Jiya’s bedroom door closed with a click, rousing her, and she rolled her eyes at being three minutes late, after all that time killing. With a flurry of nerves, she slipped on her heels, retrieved her purse and went to join the Prince brothers.
Ten seconds after she closed her front door, she arrived in front of theirs. Inside, she could hear the low pulse of Billie Eilish whisper-talking through their stereo. The crack of a beer bottle opening. Male laughter. She was a lucky woman to have these three men to care for. To have them care about her in return. Two of them—Rory and Jamie—had found the loves of their life this wild summer. A summer where change hung heavy in the salt-tinged air. Even now, the unknown pulsed in the fingertips she curled into a fist, preparing to knock. The night ahead was exciting, in a slightly scary way that she couldn’t explain.
All this change happening.
All this change coming.
Pushing her hair back over one shoulder, Jiya knocked and heard immediate footsteps. Andrew. He walked with more purpose than Rory, but less arrogance than Jamie.
There was a tiny question lingering in her mind. Had Andrew watched her take off her shirt last night? Maybe he’d already lowered his blinds by that time? When he opened the door and she saw his face, Jiya had her answer. Oh, he’d seen, all right.
Their eyes met first, his betraying everything. His shock at what she done and maybe even the smallest—oh God, sexiest—chastisement. And then his green gaze ventured lower, flickering with something dark. A muscle popped in his cheek.
“Sorry, I’m late.”
“Nah, Jiya,” he rasped, clearing his throat hard and flashing a smile that never reached his eyes. “You don’t have to apologize for being late when you show up looking that beautiful.”
Velvet fingertips stroked her in unmentionable places. Briefly, oh so briefly, she let her attention roam over the navy button-down he’d tucked into gray slacks, how the material of both garments rode his rounded muscles like a lover’s palms. His finger-combed hair, fresh from the shower, made it all look effortless. “You look nice, too.”
He licked the corner of his mouth. “I didn’t say you looked nice. I said beautiful.”
“I heard you.”
“Just making sure.”
Electricity raced up her spine when she stepped closer and he made no move to let her into the house, his big body filling the frame. Whoa. Had her impulsive strip tease last night changed something between them? She guessed that shouldn’t come as a shock, but she’d fully expected Andrew to ignore what happened during their goodnight ritual and redraw the lines around their friend zone.
Did she want things to have changed? For Andrew to be more aware of her as a woman?
The flutter in her chest—and lower—said yes. Unequivocally.
Her head said no. A staunch no. Stay strong, Jiya. If Andrew wanted to explore something outside of friendship, he needed to tell her long before now. Her life had started moving in a new direction when she went on The Date—and more specifically, when he’d seen her on that date and still failed to make a move. Now? His efforts…they were coming too late.
That didn’t mean they weren’t still friends. That they wouldn’t always be friends.
“Does, um…” She coughed a little, trying to shoo away the veil of sadness. “Does Jamie know about the stripper yet?”
“No. He doesn’t know about the phallus-shaped hat we’re going to put on him later, either.” Andrew winked. “It’s going to be stiff competition to see what annoys him more.”
A laugh bounded up her throat. “One dick joke down, two to go. I’m impressed. And you’re not even drunk yet.”
He shook his head slowly. “I don’t get drunk, Jiya.”
“I know. You have to put everyone in a cab, clean up the mess and keep the world spinning. Such is the life of Andrew Prince.”
“I like being the last one awake. I like knowing everyone I love is safe in bed.”
Her heart whimpered and she lost some of her grip on being miffed. “Let me worry about everyone’s well-being tonight.” She ran her fingers down his arm. “You should be able to cut loose at your brother’s bachelor party.”
“What about all the men who I’ll be beating off you with a stick tonight?” He had the nerve to look annoyed. “I’m going to need my head on straight for that.”
Ignoring the shiver in her belly at his protectiveness, she arched a brow. “Who says I want you to keep the men away?”
Twin flames danced in his eyes, but she ignored them and strutted into the house. Let it be known, her walk proclaimed, the lady isn’t here for bullshit.
She pulled a bottle of champagne out of her purse, holding it up while entering the living room, finding Rory, Jamie and Olive spread out on the floor, nursing beers. They cheered her arrival and a second later, Andrew took the champagne from her hand and popped it to the tune of more cheers. With a stoic expression, he poured Jiya some bubbly into a glass he’d seemingly produced out of thin air. Their fingers brushed when he handed her the drink and glowing embers of awareness shot up her arm.