I groaned, trying to telepathically warn my brother not to say what he was about to say.
Not that that ever worked.
“So that women can tell us apart when we’re naked,” Kai said smugly.
I put my hand over my eyes, shaking my head as my sweater fell back down. Maybe this had been a bad idea. Maybe I should’ve let Zoe and Asher bicker until one of them quit, and let Kai be crass, crude, and flirty with Zoe until she was ready to push him off a balcony.
Too bad I hadn’t thought of either of those options before we’d gotten into this tonight.
Later,much later, I waited in the hallway until Asher emerged from the bathroom. Then I jerked my chin toward the kitchen—away from Zoe’s room. When we reached it, I spoke in a low voice. “Seriously, what’s your problem with her? This isn’t like you.”
For a moment, I didn’t think he was going to answer. “She’s a suck-up,” he said finally. “You should hear how the professors in the department talk about her. She gets straight A’s. Volunteers for every committee. Researches hotels and resorts from all over the world and talks about them constantly. When my professor told me to drive her up here, he sounded like he was doing me a favor, like I should be honored to be stuck in a car with her for three hours.”
I stared at him, looking into his dark eyes. Thatdidn’t sound completely unreasonable. He and Zoe were a lot alike, both hard workers with Type A personalities. Sometimes that led to clashing. But it didn’t feel like that was the whole story.
Ash clearly considered the matter done, because he strode off down the hall. I watched him go, thinking it over.
My gut was telling me that there was something more to this, and if it didn’t come out in the open, then both he and Zoe were going to suffer for it. Not to mention that they’d drive Kai and me up a fucking wall.
Something had to be done. There had to be some way to get to the bottom of this. Luckily, I had knew just who to talk to. I’d spent the first nine months of my life sharing a womb with a certified—and certifiable—evil genius.
Quietly, I knocked on the door to Kai’s room.
13
ASHER
It wasthe nicest sauna I’d ever been in. And also theonlysauna I’d ever been in.
It wasn’t like students or chefs had time for spa days. But anything to help out an old friend. If only he’d actually show up.
How long was I supposed to stay in here? Beads of sweat were already forming on my skin, especially where the towel wrapped around my waist.
The door opened, sending steam swirling through the small room, and Zoe walked in.
What the actual fuck?
She blinked, as if trying to clear her vision through the steam. Then her eyes settled on me as the door clicked shut behind her.
“Asher?” She said it like she hadn’t seen me in months instead of last night back at the hideaway.
Shit. What the hell was she doing here?
That was what my brain said. But my senses were on high alert, because she looked fucking amazing. The white towel wrapped around her barely covered her breasts, the edge of the fabric straining against curves I’d been trying not to notice for days. It ended high on her thighs, making her normally pale skin look darker by comparison—though still soft and smooth.
Her hair was up in a loose, messy bun, nothing like the severe style she wore when she was working. A few damp strands already clung to her neck.
And holy fuck, her legs.
I had no idea her legs were that good. Long and lean and—shit, that wasnotwhat I was supposed to be focused on right now.
“Why are you here?” She stole my line.
“I was supposed to meet someone.” I kept my voice even. “Why areyouhere?”
“It doesn’t matter.” Her tone was prickly—the kind that would’ve made the twins tell her to drink last night. “I’m not staying.”
She tugged on the door handle. The movement made her ass shift under that towel in a way I absolutely should not be noticing.
