Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Something touched my shoulder, gently shaking me to consciousness, paired with a quiet voice in my ear, telling me to wake up.  I turned my head and buried it into something soft, pulling the blanket that was on me over my head.  Then I froze.

Wait a minute…a pillow? A blanket? I pushed myself up and looked beneath me. A bed? I turned over and sat upward, taking a moment to look around.  I was in a king-sized bed, the mattress sinking beneath my weight.  The flannel sheets were a soft cream, the thick comforter a deep mahogany, matching the abundance of pillows along the cherry-wood headboard.  The carpet was white not a single stain or discoloration to be found.  The walls and ceiling were also white, cherry-wood used to create doorframes and windowsills.  In fact, every piece of furniture in the room was created with the same type of wood, no variation in the deep shade.  From the ceiling hung a chandelier, the base a deep bronze with crystal beading connecting from the base to each individual branch, where more dangled from, the light reflecting from each individual crystal.  To the right of the bed were two large doors that led out onto a stone balcony, visible through the glass set in the doorframes.

“Miss?  Sorry to wake you, but you don’t want to sleep the day away.” The woman standing next to the bed had pale blonde hair tied back in a low ponytail, light blue eyes, and fair skin.  She didn’t look like she could be any older than her mid to late twenties.  She wore a baggy, oversized pale blue T-shirt, jeans, and tennis shoes.  There was a very small amount of make-up on her but not a speck of jewelry.  There was a simple beauty to her.  To be honest, I kind of envied her.

“Oh, uh, no, it’s alright.”

“I’m sorry, I’m being rude.  I’m Katrina.  I’m a cleaning lady here.”

“Hi… I’m…I’m Jenna.” My brain hadn’t been awake long enough to make any sense of what was going on yet.

“It’s nice to meet you.  Would you like to eat?  I have breakfast prepared down in the diner.” She was smiling at me as she pulled the comforter off of me, allowing the air to hit me.  Honestly, that irritated me.  I didn’t like people rushing me to get out of bed, and never before has someone uncovered me �" not since I was five.

“Uh, yeah.  I’m just gonna…look around for a minute…” I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and got to my feet.  I was dressed in a long, silk nightgown with thin straps.  Not my kind of thing. “Um, how did I get in this?”

“Oh!  I changed your clothes when you arrived.  The ones you were wearing are in the wash.  Sorry to have you in that, but that was the best thing I could find that would minimize contact with your injury.”

“But…I don’t remember waking up and walking in…wherever I am.” Speaking of my shoulder…it felt oddly fine, considering the night it went through.

“Noah carried you in last night.  You were out like a light so he carried you up here.  I’m surprised you didn’t hear the yelling.”

“Is…is Noah the one that drove me here?”

“Yes.” As Katrina spoke, she was starting to make my bed, spreading the comforter and sheets until the bed appeared to have never been touched, adjusting the pillows so they sat perfectly aligned once again.  As she straightened out the bed, I decided to walk around the room.

Along the same wall the headboard was up against was a doorway, and moving to look inside, I learned that it led into a large walk-in closet, where there where three walls lined with two rows of rails, each filled with clothes that varied from shirts to dresses.  Along the wall the door was on were shelves full of jeans and other pants, shoes neatly lined up below the shelves.  Along the back wall, between two racks that have been separated, stood a pedestal, surrounded by three mirrors to show every angle.

It’s like a giant dressing room…with clothes already provided… I quickly slipped out of the silk I was dressed in and quickly found a pair of jeans that looked good.  Every pair that sat on the shelves were, unsettlingly, my size.  I slipped my feet into a pair of tennis shoes and then hunted the hangers for a T-shirt.  It wasn’t easy.  Almost everything in the closet was more than I was used to, but I smiled when I found one.  It wasn’t terribly oversized, but it was baggy enough to remind me of what I was used to.

“So where am I?” I came walking out of the closet and resumed scanning the room, my eyes stopping on the additional furniture.  There was a deep brown, suede love-seat, with a white afghan draped over the back, at the base of a large bay window with a small coffee table in front of it.

“You’re at the Walker Manor.  It’s just on the outskirts of town.  Noah is always out and about; he rarely stays inside for more than an hour.  He likes to be out on the land.”

