Page 5 of Haden

Brody winces. “Yeah. I’ll be lucky if she doesn’t start throwing things at me. Her new favorite phrase is ‘You did this to me.’ And I can’t blame her. I hope she stops feeling like shit soon. She’ll end up killing me in my sleep if this goes on for the whole pregnancy.”

Haden chuckles. “Go hold your wife’s hair back. After all, she’s right. You did this to her.”

Brody turns and jogs from the room, leaving me alone with my infatuation, who is now stalking toward me. “Squirt, huh?”

I groan. “Don’t you dare call me that. I hate it.”

Haden lifts a brow. “Did you flee the kitchen and come in here to hide from me?”

I gasp, my eyes widening. “What? No?” Yes. How the hell did he figure that out?

“Are you sure?”

I lick my lips. He’s so intense. He’s staring at me without blinking as he continues to approach. Clearing my throat, I manage to say, “Why would I be hiding from you?” I’m kind of curious about his response.

He shrugs. “I don’t know. You tell me.”

“Well, I’m not. It was just loud in that kitchen. I’d already eaten.”

“Mmm.” He holds my gaze as if searching for something. Finally, he turns to the side and looks around the room. “So this is the library.”

“Yep. Books. Reading corners. Ancient desk. Cool ladders that my bossy brothers and cousins think aren’t safe for women.”

Haden saunters toward one of the sliding ladders that should allow visitors to reach books on the upper shelves. They’re structurally sound. I know this because Ryder had someone come out and inspect them when he first arrived. That has not stopped the men from enforcing a standard rule across the household that none of us “girls” are permitted to climb the ladders.

Haden gives the wooden steps a slight shake before sliding the coolest part of this old mansion to one side and back. Eventually, he turns to face me again. “I agree. I’d spank your ass if I caught you climbing one of these.”

I gasp harder than ever before. I suspect my eyes are about to pop clear out of my head. Did he say he would spank me? Surely I misheard him. My heart is racing at the suggestion. But that’s not all. Now all I can picture is the subject of my dreams taking me over his lap, pushing my skirt up, and swatting my butt.

The craziest part is that I’m so fucking turned on at this moment that I can’t move, speak, or even breathe. My pussy pulses with my heartbeat, and my panties are damp.

Haden chuckles. A low, deep sound that reverberates through the room. I’m sure I can feel the vibrations from his timbre crawling up my body. Irrational.

My mouth hangs open, but I don’t have the first clue what to say.

“Come on, squirt. Give me a tour.”

I cross my arms, narrow my gaze, and cock out a defiant hip. I’ve done this a few times so far this afternoon. I don’t care. I say nothing, watching Haden head for the doorway.

It takes him a few seconds to realize I’m not following him, and then he turns around.

My hackles are up. When he threatened to spank me, I grew aroused. But calling me “squirt” is not going to work for me. Not at all. Not even in jest. I want to punch my brother for bringing it up. I’m not a fucking child, and I don’t want to be treated like one.

Sure, spanking is also childish. I shouldn’t want that either. Especially if Haden was thinking of me as a kid when he said it. If so, I want to punch him, too. I might survive him not seeing me like I’d prefer, but I will not tolerate him adopting the stupid nickname I’ve hated for years.

His smile drops as his expression turns serious right before he walks across the room to stop in front of me. He surprises me when he lifts a lock of my hair and runs his fingers down it. “I’m sorry. I won’t do it again.”

“Thank you,” I manage to murmur. He’s never stood this close to me. He’s never touched me. He’s never looked me in the eyes the way he is now. Or spoken to me in that tone.

I don’t know what it means, but he’s dead serious. He won’t be calling me “squirt” again.

His expression is the one I’m used to—brows furrowed, mouth in a straight line, intense eyes. This is the Haden I picture when I think of him. It’s like he’s trying to read a room. Or read me.

I swallow and shake myself back to the here and now. “I’ll give you a tour, but I’m warning you, we might get lost. Never wander around this monstrosity without a phone on you. It’s always possible you will get lost and not be able to find your way out.”

He gives a soft chuckle. “You’re teasing.”

“Nope. Definitely not. You’ll see.” I step around him and head for the door. I need to break the weird spell. Something sizzles in the air between us. I’m not sure it’s a good thing. I’m probably setting myself up for a world of hurt.