Hot Commodity (Banks / Kincaid Family #1)(66)

He didn’t answer, could only sigh. When he lifted his eyes toward hers, he quickly looked away as if he were still embarrassed about seeing her buck-naked the first time they’d met.

Letting out a low growl, Olivia rested her chin on her hands. "Sienna really played a number on his head, didn’t she?"

Stunned she would dare say that name aloud in Cameron’s house, he blinked a moment. And then he realized. He’d just found a kindred spirit. This woman would worry about Cameron just as much as he would. She’d cover for him and lie for him just like Boston always had, because, well, it was Cameron. Who wouldn’t give his life for Banks?

"I don’t know if he’ll ever fully convince himself it wasn’t his fault," he murmured. "He’ll always think he should’ve done more to help her."

Olivia closed her eyes. A depressed silence filled the air between them. "Have you ever been in love?" she asked out of the blue.

Boston jerked back. He shifted in his seat, vaguely uncomfortable, and lifted one shoulder. "I-I don’t know." But even as he spoke, he quickly added, "I mean, I’ve never dated a woman long enough to really fall, because one time, in college, there was this girl..."

He paused, not sure how to go on, not sure if he wanted to. Then he shrugged and started again. "I went out with her for a little over a semester. It was the longest relationship I’d ever had. And it ended badly." He shook his head. "Since then, I make it a point not to get too involved or attached."

Ice cold Boston Kincaid. That’s who he was. That’s who he wanted to stay. It was better than putting himself through misery as Cameron was doing.

He lifted his face and caught Olivia studying him. She was going to pry. He knew it even before she asked. His stomach knotted in preparation.

"Do you think you loved her?"

Boston stared thoughtfully at the far wall. His vision filled with the sweet, pale face of a young woman too scared to be left alone, but begging him to do just that. He hadn’t known true agony until the moment he’d walked away and realized he’d probably just made the biggest mistake of his life.

"I don’t know," he murmured quietly before he finally glanced back at Olivia. "But if I did, I don’t ever want to fall again."

As if chilled by the thought, Olivia wrapped her arms around herself. "I don’t want to fall in love either," she announced is if making the decision that very moment. "Just look at what it did to Cameron."

Boston studied the miserable Olivia and wanted to tell her it was already too late for her. She loved his cousin, and she could deny it as much as she wanted, but the feelings would still be there.

Cameron strolled into the room then, and Boston felt a sudden urge to grab his best friend by the throat and pin him to the wall. The man was on self-destruct. He’d had his ups and downs before. Boston had seen Cameron at this lowest, and he’d seen him pick himself up and start over. But this time, he was going to take Olivia under with him.

Boston didn’t want her to become collateral damage, especially when he suspected she might be the one thing to save Cameron from completely destroying himself.

"Ready?" Cameron asked. "Or do you want to sit and flirt with my wife for a while longer?"

Needing to knock the wind out his buddy’s sail, Boston forced a grin across the table at Olivia. "Actually, could you leave us alone for another hour so I can put a proper good-morning glow on her face?"

Olivia’s eyes grew round for a moment. Then she threw back her head and laughed.

Cameron scowled. Turning on his heels, he stormed from the kitchen, growling over his shoulder. "Whatever. I’ll be waiting in the car."

Boston watched him go before he risked a glance toward Olivia. "Sorry," he offered humbly.

She shrugged as if to tell him she wasn’t upset. She was more curious when she asked, "Why did you do that?"

This time his grin was genuine. "To piss him off."

"I think it worked."

Boston was still disappointed by his cousin’s lack of reaction. Cameron wasn’t typically the jealous type, but Boston suspected Olivia was an entirely different case for him. Except his response had let Boston down. Cam wasn’t supposed to stomp off like a scorned child. He was supposed to grab Olivia, throw her over his shoulder, and drag her off to his lair.

"He’ll get over it," Boston said and reached across the table to take her hand. He looked into her eyes and wanted to tell her to be strong and stick through this. But instead he offered a small smile and kissed her knuckles before letting her go and following his cousin out the door.

*

Cameron tapped his foot and drummed his fingers on the armrest.

Boston’s little bait had really caught him. Olivia was his, damn it. Kincaid better keep his damn paws off.

He and his cousin had teased about passing women off to each other. But they’d never actually done so. They’d always had different tastes. Thinking Boston might want Olivia, though, distressed him. Now was not the time for them to start sharing.

Boston didn’t have baggage. He was good looking, and he would take care of Livy better than anyone. He’d be a hell of a lot better for her than Cameron was. The two of them would be good together. But the thought of his wife turning to his best friend after their annulment made him feel ill.