him naked yet," she says.
"But you will?" Remy studies my expression.
It's not the same as other people's stares. He isn't studying my scars or creating a before and after in his head.
He's a brother, trying to figure out the intentions of a man who wants his sister.
"I gave Danielle my blessing." I look to her. "I meant it."
"Really? That wouldn't bother you?" he asks.
"Of course. That's why he volunteered," I say. "But I knew Danielle's passion the second I met her."
"Oh no, was she talking about that photographer with the dumb name?" he asks.
"Her name isn't dumb. She's a genius!" Danielle huffs. "And, yes, Adam bought one of her pieces. And I, uh… I talked him into the rest. Well, the rest of the set. She's prolific."
"She really gets into a state over those." He sips his coffee. "I don't get it. Naked women. Boring."
"She does men too."
"She does? And you haven't shown me?" He pulls out his cell. "How do you spell her dumb name again?"
"It isn't dumb!" She huffs again. "You make video games. How can you call photography dumb?"
"So video games are dumb?" he asks.
"You know what I mean," she says.
"Do I? Or did you just insult my passion?"
"Because you never insult mine?"
"It starts with a D, right? A D for the D." He laughs at his own joke.
"Put it away. I'll show you," she says. "If you stop asking about my sex life."
"No deal," he says. "There are plenty of naked men on the internet."
She lets out a low groan.
"Now, for the interesting questions." He turns to me. "Adam, how much of a freak would you say my sister is, on a scale of one to Rick James." When no one laughs, he continues. "SuperFreak. The song. Do you live in a cave?"
"From the 70s? Or the 80s?" Her brow scrunches. "The 60s maybe?"
"It's not that old," he says. "I have the wrong audience." He lets out an over-the-top sigh.
"I've only ever heard Adam listening to classical music," she says.
Remy nods of course. "He's a snob, like you."
"I'm not a snob," she says.
"Yeah. Carly Simon is great, but Michelle Branch? That's middle-brow squared," he says.
She fires back with her own playful insult.
They banter through coffee, French toast, a second round of caffeine.
When Remy finishes teasing her, he talks about her work, her passion for the gallery, her skill as an artist.
Then she talks about his work as a programmer, the internship at an independent mobile app developer, the game he's making himself.
He waits until she excuses herself, then he turns to me, and drops the playful smile.
"Danielle tells me you love your family," Remy says.
"I do."
"I know it's rude to bring up the rumors about your brother's accident," he says. "And, meeting you, I don't think you're the type of person who'd have your own brother killed. And, really, if you did, you'd be smart enough not to be in the car when it happened."