Amusement?

Really? He was laughing at her?

“Listen, buddy, you’d be lucky to have a girl like me,” Bianca spat at him. She was pissed. Yeah, she thought he was cute, but no man was going to make fun of her. She knew who she was, and if he didn’t like it, then screw him.

Bianca stormed away, not willing to stand around and listen to excuses or false compliments. She didn’t need it.

*******

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Steven demanded.

George watched his feisty cousin walk across the room. He felt like a piece of him was going with her, which threw him off balance. He never relied on anyone, never got attached. Going home with Steven for Thanksgiving was a decision he made one morning after too little sleep and too much to drink. When Steven told him all about his favorite cousin, he never imagined the fiery blonde with the richest brown eyes he’d ever seen. He wanted to get lost in her eyes, to forget about everything in his life he’d ever known.

And everything he’d never wanted to know.

Something about Bianca made him think she could erase his past, give him a clean slate, make him believe in the good person he always hoped was inside.

But first he had to get past her cousin.

“I’m sorry, man. It threw me that she was talking about me like I wasn’t there. Basically saying she wanted me.”

Steven glared at him then blew out a harsh breath. “She’s the most important person in my world. You’d be the luckiest bastard in the world if she wanted you.”

George narrowed his eyes at his friend. “Are you actually giving me permission? After all the warnings you gave me leading up to coming here? I honestly thought you would rip my balls off if I even looked at her.”

Steven laughed. “Nah, man, I don’t want to touch those. But if you hurt her, you might be my next accidental bicycle kick.”

George cringed as Steven walked away laughing.