I knew where it was.  It’s almost impossible not to see it, no matter how far in town you were looking from.  It’s not exactly a castle but its three stories were tall enough to give it the illusion, its large windows always glowing when the sun went down.  It wasn’t very often that vehicles would travel up to the property, but when they did, they tended to be for long visits.  A few times a year there would be hoards of cars parked outside the manor and along the long driveway that would stay there until the next day.  No one in town had ever been inside the property line, so there was no way of knowing what was going on, though, considering the consistency over the years, it’s rumored that they’re throwing parties.

“How much land is there?” I wandered from the coffee table and over to another door, and when I stepped through it, I saw a large, personal bathroom with white tile flooring and mahogany rugs. The walkway contained a marble counter top with a sink carved into it, a large mirror above the sink, and large cabinets built into the walls.  One cabinet had just about every item you would find useful for any kind of necessary First-Aid and medicinal treatment, that wouldn’t require professional supervision.  Feminine products were on the bottom shelf of that cabinet.  The other cabinet had one of the largest collections of make-up and hair care products I have ever seen outside of a beauty shop.  In a single drawer below the sink was a tube of toothpaste and a toothbrush, still in its original packaging. Hmm… I wandered into the main portion of the bathroom and saw a walk-in shower, already filled with shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and a razor, brown towels hanging on the wall next to the opening.  There was also a large, stone bathtub with a silver faucet and different candles and bath salts around the edge.  In the corner, hiding behind a waist-high wall, was the toilet �" nothing extravagant about that.

“Oh…just about a hundred acres…give or take a few.”

“Wow.” Who the hell are these people? How do they have all of this? I walked back out of the bathroom, wiping my hands against my jeans.  There was a setup in the corner of the bedroom that caught my eye, and when I turned to look, I noticed that there was a stereo and speakers set up there.  An expensive looking system.

“I’m sorry; I’m keeping you from breakfast.  Are you finished looking around?” Katrina made her way to the door, holding it open as she watched me carefully.  There was something in the way she regarded me that I didn’t particularly enjoy, but I couldn’t entirely place my finger on it.

“Uh, yeah, I’m done.” I ran my fingers through my hair before tying it back, a habit of mine that always drove my friends and family crazy.  Apparently I’m prettier when my hair is down and looking nice but I’ve always ignored those comments, and I’ve usually done the opposite.  With my shoulder still healing, and even after it’s done there’ll be a scar, so I didn’t really see much point in making sure I look ‘pretty’ �" the scar will always be there to ruin it.

I followed the lady out of the room and watched as she closed the double doors behind me and walked off, keeping her back to me the whole time.  There was something about the way she did that, that caused irritation to spark up inside me.

“All the bedrooms of the Walker family are up on the third floor, and since you have the late sister’s room at the very end of the hall, yours is up here as well.  Mrs. Walker’s room is closest to yours, in case you’re ever in need of her.  The second floor consists of guest rooms for our visitors, and the main floor is where…well…everything else is.  I’m sure you can figure out what that means, seeing as this is a normal house, just a bit bigger than average.”

A bit?

“Very soon we’ll be holding the annual Christmas party, so the spare rooms will be occupied, and also very soon, one of the boys’ birthdays is coming up, which will attract just as much company.  Just so you’re aware, so if you’re still here, you’ll know what to expect.  Nothing should be of surprise to you,” her voice was flat and matter of fact.  I kind of felt like she was talking to me like I was a trouble child, and I didn’t like it one bit.

“How long will I be here?”

“Until Noah feels that you’re out of danger.” There was bitterness in her voice, and that’s when I was able of picking out what it was she looked at me with earlier: distaste.  She didn’t like the fact that I was brought in by one of the inhabitants of the manor.  Not that it was really my choice or anything…

The walls and ceiling in the hall kept up the consistent pure white that the bedroom had, crystal chandeliers hanging above, reflecting the light.  The doorframes and wood trim were the same dark, cherry-wood, along with small individual stands scattered along the wall, holding vases of flowers in place.  Candles remained unlit, also along the walls, each stick of wax a deep red, matching the carpet we were walking on. It may be a house, but I feel like I’m in a castle… A turnoff in the hallway caught my attention, and when I stopped to look, I noticed that it didn’t really lead anywhere.  It was like a short, narrower hallway that led to a large bay window with no lights or candles.  Once I saw that, I started to see a few more as we descended the gradually winding stairs from the third floor to the second, and lastly to the ground floor.  They were strange, to me, but I guess there had to be windows somewhere.

