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“So, date someone from a different program… You want what the girls have? Date some insanely cocky hockey or football player… they won’t be intimidated by your brains. There’ll be no competition.”

She tapped her lip and considered my words. “You’re not wrong, but I don’t meet those guys. Well, sometimes I meet them, but they don’t notice me.”

“False, more like you don’t notice them noticing you, or they figure they don’t even have a shot. Beauty and brains, you’re intimidating.”

She laughed. “Let’s agree to disagree.”

The bartender made his way to us finally and asked for our order.

“What are you having?” Aisha asked.

I hesitated. What was I having? I hadn’t had a drink in a week. It felt odd. On one hand, I really, really wanted one. On the other, I’d been too distracted by Brody and running every morning, and the play and the new internship to even really miss it.

“Um, I’m not sure,” I said, indecisive.

“She’ll take a ginger beer.” Deep voice. English.Brody.

He was here.

Not just in Hade Harbor, but here, standing right behind me.

Aisha’s eyes were wide, staring over my shoulder.

“Actually, I’ll take a rum and Coke.” I smiled at the bartender.

He went away to make our drinks.

Aisha looked at me and nodded over my shoulder, as if I might not be aware of the solid presence at my back. I was well aware, just too shy to turn around. The other night and that sound of him jerking off over the phone replayed in my head. What sounds had I made? Could he remember them? I flushed.

“You’re not drinking that,” Brody said in that controlling, arrogant tone of his I knew so well.

“Not yet, no. It hasn’t even been made yet, has it?” I said, without giving him my attention. The damn shyness persisted. I had no idea what to do with that feeling.

Brody was quiet, waiting for me to look at him. I took a twisted satisfaction in not turning to do just that.

“Introduce me to your friend,” Brody continued like he wasn’t just waiting for me to spin around.

“Aisha, this is Brody,” I told her and then spied Cal leaning on the bar just behind her. I jerked my chin toward him. “And that’s Cal. They’re the infamous new Hellions, the Sinclair twins.”

“Oh, twins.” Aisha spun around on her stool and gazed up at Cal. “Interesting! Medically speaking.”

Cal seemed like he didn’t know how to respond. I figured he’d just ignore her, like he usually did to everyone who wasn’t his brother. But then he really looked at her, scanned her over. Cal wasn’t always an eye contact person. He didn’t just glance at Aisha briefly either. His dark eyes lingered.

“Thanks, I guess,” he muttered and then turned back to the bar.

Interesting.And Aisha thought she wasn’t drop-dead gorgeous? She’d just made the most mysterious, people-adverse Hellion practically blush.

My drink was placed in front of me, but before I could reach for it, a huge, tattooed hand plucked it off the bar.

I whirled around straightaway. “Give that back!”

Brody calmly sipped my drink, taking his time to savor it, licking a stray drop off his top lip before answering.

“No.” He lifted his long-as-hell arm over his head and put the glass firmly out of my reach.

“Brody,” I warned, stepping on the stool’s footrest so I’d be able to grab the glass easier. “Give it back.”

He smiled down at me. “Hello, heathen. No drinking for you, cheer captain. Remember the rules.”