Priceless (Forbidden Men #8)(58)

“Interesting,” Colton murmured as his lips spread so wide into a devilish grin I wondered if they’d break out the sides of his cheeks. “So you guys finally did it, huh?”

“What?” I sputtered. “No!”

My cheeks had to be so red they were bordering on purple now.

“Ahh.” I really didn’t like that knowing gleam in his eyes as he watched me. “So you turned him down? Bummer for big bro.”

“No. I did not turn him down.” Feeling petulant and moody, I scowled and mumbled, “He turned me down.”

Oh my God, I couldn’t believe I’d just said that. Brandt’s brother was like family and I was more comfortable with him than ninety-nine percent of the population, but still. Embarrassing!

Colton seemed similarly shocked by my confession. He choked on his piece of gum. “Uh...excuse me?” He pounded on his chest before coughing the gum back up. “Did you just say—”

“Yes!” I snapped, totally losing all patience and modesty. But since I couldn’t talk to Brandt about this, and I was too embarrassed to tell Reese how I’d thrown myself at him, then...Colton would do. “Yes, okay. I asked him.”

Jaw falling open, Colton gaped at me a moment before saying, “You...you seriously asked Brandt...” He couldn’t even finish the question, he was so stunned.

“I know!” I wailed, covering my eyes with both hands. “I can’t believe I did it either. What the heck was I thinking? You don’t just ask your best friend to sleep with you. Who does that?”

“Well, honestly...” Colton rubbed his jaw thoughtfully. “It wasn’t that awful of a question. But what I can’t believe is that he turned you down. I always thought he’d be a lot easier lay.”

I laughed, glad for the comic relief. But then my shoulders sagged. “If I’d asked you to take my v-card, would you have turned me down?”

“Hell, yes,” he answered immediately.

I blinked, shocked at how rapidly he answered. Then, curling my shoulders inward, like a dog shying away from its brutal master, I whispered, “Really?”

“Well, yeah,” he drew out the word as if his answer was obvious. “You’re Brandt’s. He’d kick my ass if I even considered it. If you haven’t noticed, the guy’s scarily protective of you”

I scowled and gritted my teeth. “Yeah, I know he’s protective. But he doesn’t consider—”

“No.” Colton shook his head as if I actually had no clue. “He’s like...you don’t get it, do you? You are his.”

My heart thumped hard at his insistence. “Excuse me?”

“He guards you like...shit, I don’t even know, maybe a snarling pack wolf standing watch over his injured mate. It’s as if you’re a part of him, the most vulnerable part. So...yeah. I’m confused as hell that he actually turned you down.” He squinted. “Are you sure he turned you down?”

“I am absolutely positive. We argued about it for a good hour. He swears it would ruin our friendship.”

“He...wait. You argued about it?” He seemed amused by that, which made me narrow my eyes.

“Yes! We argued about it. A lot.”

“Sarah. Oh, Sarah.” He closed his eyes and slapped his hand over his face. “Sarah, Sarah, Sarah. You don’t try to use reason with a man when you want to play slap and tickle with him.”

“You don’t?” When he grinned and shook his head, I scowled. “Why not?”

Colton sighed. “Because dicks don’t respond to reason; they respond to stimulation.”

“So...?” What the heck was he saying?

“Seduce that motherf*cker, and he’ll fold like a house of cards.”

“I...” My pulse accelerated. “Do you really think so?” But then I shook my head, remembering Brandt’s pale face and haunted eyes when he’d told me we could never sleep together. “No. No, he turned me down, end of story. I’m not bothering him with it again.”

“What? No!” Colton lurched toward me, grabbing my arm. “You can’t give up now. Get back on that horse and catch your man.”

“Colton.” I closed my eyes and shook my head. “You don’t understand. I hurt his feelings. I picked at something and went somewhere I never should’ve gone. Not to mention how humiliating it was to get rejected. I’m not going through that again. I’m not doing that to him again.”

Fingers gripped me harder. “No, you don’t understand. He needs this. He loves you, I know he loves you. You are the end-all, be-all for him, Sarah.” My breath caught at his certainty. It reminded me of how Reese had been so sure of Brandt’s feelings too.

Did our families really see something in him I couldn’t?

“And whatever scab you’re picking at,” Colton went on, making me wrinkle my brow and focus on his face. “...Needs to come off completely. Please don’t give up on him. Just...trust me.”

My lips parted when it struck me he knew what Brandt was keeping from me. Hurt that Brandt had told him and not me, I began to shake my head. But the seeking expression on Colton’s face made me pause.

Trust me, he’d said. Brandt needed this.

But needed what? Sex with me? That sounded laughable.