“Here we are.” Katrina gestured into a large dining room with a fake smile plastered on her face.  Her blue eyes turned to steel for a split second, until she stepped in after me and looked at the table.

The floor was a deep red tile, the walls white with dark wood trim. There was a single, large chandelier hanging from the ceiling, lighting up the entire room by itself, identical to the one in the bedroom but much larger.  Around the room were more stands, also holding various flower assortments atop them.  The dark table itself was large enough to hold a feast for over a dozen people, a large flower assortment in the center. Just like a castle… The table was filled with the most food I’ve ever seen at one time, every kind of breakfast food and drinks I could think of.  Just looking at it was making my mouth water, the aroma mind blowing.

There was a woman sitting at the far end of the table with an empty plate and glass in front of her, and a book in hand.  She had light brown hair that she wore down, curls framing her face.  Her skin was a little darker than Katrina’s, but not much, and she wore the same minimal amount of make-up.  She didn’t even look like she could be more than her early to mid-thirties. There was a relaxed elegance about the way she was leaning back in her chair with one finger up against her mouth, her attention fixated on what she was reading.  She didn’t even notice us walk in.

“Good morning Mrs. Walker.  How was your night?” Katrina’s smile towards the woman was genuine, her blue eyes filling with sincere respect.  Unlike the way she looked at me.  The woman seated at the table looked up with a warm smile that revealed her perfect teeth.  Her brown eyes jumped from Katrina to me as she closed her book and placed it on the table beside her plate.

“It was pleasant, thank you.  And yours?” Her voice was smooth and calm.

“Good.  Where are the boys at?  Shouldn’t they be down here by now?” She seemed all too eager… For a cleaning lady, she seemed rather expectant of these guys.  Since when is the family schedule any of a cleaner’s business?

“They’re grown men, Katrina.  They’ll come down whenever they’re ready.” Maintaining its calmness, her voice became slightly matter of fact, her expression becoming faintly stern.  I couldn’t help but grin to myself as I bowed my head and covered a small laugh with clearing my throat.

“Oh, ma’am, this is Jenna,” my name sounded bitter coming off of her tongue, “the girl Noah brought home with him last night.”

“Ah yes, I heard about that from Ian.” The woman stood up from her chair and stepped around the table as she approached me, walking with grace.  Her eyes stayed on me and when she got close enough, she surprised me by wrapping her arms around my shoulders.  It took all I had not to wince at the pressure she put on my left side. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Jenna.”

How are you supposed to react when a lady you’ve never seen or even heard of before walks up to you and hug you?  I could have hugged her back, but I didn’t know who she was any more than she knew me, but just standing there and not reacting would have been rude.  Not entirely sure of what the best bet would be, I removed my right arm from my side and touched the back of her shoulder with my hand, a small reciprocation of her hug.  I was relieved when she released me, not just because of my shoulder, but because it helped free me from the feeling of awkwardness I couldn’t help but have.

“Uh, from what I’ve seen, you have a very beautiful home, ma’am.” My voice was threatening to waver, but I swallowed hard and forced myself to stay steady, reminding myself that there wasn’t really a big reason to be so nervous. It’s not like she’s your boyfriend’s mom or anything. You have no expectations to live up to with her, I reminded myself.  Mrs. Walker had a warm smile on her face as she watched my face with curiosity, somehow not making me feel uncomfortable.

“Thank you, dear.  And, please, call me Stacey.” Her smile softened as she gave my face one last quick look over before she turned around and made her way back to her chair.  I could feel Katrina tense at my side upon Mrs. Walker’s request for me to address her more informally.

I opened my mouth to say something more but I stopped when I heard someone walk through the doorway.  It was an impulse for me to turn around and see who it was, and once I did, my breath caught.  A man with the same light brown hair as Stacey came walking through the doorway, his brown eyes fixed on the table in the center of the room.  He was a few inches taller than me, his body lean yet broad in the shoulders.  The sharpness of his jaw was hidden beneath the surface, his straight teeth gleaming through his smile.  It was a smile that made me stare and his mother smile.

