muttered something derogatory in Italian under her breath as she made a beeline for the door. "I'll see you later."
Miranda raised her hand in a wave as she tottered down the corridor, in a great hurry to escape further teasing.
Tonight would be fun. Yet as Ashlin's gaze landed on the orchids, she couldn't help but wonder if she was the one protesting too much about not liking a guy.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
"Who's the stunning redhead with bad taste?" Kurt elbowed Wyatt as he handed him a beer. "Appalling taste, considering the way she's been draped all over you the last fifteen minutes."
"Ashlin," Wyatt said, through gritted teeth. "And that's fifteen minutes too long that we've been here."
"Don't go getting defensive, bro." Kurt slugged him on the arm in the same way he'd done countless times growing up. Now, like then, Wyatt resisted the urge to punch him back. In the nose. "It's great seeing you so happy."
Wyatt didn't need his brother's validation but it felt good that Kurt actually noticed someone else for once. "Careful there. You're showing your metro side."
"I can be metro-sexual." Kurt winked. "The girls love it when I'm in touch with my feminine side."
Wyatt rolled his eyes. "There's always an angle with you. Anything to get some skirt."
To Wyatt's surprise, hurt replaced amusement in Kurt's gaze. "You make me sound like a heartless bastard."
Wyatt bit back the natural response, "That's because you are."
Kurt jerked his head at Ashlin. "Is it serious?"
"I want it to be." The answer tumbled from Wyatt's lips quickly, surprising them both if Kurt's comical eyebrow rising was any indication.
"Wow." Kurt's curious gaze swung between the two of them. "She doesn't look the nerdy type but hey, if you're happy, I'm happy."
Wyatt stifled a snort. Since when had Kurt's approval meant anything?
"You're full of shit," Wyatt said, relieved when he spied Steele making a beeline for them. He couldn't wait to see Kurt off-guard for once. "Here comes Steele."
Kurt stiffened, his expression cautious. "Fuck. He looks like a blond version of you."
"Lucky guy." Wyatt grinned, enjoying Kurt's discomfort and feeling a heel because of it. "So if Steele, Zane and I got the looks and the brains, what happened to you?"
"Bastard." Kurt slugged him on the arm again. "God, why does this feel so weird?"
"Because it is." Wyatt had been stunned to learn he had two Australian half-brothers yet thankfully, both Zane and Steele had been laid-back and accepting. "But we're lucky. They're good guys. Like me."
"Not a prick like me, you mean?"
Wyatt shrugged. "You said it, man."
Kurt didn't have time to respond as Steele stopped in front of them. He nodded at Wyatt, his gaze guarded as it swung to Kurt.
Neither of his older siblings spoke as they sized each other up and Wyatt felt compelled to fill the awkward silence.
"Steele, this is Kurt."
If Wyatt relegating Kurt to secondary status annoyed him, he didn't show it.
Kurt stuck out his hand. "Great to meet you."
Steele shook it. "Likewise."
But their handshake didn't last long and Wyatt wondered what would happen if he left the two alpha Harrisons alone. He'd pay to see Kurt taken down a peg or two. The golden boy hadn't had to battle for anything in his life.
"You staying in town long?" Kurt said, gripping his beer bottle tight, a sure sign he was rattled.
"Another few weeks." Steele pointed to where Zane chatted with Chantal. "Wanted to catch up with the little guy, make sure he was staying out of trouble."
Their chuckles didn’t sound forced. Zane towered over Steele by a good four inches.
"Don't blame you," Kurt said, smirking. "We need to make sure our younger bros behave."
"Like I'm the one prone to trouble," Wyatt muttered, somewhat buoyed to see Kurt and Steele exchange conspiratorial big-brother grins. "The only reason you haven't been locked up is because people revere bozos who play football."
Kurt's mock outrage as he flipped his middle finger
Miranda raised her hand in a wave as she tottered down the corridor, in a great hurry to escape further teasing.
Tonight would be fun. Yet as Ashlin's gaze landed on the orchids, she couldn't help but wonder if she was the one protesting too much about not liking a guy.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
"Who's the stunning redhead with bad taste?" Kurt elbowed Wyatt as he handed him a beer. "Appalling taste, considering the way she's been draped all over you the last fifteen minutes."
"Ashlin," Wyatt said, through gritted teeth. "And that's fifteen minutes too long that we've been here."
"Don't go getting defensive, bro." Kurt slugged him on the arm in the same way he'd done countless times growing up. Now, like then, Wyatt resisted the urge to punch him back. In the nose. "It's great seeing you so happy."
Wyatt didn't need his brother's validation but it felt good that Kurt actually noticed someone else for once. "Careful there. You're showing your metro side."
"I can be metro-sexual." Kurt winked. "The girls love it when I'm in touch with my feminine side."
Wyatt rolled his eyes. "There's always an angle with you. Anything to get some skirt."
To Wyatt's surprise, hurt replaced amusement in Kurt's gaze. "You make me sound like a heartless bastard."
Wyatt bit back the natural response, "That's because you are."
Kurt jerked his head at Ashlin. "Is it serious?"
"I want it to be." The answer tumbled from Wyatt's lips quickly, surprising them both if Kurt's comical eyebrow rising was any indication.
"Wow." Kurt's curious gaze swung between the two of them. "She doesn't look the nerdy type but hey, if you're happy, I'm happy."
Wyatt stifled a snort. Since when had Kurt's approval meant anything?
"You're full of shit," Wyatt said, relieved when he spied Steele making a beeline for them. He couldn't wait to see Kurt off-guard for once. "Here comes Steele."
Kurt stiffened, his expression cautious. "Fuck. He looks like a blond version of you."
"Lucky guy." Wyatt grinned, enjoying Kurt's discomfort and feeling a heel because of it. "So if Steele, Zane and I got the looks and the brains, what happened to you?"
"Bastard." Kurt slugged him on the arm again. "God, why does this feel so weird?"
"Because it is." Wyatt had been stunned to learn he had two Australian half-brothers yet thankfully, both Zane and Steele had been laid-back and accepting. "But we're lucky. They're good guys. Like me."
"Not a prick like me, you mean?"
Wyatt shrugged. "You said it, man."
Kurt didn't have time to respond as Steele stopped in front of them. He nodded at Wyatt, his gaze guarded as it swung to Kurt.
Neither of his older siblings spoke as they sized each other up and Wyatt felt compelled to fill the awkward silence.
"Steele, this is Kurt."
If Wyatt relegating Kurt to secondary status annoyed him, he didn't show it.
Kurt stuck out his hand. "Great to meet you."
Steele shook it. "Likewise."
But their handshake didn't last long and Wyatt wondered what would happen if he left the two alpha Harrisons alone. He'd pay to see Kurt taken down a peg or two. The golden boy hadn't had to battle for anything in his life.
"You staying in town long?" Kurt said, gripping his beer bottle tight, a sure sign he was rattled.
"Another few weeks." Steele pointed to where Zane chatted with Chantal. "Wanted to catch up with the little guy, make sure he was staying out of trouble."
Their chuckles didn’t sound forced. Zane towered over Steele by a good four inches.
"Don't blame you," Kurt said, smirking. "We need to make sure our younger bros behave."
"Like I'm the one prone to trouble," Wyatt muttered, somewhat buoyed to see Kurt and Steele exchange conspiratorial big-brother grins. "The only reason you haven't been locked up is because people revere bozos who play football."
Kurt's mock outrage as he flipped his middle finger
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