She closed her lips around her spoon, letting out an appreciative moan. “There’s nothing quite like vanilla—”
From living room, Silverchair’s ‘Tomorrow’ started playing faintly.
Angus flung a look at the bedside clock. “Shit. It’s one a.m.” He clawed a hand through his hair. “That’s Owen. I should have called him by now.”
He’d promised Owen to have Elisa to the motel by midnight, and even thoughheknew damn well she was spending the night, Owen didn’t. All Owen knew was Angus had whisked his future sister-in-law away and hadn’t returned her. Or had the courtesy to let Owen—and Elisa’s sisters—know why. Owen was going to kill him.
He scrambled from the bed. “Yeah, I’m in deep shit now.”
Dismay fell over Elisa’s face. “It’s one a.m.? Dio! Bria and Zeta are going tokillme.”
Angus chuckled. “We’re both busted. I’ll take Owen’s call. You get in contact with your sisters. Before they call the police and we start an international incident.”
She grinned. “On it.”
He hurried out of the room, Silverchair still singing from the living room. God, where was his phone? In his jacket’s inside pocket? Where was his jacket? Everything was a blur since touching down in Sydney.
His whole world had been turned upside down.
He’d landed wondering if he had it in him to move to the US for a few years, if he wanted to leave his restaurant here for a new one over there, and now he was legitimately planning on taking Elisa to Tiffany’s in the morning and—
He spied his crumpled jacket on the floor, damn near sprinted over to it—jogging buck-naked was not comfortable. At least his balls weren’t enjoying themselves—and snatched it up. Dug his phone out, connected the call and slammed it to his ear. “I’m here, mate,” he almost shouted.
“Where the hell is Elisa?” Owen growled.
“With me.” Angus’s gut clenched. Yeah, his best mate wasn’t happy. “Safe. We’ve been…” He petered off. How the hell did he tell Owen what they’d spent the last…what? fifteen hours doing?
“The fact you can’t finish that sentence kinda pisses me off a little, mate,” Owen stated.
“It’s not what you think.” He raked his hand through his hair again, his blank stare jumping around the floor at his feet. “It’s…”
Once again, he trailed off.
Behind him, Elisa’s voice wafted softly from the bedroom. She no doubt was talking to her sisters. How was she faring? Better than him, he hoped.
“It’s what?” There wasn’t a hint of Owen’s normal, relaxed good humor in his voice. “You’ve got thirty-six seconds to answer, Daniels, before I get in the car and drive to your place. Thirty-five. You know me and numbers, mate. I’m not mucking about.”
Angus swallowed.It’s what?, Owen had asked. Could he answer his best mate? Honestly?
Whatwasthis thing between him and Elisa? What was this thing he felt for her, deep in his…his…his soul? Honestly, whatwasit?
Love.
He was certain it was love.
It sure as hell was more than just sex. He’d walk through fire to make Elisa happy. The thought of not seeing her smile, hearing her laugh, holding her, talking to her, existing with her every day pressed a damn-near suffocating weight on his chest. So yeah, he was pretty fucking certain love was exactly what it was.
Thinking it though, was one thing. Saying it aloud to someone else?
“Thirty-one…” Owen said flatly.
“Love,” Angus declared. “It’s love. I’ve fallen in love with her. She’s incredible. I want to wrap her up and protect her from the world and care for her and—”
“She’s not one of your sister’s rescue dogs, Angus,” Owen cut him off. “She’s a person. And she’s gone through some shit. And I knowyouhave also gone through some shit, mate. More than anyone else in your life, I know what you’ve gone through.AndI know you’ve come out the other side of that shit with some baggage. You’ve told me more than once you don’t do relationships. No-strings fucking; that’s what you do. That’s what you’ve told me. And I’m okay with that, but not when it comes to Elisa. She’s fragile. Amazing, and sweet and gentle, but fragile. And as much as I love you, mate, as much as I love my own brother, I’m not going to—”
“Owen,” Angus said, eyes closed. Hell, how was he even breathing with the size of the lump in his throat? “Stop. Listen. Please?”
Owen fell silent.