“Bacon time!” His deep voice echoed in the room, excitement flowing within his words as he strode past me, as if I wasn’t even there.  However, his step halted at the same time Stacey spoke up.

“Ian, don’t be rude to our guest,” her voice a gentle warning. “This is Jenna, the young lady your brother brought home last night.” She gestured at me as she took a seat, keeping her eyes on him.  He slowly turned to look at me, his jaw going slack as he took me in.

His chest opened up to me as he analyzed what he was looking at: me.  He took a few steps back to me, stopping just a few inches short.  Unlike Stacey, he didn’t make an attempt to hug me.  Instead, he just raised his hand to my face and stretched his fingers out to touch my skin, but I moved my head away a bit.  He got the hint.  His hand dropped to his side as the corner of his mouth pulled into a small grin, but he never stopped watching me.

“So, you’re the pretty girl that Noah found… I’m Ian.” There was a small amount of interest growing behind the look of approval in his eyes, his head slowly nodding as he held his hand out for me to shake.

I swallowed and looked down, taking his hand in mine.  His grip was firm, his hands warm, skin smooth.  When I relaxed my grip, he was still holding my hand, but I didn’t pull it away.

“Interesting…he said you wouldn’t stop talking last night and yet, here you are, not saying a word to me.” Suddenly he looked humored. “But, that’s Noah for you.  Say three words to the guy and that’s too much talking for him to handle.  Don’t worry about him.” He winked at me with a smile that grew to be charming.

“Do my senses deceive me or do I smell sausage?” The voice came from behind me and I turned around just in time to see someone else running into the room.  His skin was slightly paler than Ian’s, closer to Stacey’s complexion, but he had the same brown hair and brown eyes and his body just as tall but not quite as broad in the shoulders.  His face was a little narrower, his jaw not as strong, but he had a smile that made me involuntarily respond with a smile of my own.  He stopped in his tracks when he saw me standing there and his smile grew. “Sleeping Beauty!  It’s good to see you up!  I’m Jake.” He took my hand from Ian, allowing me to feel that his skin was just as warm and just as smooth.

“Hi,” I laughed at the ‘Sleeping Beauty’ reference, “I’m Jenna.” I looked from Jake to Ian, making note of the relation between them.  They definitely looked alike, for the most part, but there were small characteristics that I could make out as differences.  Ian’s face lit up as I spoke, making me smile even more. “Oh, are you guys going to sit down or…”

“Definitely.  C’mon and join us.” Ian had slipped his arm over my shoulder and guided me to the table, pulling a seat out for me to sit in next to his mother.  He slid in the chair next to me, while Jake sat in the one across from him, leaving an open chair between him and Stacey.

“Thank you,” I muttered to Ian, who nodded in acknowledgement as he and his brother piled food onto their plates as if their lives depended on it.  I waited until they got what they wanted before even thinking about grabbing my own food, and when I did, I filled my bowl up with oatmeal and placed some eggs, bacon, and pancakes on my plate.  A large bowl of fruit on Jake’s side of the table caught my eye, and when I handed him a smaller bowl that was in front of me, he filled it up for me.  It wasn’t until then that I noticed the three of them staring at me, which caused my face to heat up immediately. “I’m sorry…”

“Oh no, no, don’t be!  We shouldn’t be staring,” Stacey urged as she cleared her throat and gave her boys a look that made them utter apologies and look away. “Have either of you seen your brother?” She started scooping food onto her plate.

“I think he went out to his garage this morning,” Ian informed between bites of food.  It was easy to that my presence wasn’t going to change whatever eating habits he had.  That’s good.  I would hate for them to feel the need to change their normal behavior just because I was there. “Can I call you Jen?” Ian now looked at me, covering his mouth as he spoke.

“Y-yeah that’s fine.”

“Awesome.  So, Jen,” he said it like he was testing how it sounded coming off his tongue, and based on the small grin that formed, he liked it, “how’s your shoulder feeling this morning?  It looked a little rough last night when you were brought in.”

I stopped eating and sat up a little straighter in my chair, slowly chewing the food I had in my mouth.  My breathing became shallower but I ignored it.  It was kind of a surprise to me that he asked, but at the same time, I appreciated it.  I didn’t really know how it felt, but it wasn’t in pain like it was last night.  It was just throbbing a little, with a slight burning, but I couldn’t say that it really hurt at all.  For him to have noticed last night, however, made me question just how bad it was.

