Page 27 of Lightning Angel
Alexa sniffed and laughed. “Cassie shouldn’t hear that.”
“Cassie knows already.”
When they entered the kitchen, she asked, “What do you prefer for dinner?”
“Whatever you choose, I’ll go with it wholeheartedly,” Brandon said with a dramatic gesture of touching a hand to his heart.
Alexa laughed. He was being unusually cheerful today; probably trying to distract her from missing her sister too much. She was touched by his brotherly care. “It’s your choice. You’re the guest.”
“Guest?” Brandon widened his eyes, feigning surprise. “I thought I was family.”
“You know what I mean! Ofcourseyou are family, Brandon. I couldn’t wait for the day I can officially call you my brother.”
Brandon smiled, but it was a little strained. Alexa refrained from asking him if everything was alright. Did he not see a future with Cassie? Was there something wrong with them?
But, no. She saw them together just some moments ago and they were perfectly okay. Besides, her sister would have told her if there was such a thing as a strain in their relationship. They never hid anything from each other.
Before Alexa could think more of it, Brandon’s voicepulled her from her thoughts. “Then I guess I’ll opt for pasta.”
Alexa beamed knowingly. “I knew you would.”
They got on to preparing dinner. The last time Brandon was in the kitchen helping them with dinner was when their dad was still alive. It was a long time ago. Alexa sighed as she remembered it.
“Do you remember the last time we prepared dinner together?”
Brandon turned to her from where he was cooking the pasta. His face softened. “Of course, how could I forget?”
Alexa smiled and turned away, chopping the onion with expertise. “If I remember correctly, we made pasta then too.”
“I think I remember that.” Brandon chuckled. “It was your dad’s favorite as well as mine.”
“And Cassie joked something about making pasta all her life for the two men she loved.”
“And I threw a tomato at her.”
Alexa dropped the knife when something hit her back. She gasped and turned around with wide eyes. “No you didn’t!” Her gaze fell to the tomato on the floor, and a mischievous glint entered them as she bent down to pick it up. “But now that you did, at her sister, be ready for revenge.”
She threw it back at him and laughed as he ducked out of the way.
Brandon’s eyes darkened with a strange look as his gaze locked with hers. He turned off the stove and smirked at her, reaching for an orange from the bowl on the island. “You have no idea what you just started.”
“I didn’t start anything, you did.” The words sounded almost familiar to her ears and she remembered Tristan. Her grin widened at the thought of him. “Whatever you say, as long as my kitchen won’t end up in a mess, I’m in.”
Brandon threw the orange at her and Alexa caught it in the air instead of ducking out of its way. She threw it back at him. He did the same.
Their laughter filled the air.
Lost in the mischief and silliness of the game, Alexa didn’t realize when Brandon had gotten so close to her that their bodies almost touched.
Alexa’s stomach recoiled from the nearness. She backed away to put decent distance between them, however, her back pressed against the counter, leaving her with no room to escape. She looked up and met Brandon’s blue eyes that were darkened with a familiar hunger, reminiscent of Jude’s lustful gaze.
Alexa’s amusement faded.
“Brandon, what—”
Before she could react, Brandon closed the distance between them, and their lips met in an unexpected kiss.
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