Page 21 of Silks

“I said I’d watch you this whole weekend to make sure you don’t get into any trouble, and I meant that,” he said, raising an eyebrow at me. “So where I go, you go.”

*

OF COURSE, HE TOOK me to my favorite restaurant in Louisville. But I would not let him get around me with the Kentucky Stack Cake at Proof on Main.

It did not exactly feel comfortable to sit down with some ass cheek hanging out of my borrowed golf skirt, but my brother looked as cool and unconcerned as ever in his crisp white polo and navy slacks and asshole wingtips.

The waitress, a stunning auburn-haired woman with legs that seemed to go on for miles, slipped a little note under Teddy’s plate, giving him a significant look that I knew meant it was her phone number.

But he didn’t even look at her; he was intent on pissing me off.

“Can I get a big glass of ice water for my sister?” he asked. “I bet you haven’t drunk enough water today, Ophelia.”

“Yes, I have,” I lied through my teeth, because he was a controlling, bossy ass.

“If you still want to go to law school, I’ll take the LSAT right now,” he continued.

“It’s too late,” I said. “I’m doing my Master’s in agricultural science. Which you know perfectly well because you’ve been spying on me like a real creep.”

If I expected that to shame my brother, I was sadly mistaken.

He only smiled at me, his fingers toying with his silverware. “You should have answered my texts then.”

“How many people do you have following me now, Teddy?” I asked with awful sarcasm, but he only shrugged.

“None. I’m watching you now.”

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, my ass probably making huge round prints all over this chair.

Teddy straightened his legs out, one massive thigh stretching so that his foot went between my legs. I bit my lip and ignored it. He was obviously trying to rile me up. Still, I felt a flush on my face as his thigh brushed mine.

Why did he have to be so. . . huge? It was certainly why he always got what he wanted.

“Why don’t you go bother the waitress instead of me?” I asked as I opened the menu, even though I knew what I wanted to get. I always got the grilled cheese and roasted carrot soup. “She seems like she wants some attention.”

“Because I don’t want to,” Teddy said. “I’ll get the bison burger.”

I huffed silently. Of course. We used to come here together all the time, and I was always a good girl and got a light lunch but usually ended up eating half of his burger and most of his fries.

“I’ve sworn off bison,” I said.

“Want me to get a veggie burger?” he asked.

No, I don’t!

I said nothing and for a moment there was silence. Teddy was twisting the cloth napkin up in his hands.

“I can do a lot of good as the company Director,” he said. “I’ve already banned working with kill buyers.”

When I said nothing, only pretending to examine the bourbon menu carefully, my brother spoke again in a tight voice.

“What do you want, Ophelia?”

“Carrot soup,” I said.

“No,” he growled back at me, and I looked up, startled. His blue eyes bore into mine. I had gray eyes and he had blue, and everyone had always commented on his eyes.

Such beautiful blue eyes.