“It’s doing okay… It doesn’t hurt anymore.” I couldn’t help but smile, but it was quickly replaced when I tried rolling my shoulder, something I tested on a regular basis, no matter how much discomfort it caused me.  I looked at Jake and then at Stacey, both of them regarding me with caution.

The sound of a door opening and slamming shut echoed from outside the dining room, Katrina’s cue to go check it out.  She seemed a little too eager, in my opinion, but who was I to judge?  Ian and Jake didn’t even take notice, but their mother looked up from her food and refrained from taking anymore bites.  I looked away from her and followed her gaze to the entryway, and saw another man walking into the room.  His hair was a deep, dark shade of brown and just barely loomed over his brows, his jaw strong.  His mouth was set in a firm line, no threat of a smile present.  He seemed to be just slightly taller than his brothers, his body fit and shoulders strong, the perfect middle between the broadness of his brothers.  He wasn’t as fair skinned as the other three in his family, nor was his expression as soft, but I could still see some resemblance between them.  Compared to his brothers’ jeans, button up shirts, and tennis shoes, he was dressed in light jeans with grease stains and paint on them, a white T-shirt that also had a few stains on it, and a pair of boots.  Around his neck he wore a black leather thread with a single nut, and around his wrist were two braided bracelets, one pink and purple and the other pink and green.

Hmm…a weird combination…

“Good morning, darling,” Stacey’s voice was warm as a smile spread on her face.  Her third son walked up to her and bent down, with one hand on her shoulder, and placed a small kiss on her cheek.

“Morning, ma.” He sat down in the chair between her and his brother, reaching for food without greeting or even so much as glancing at anyone else at the table.  The snow that was in his hair had finally melted and closer up, I could tell that his skin had experienced a lot of sunlight and, by looking at his hands and arms, I could see small scars.  His skin has taken a beating of some sort, not just from the sun.  Never before had I seen eyes as green as his, their color making me think of an emerald.  His habits were more polite than Ian’s and Jakes, for he kept his elbows off the table and he didn’t scarf food into his mouth, nor did he even just pile everything on his plate �" every food had its own place, none of which required being on top of another item.

“Yo, bro, this is the girl you brought home last night,” Ian said. “Her name is-”

“I think she can tell me her own name, little brother,” he interrupted.  His voice was that of ice as he refrained from looking up from his plate.  I stared at him, taking in every little detail of his appearance.  It was comforting to finally being able to see him, considering last night I couldn’t see anything.  His voice was the same: deep and masculine, filled with dominance.  This time it sent chills down my spine, and as I looked at him, I couldn’t help but remember him holding me back in my seat.  Not even after that was his tone as cold as it was towards his brother.

As I was watching him, he placed a few pancakes and waffles onto his plate and then looked up at me expectantly.  I may not have known if he had a smile that would make me stare, or one that would make me smile in response, but he had eyes that could pierce me and hold my attention hostage.

“You must be...Noah, right?  I’m Jenna.” I swear, if I have to hear my own name one more time in this room… I held my hand out over the table to him and watched as his eyes dropped from my face to my hand.  His brows pulled together, and when I figured he wasn’t going to give me his hand, I started to pull mine back.  That’s when he grabbed my hand, maintaining a light, gentle grip.  His skin wasn’t as soft as his brothers; it was tough and slightly calloused.  I heard his mom take in a quiet breath, and at the same time he released my hand and retreated back to his side of the table.

“Are you alright, Jenna?” His jaw clenched when he said my name as he poured himself a glass of milk, but there was a slight trace of amusement on his face when he emphasized my name.

“Yeah, I’m fine.  Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.  Just don’t get used to it.” He sounded indifferent and then gestured to my food selection. “Got enough food there?”

“So, where were you headed so late last night?” Stacey spoke up, her warm voice putting an end to Noah’s new question.  I broke my gaze away from Noah and looked at his mother, who was watching me patiently, genuine curiosity in her eyes.

“I was on my way home from a friend’s house… I haven’t had the most opportunities to see her the past few days because I was just released from the hospital two days ago so I haven’t been able to see her at work or anything.  I actually had to sneak out of my mom’s house in order to go see her.” I laughed to myself a little bit at the thought of sneaking out at night.

