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I forced myself to breathe evenly and managed to pour the water into his glass without spilling it. “I appreciate your concern, but I don’t see how it’s any of your business.”
I’d dropped the challenge, and now I was pushing him to show me his cards. Did he like me, or did he not want me dating anyone else? I wasn’t going to back down. If he forced the issue, I’d keep pushing.
Then I moved away to finish the rest of the glasses. His hand fell away, and I missed the warmth of his body. What would it be like to be here as Sebastian’s girl and not just his friend?
As worried as I was about the chemistry between us, each time we’d gotten close, my heart rate picked up.
I was challenging him to tell me how he felt. But what if I didn’t like his answer? What if it changed things between us? I loved his family as if they were my own, and I adored his daughter.
I’d hate it if we couldn’t be as close as we’d been. It would break my heart. But at the same time, it wasn’t healthy for me to be involved with him and his family if I wanted something more and he didn’t.
CHAPTER 6
SEBASTIAN
I spent the meal grinding my teeth together so hard my jaw ached. Ember was too busy talking to Addy to notice that something was off with me. But I was hyperaware of Hanna’s presence.
After dinner, we all helped clean up. Then the guys moved to the deck for a beer and turned on the heaters so it was bearable.
“What do you think about this auction business?” I asked the group in general, hoping I’d have a few allies.
Cole’s lips turned up. “I think it could be fun. I hope Marley finds some single women in town I haven’t met yet.”
I opened my mouth to protest, but Knox smacked my arm. “He’s single. He’s not looking at this the same way you are.”
I rubbed the sting. “What way is he looking at it?”
Knox gave me a look. “He wants to meet women, whereas you don’t want anyone bidding on Hanna.”
“That’s not true.”
Knox gestured inside to where the women were talking around the island counter. “Isn’t it? You reacted strongly to it in there.”
Ignoring his observation, I turned my attention to Emmett. “You don’t like it.”
“Lately, the women around here are doing whatever they want without our input. I mean, they listen to us, but they don’t stop doing whatever it is they’re going to do.” There was disgust in his voice, but a mix of affection, too. He loved Ireland, and he probably wanted to indulge her. He would feel differently if she were single and being auctioned off.
There was a weird sensation in my sternum that I rubbed with my fist. “What are we going to do about it?”
Emmett shook his head. “There’s nothing we can do. The women want to host this thing, and I think we’re going to be helping them.”
I shook my head in disgust. “Since when did you start caving to their every whim?”
Emmett lifted his beer and tipped it toward his mouth. “Since I fell in love with one of them.”
“Is that what happens? You fall in love, and everything changes?”
Knox, Heath, and Emmett considered my comment and then slowly nodded their heads.
Knox tipped his head to the side like he was considering it further, and finally settled on, “It’s not a bad thing.”
Heath nodded. “You want your woman to be happy.”
“And you’ll do anything for them,” Emmett added.
“I don’t see what the problem is. We can bid on women, and they go on a date with us right there. There are no phone calls or talking on an app. You’re attracted to a woman, you bid on her, and then you go on the date. It takes the stress out of it. You might find someone you’re interested in. You don’t want to be single forever, do you?” Cole asked.
I wasn’t aware that Cole was interested in dating or settling down. I didn’t think he was giving me a hard time, either. Unlike my brothers, he wasn’t around as often and probably didn’t know anything about my history with Hanna.
