Page 71 of Stolen Summer
I eyed the gorgeous stranger with his onyx hair, tall height, powerful build, and familiar scowl. He was definitely a Riley.
But which one? Crew or Brody?
Chapter Twenty-Two
Ihad three options here. Take the towel. Jump back into the pool. Or…pretend I walked around naked all the time like I was one of the models on Playboy who didn’t give a shit that a dozen people watched her being photographed in her birthday suit.
Easier said than done.
A flush crept into my cheeks as I snatched the towel, quickly wrapping it around me. “Thanks,” I muttered.
He watched me but not with the suspicion I’d anticipated at finding a half-naked girl in your pool, which I wasn’t sure if that said more about Cole or his brother. Why would he bat an eye? The Rileys were known for their summer parties. Naked girls in the pool weren’t a novelty in this family. “And you are?” he asked. His tone held this air of authority like their father’s and the question came out in a demand.
“Arie,” I replied, securing my towel tighter around me.
Hotness’s brows drew together. “Arie Quinn?”
This Riley had no tattoos that I could see and no piercings. From the outside, he appeared clean-cut, but something in his deep, chocolate eyes told me that was a façade, a persona he projected but not the real man.
I nodded. “You know who I am.”
The scowl marring his lips carved deeper. “You’re the girl next door.”
When Cole called me that, it sounded sensual, but coming out of this Riley’s mouth, whichever brother he was, made me feel dirty. I fucking hated the feeling as if I wasn’t worthy of being in the same space with them.
His sharpened gaze shifted to the pool where Cole eyed him, all playfulness gone from Cole’s features.
“Brody,” Cole greeted dryly. “What are you doing here?”
Was it just me, or did the temperature drop? I sensed this wasn’t a happy reunion.
“I came to see you. We need to talk, but I can see you’re entertaining.” Brody’s jaw worked as his focus shifted back to me. “It’s probably best you go home, Arie.”
Cole reached the edge of the pool and climbed out, pushing to his full height. “She’s not leaving unless I tell her to go,” Cole countered, making me feel like I was caught in the middle of a tennis match between brothers. Cole glanced at me, his features softening a tad. “Go inside. I’ll be in once I kick my brother out of here.”
Brody regarded Cole’s appearance, noticing the lack of swim trunks. I could all but see him putting together what he suspected happened between us. “Why is she here? Is there something going on between the two of you I should know about?” Brody demanded, firing off the question like a loaded gun.
“It’s none of your business,” Cole snapped. “Arie, go. Just don’t leave, okay?”
I didn’t particularly want to leave, but I also wasn’t keen on getting in the middle of two brothers, so I nodded at Cole, taking off toward the house. My wet feet slapped on the concrete, and when I made it to the sliding doors, I slipped inside, closing the screen but leaving the glass doors slightly parted.
Despite assuring Cole I wouldn’t leave, I intended to sneak out the front door and go home to check on Dad, but once inside, my curious nature took over.
Leaving the lights off, I sat at the kitchen table, hidden by the long drapes at the corner of the glass. It gave me a clear view of Cole and Brody but kept me shrouded mostly in shadows. Water dripped onto the wooden floors, my wet hair falling over my shoulders and back as I listened. I should have gone to change and put on dry clothes, but I didn’t move. Spying wasn’t an activity I did frequently, but Cole had been so damn tight-lipped about everything that I couldn’t stop myself from listening. And if I were honest, I was also curious about the oldest Riley.
“What are you doing? Why is she here?” Brody demanded with a familiar frown. It was one I’d seen on Cole time and time again. They shared the same formidable downturned lips, minus the lip ring for Brody, but Cole wasn’t wearing his today.
Cole didn’t answer Brody’s question but redirected, taking the heat off me and putting it on his father. “Let me guess. Dad sent you.”
I was surprised by how well their voices carried to me. It helped that we were having calm weather for once. No wind. The ocean remained smooth and serene. Other than the quiet hum of the air-conditioning, it was perfect sleuthing conditions.
Brody slipped his hands into his navy-blue casual pants. “It doesn’t matter. Nor does it change what you’re doing here, does it?”
“And just what do you think I’m doing, dear brother?”
“You’re squandering your inheritance. Why? Because you feel sorry for the poor girl next door.”
I bristled, instantly taking a dislike to the eldest Riley. The instinct to jump out of my chair and storm outside wound within me. I was used to defending myself, but having someone like Cole come to my defense was a new feeling.