“Why were you so eager to see her?”

“I don’t know… I guess I’m just used to seeing her every day at work and she also hasn’t been feeling the best lately so I wanted to make sure she was doing okay.”

“Let me get this straight,” Jake jumped in.  I turned my attention to him. “You had just gotten out of the hospital and yet you were more concerned about your friend just being sick?”

When he put it that way… “Yes.” I watched his eyes soften to an understanding surprise, and when I glanced at Ian, he had the same look.  Stacey as well and when I looked at Noah, he didn’t really seem like he was paying much attention to anything.

“May I ask what you were in the hospital for?” Stacey had put her silverware down and folded her hands under her chin, her eyes watching me carefully.  I froze, this time setting my silverware down and I stared at the last couple bites of food I had left.  Without even having to think about it, my hand reached up to my shoulder and held it as best I could.

I shouldn’t have mentioned the hospital… I swallowed hard and opened my mouth to start explaining, but I was interrupted.

“That’s really none of our business, mother,” Noah muttered politely.  I looked up at him and saw him looking at Stacey warmly, and she nodded understandingly at him.  His gaze fixed on me and I saw understanding flash in his expression. “Now, if you would excuse me.” He got to his feet, kissed his mother on the cheek for the second time, and left the dining room without another word.

“Um, excuse me.  Thank you for breakfast.” I quickly got to my feet and rushed out of the dining room and after Noah.  I looked to my right, in the direction of the stairs, and saw that he was already halfway up them, his long legs moving him quickly. “Hey!” I ran up the stairs after him, ignoring the discomfort in my shoulder from the quick movements.  Noah glanced back at me but kept walking.

“What’s up?” He sounded…bored.  I went a couple of steps above him and stopped, forcing him to stop as I turned to face him, feeling my shoulder throb.  He didn’t even try to look entertained or even surprised that I went after him.  However, he did make sure to slide his hand down the banister so it wasn’t as close to mine as I accidentally caused.

“Why did you do it?”

“You looked like you didn’t want to talk about it.” He shrugged and shifted his weight so he could start up the stairs again but I stepped sideways, cutting him off.

 “I mean, why did you help me last night?” I stepped down so that I was just two steps above him and let my hand slide down a little bit, feeling my fingertips hit his.  He didn’t move.  My question seemed to have caught him off guard because his eyes widened and his jaw relaxed for a moment.  Surprise seemed to soften his features; it took away his frown and it softened the corners of his eyes...overall he just looked nicer.

“Why do you think I didn’t throw you out of my car?” Instead of returning his mouth to its straight line, he let a small, daring grin come into play, all evidence of his surprise masked with amusement, his green eyes gleaming.

“Because that would have left me to freeze to death…”

“Oh, sweetheart,” he crooned, stepping up to the step below me so that his face was just inches from mine, “that wasn’t a big concern of mine.  Had I thrown you out of the car, it would have left you open for them to have.  That is why, and as long as they want you, I want you here.” There was a look in his eye that unsettled me, but it went away as soon as he looked down from my eyes.

“Why?”

“Don’t worry about it.” There it was again.  That sentence.  He said that to me last night, I to him, and now it was back.  He dismissed me with a single pat on the shoulder before stepping around me and resumed going up the steps.

“I’m not through,” I snapped, grabbing his arm and making him turn around.  He looked down at my hand on his arm and frowned, his brows pulling together before he looked up at me with darkened eyes. “Why are the clothes in that room my size?  Did you know this was going to happen and plan accordingly?”

Noah’s body went rigid; the muscles in his arm tensed beneath my hand, making me release my hold on him.  His breathing slowed as took one step down, moving his face closer to mine, his jaw tense.  My heart started racing at his nearness and shuddered at the dominance he was holding over me.  I could smell oil on him, and being so close allowed me to see where he had gotten it on his neck, which was more than likely from touching it with dirty hands.  I could feel heat radiating off his body and to mine, sending chills down my spine and raising goosebumps on my skin.

“No, I did not know you were going to be taken.  I’m not one to plan someone else’s kidnapping…not really my thing.”

“Oh?  But saving them is?”

“Don’t get used to it.  I don’t make a habit out of helping people I care nothing for,” he growled, gritting his teeth together. “As for the clothes…they belonged to my sister, whom of which was apparently the same size as you.  Any more questions?”

