color that had glowed in her cheeks drained.
“Hey.” Delighted, Duncan grinned and moved forward to give D.C. a hard hug and a slap on the back. “I didn’t know you were heading up.”
“Obviously. What the hell is this?” His eyes, sparking with blue fire, stayed on Layna.
“I—I came up with Aunt Myra for a few days. I had no idea you’d be here.”
“You left town without a word.”
“I said I was going to take a few days.”
“I didn’t know where the hell you were.”
“It was a quick decision.” She straightened her shoulders. “My decision.”
“I take it you two know each other,” Duncan put in.
“Shut up. This is between me and Layna.”
“There’s nothing between us,” she shot back. “Excuse me, Duncan.” She turned and rushed up the steps.
“Got a minute?” Duncan asked, neatly stepping into D.C.’s path before his cousin could bolt after Layna. The picture had snapped clear in his mind. Grandpa, you wily old bastard, he thought with amused affection, and decided the least he could do was play out his part.
“Get out of my way.” D.C.’s hands fisted at his sides. “And keep your hands off her or I’ll break you in two.”
Duncan lifted a brow and his smile turned sharp. “Oh, we can go a round, D.C. We’ve been there before. But why don’t we make sure we know why we’re pounding on each other first?”
“She’s mine.” He jabbed a finger into Duncan’s chest. “That’s all you have to know.”
And that, D.C. realized, was all he’d had to know himself. She was his. That was that.
“Really? Didn’t look to me like she knew that. I guess Grandpa doesn’t know it either, since he’s picked her out for me.” It would be worth a sore jaw, Duncan thought as he watched D.C.’s teeth clench, to see his cousin on the hot seat for a while.
“The hell he did.”
“He thinks we’ll suit,” Duncan said easily. “He could even be right. She’s gorgeous, smart, easy to talk with. Then there’s that sexy laugh.” He barely blinked when D.C. grabbed him by the shirtfront and hauled him to his toes. It would be wise, Duncan supposed, to remember his cousin outweighed him bya good thirty pounds.
“Have you touched her?”
“I don’t generally paw women I’ve known less than a day. But if you want to put up the boundaries, cousin, you’d better do it fast. You want to put the moves on her, fine, just—”
He had the rest of the words shaken back down his throat, and wondered if playing his grandfather’s game was going to land him in the hospital.
“I’m not putting moves on her, you stupid son of a bitch. I’m in love with her!”
“Why the hell didn’t you say so?” Duncan shouted back at him, and noting that his cousin looked as though he’d just suffered a blow to the head, he shoved his way free.
“I just figured it out.”
“You’d be smarter to tell her than to stand here fighting with me over it.” Duncan brushed a hand down his shirt to smooth it. “I’m a damn innocent bystander.”
“Fighting with you is easier.” Jamming his hands in his pockets, D.C. stalked into the house.
He found them in what the family called the Throne Room in honor of the huge chair where Daniel sat to preside over gatherings. It appeared this gathering was a very civilized afternoon tea. The moment he strode in, fury still vibrating around him, his grandmother rose and hurried toward him.
“D.C.! What a lovely surprise. It’s so good to see you.”
“I told Grandpa I was coming up to paint for a few days.”
“That you did.” Daniel beamed fiercely from his chair. “Forgot to tell you, Anna. All this excitement. Well, come in, come in. Maybe now that you’re here these women will let me have some whiskey in my tea. Where’s your cousin?”
“Outside. Layna, I’d like to talk to you.”
She had her composure back, barely. “Certainly,” she said, and continued to sip her tea.
“Privately,” he said between his
“Hey.” Delighted, Duncan grinned and moved forward to give D.C. a hard hug and a slap on the back. “I didn’t know you were heading up.”
“Obviously. What the hell is this?” His eyes, sparking with blue fire, stayed on Layna.
“I—I came up with Aunt Myra for a few days. I had no idea you’d be here.”
“You left town without a word.”
“I said I was going to take a few days.”
“I didn’t know where the hell you were.”
“It was a quick decision.” She straightened her shoulders. “My decision.”
“I take it you two know each other,” Duncan put in.
“Shut up. This is between me and Layna.”
“There’s nothing between us,” she shot back. “Excuse me, Duncan.” She turned and rushed up the steps.
“Got a minute?” Duncan asked, neatly stepping into D.C.’s path before his cousin could bolt after Layna. The picture had snapped clear in his mind. Grandpa, you wily old bastard, he thought with amused affection, and decided the least he could do was play out his part.
“Get out of my way.” D.C.’s hands fisted at his sides. “And keep your hands off her or I’ll break you in two.”
Duncan lifted a brow and his smile turned sharp. “Oh, we can go a round, D.C. We’ve been there before. But why don’t we make sure we know why we’re pounding on each other first?”
“She’s mine.” He jabbed a finger into Duncan’s chest. “That’s all you have to know.”
And that, D.C. realized, was all he’d had to know himself. She was his. That was that.
“Really? Didn’t look to me like she knew that. I guess Grandpa doesn’t know it either, since he’s picked her out for me.” It would be worth a sore jaw, Duncan thought as he watched D.C.’s teeth clench, to see his cousin on the hot seat for a while.
“The hell he did.”
“He thinks we’ll suit,” Duncan said easily. “He could even be right. She’s gorgeous, smart, easy to talk with. Then there’s that sexy laugh.” He barely blinked when D.C. grabbed him by the shirtfront and hauled him to his toes. It would be wise, Duncan supposed, to remember his cousin outweighed him bya good thirty pounds.
“Have you touched her?”
“I don’t generally paw women I’ve known less than a day. But if you want to put up the boundaries, cousin, you’d better do it fast. You want to put the moves on her, fine, just—”
He had the rest of the words shaken back down his throat, and wondered if playing his grandfather’s game was going to land him in the hospital.
“I’m not putting moves on her, you stupid son of a bitch. I’m in love with her!”
“Why the hell didn’t you say so?” Duncan shouted back at him, and noting that his cousin looked as though he’d just suffered a blow to the head, he shoved his way free.
“I just figured it out.”
“You’d be smarter to tell her than to stand here fighting with me over it.” Duncan brushed a hand down his shirt to smooth it. “I’m a damn innocent bystander.”
“Fighting with you is easier.” Jamming his hands in his pockets, D.C. stalked into the house.
He found them in what the family called the Throne Room in honor of the huge chair where Daniel sat to preside over gatherings. It appeared this gathering was a very civilized afternoon tea. The moment he strode in, fury still vibrating around him, his grandmother rose and hurried toward him.
“D.C.! What a lovely surprise. It’s so good to see you.”
“I told Grandpa I was coming up to paint for a few days.”
“That you did.” Daniel beamed fiercely from his chair. “Forgot to tell you, Anna. All this excitement. Well, come in, come in. Maybe now that you’re here these women will let me have some whiskey in my tea. Where’s your cousin?”
“Outside. Layna, I’d like to talk to you.”
She had her composure back, barely. “Certainly,” she said, and continued to sip her tea.
“Privately,” he said between his
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