“Is she okay with me sleeping in her bed and wearing her clothes?”

“She’s not here anymore so it’s not like she’s ever going to find out,” he snapped.  I don’t think it was all my questions that had gotten him upset.  It was something else, but when I opened my mouth to say something, he spoke up. “Out of everything in that closet, why did you pick that?  You look just like the cleaning ladies.”

Did he just…?  That a*****e!  I frowned at him, the newly developed amusement on his face making me even more irritated.  His daring grin was back but his body was still tense and his eyes still dark.  I took the topic change as him not wanting to talk about his sister, and since he helped me get out of talking about my hospital visit, I didn’t push on the topic.  But he just complained about something I was wearing… He hasn’t even known me more than an hour and he already thinks he can state his opinion on what I decide to wear?  I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, fighting the urge to snap at him, and upon looking at him, I noticed that my reaction was what was amusing to him.  So…he likes upsetting people…

I stepped around him and got a step above him, still having to look up at his face, and got on my tiptoes so that there wasn’t such a height difference.  My face was in close proximity with his but he didn’t even flinch.  It wasn’t enough to throw him off again, but that wasn’t my intention this time.

“I don’t do designer clothes.” I turned around and started up the stairs, but stopped and looked back at him over my shoulder, catching the faintest glimpse of a smile on his face. “Oh, and if someone could tell Katrina that I don’t want her waking me up or making my bed for me, that would be great.” I hated it when people served on me or cleaned up after me.  I made the mess, I should be the one cleaning it up, not someone else.

“I’m not through, either.” Now it was his turn to grab my arm.  I turned slowly, shifting my jaw, meeting his gaze immediately.  If I didn’t know any better, I would have thought that the look on my face shocked him. “Why were you in that hospital?”

Suspicion was thick in his voice and it made the muscles in my body tense.  I didn’t know what got to me more, the way he had been looking at me all morning or the tone he always seemed to have in his voice.  The only time he was gentle and warm all morning was when he addressed his mother, and at the table I hadn’t even noticed him acknowledge his brothers with even a glance except when he told Ian that I could speak for myself.  He respected her, but not them.  That’s what it seemed like anyways.  But at the same time, it’s like he respected every other norm, from table manners to minding his own business.  Though his manners seemed to have been up to date, his attitude seemed a little arrogant and his temper a little short, not that I was one to really talk, I couldn’t help but get an unpredictable vibe from him.  Last night he seemed to have been a little more casual �" the way he talked to the guys that grabbed me, the way he was whistling when he was taking them out, and the way he was lounging in his seat while driving.  But at the same time he made sure he was in charge, he didn’t use brute force like the other two; he looked at me and said I was going with him and gave me a reason as to why I should have complied; he didn’t just grab me and force me into his car against my will.  He acknowledged the fact that I was hurt and he questioned whether or not it was from them.  He reached his arm out in front of me to help hold me in my seat when he lost control of his car, and when he regained control, he didn’t rip his arm out of my hold until I released it.  During my refusal to close my eyes and relax, he didn’t snap �" he remained patient.  Then this morning, he was more formal in his posture and in the way he talked to me, aside from his comment about the amount of food I had.  He didn’t seem to really care about why I was out driving so late.  Actually, it didn’t really seem like he was paying attention to anything, though he had proven that to be wrong when he told Stacey my reasons for being in the hospital was none of their business.  He used an icy tone towards Ian just moments after using a gentle one towards his mother.  His facial expressions flashed through emotions like lightning, shooting from the warmth he used toward Stacey to the tension he portrayed upon saying my name, from the indifference when accepting my thanks to the amusement when mocking my food.  He appeared as though nothing could shock him and yet somehow I managed to catch him off guard on more than one occasion.  They either shot through quickly or they mixed together, contradicting one another.  He likes getting under people’s skin, yet he strives to respect them and remain formal.  He won’t answer any questions I throw at him, but wants me to answer his.  Yet, ironically, last night he had asked for me to trust him.

I ginned.

“Don’t worry about it.” I pulled my arm from his grip and ran back up the stairs before he could say another word, although I swear I heard him chuckle quietly.  I didn’t like the prickly feeling I got inside when I heard the sound of it.