Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8

DOM

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 9 A.M.

Xander and I part in the hallway. He heads toward the stairs, and I turn left toward the elevators, pushing the button to go down. Things are better this morning. We feel in sync. And a bit of separation might ensure we don't do or say anything to mess that up.

When have I ever needed a break from my brother? Never.

The elevator doors open, and I stare at all the people. Of course it's busy today. Xander would have freaked out. He definitely made the right choice in taking the stairs.

"Going down?" a woman asks. It's hard to take her seriously with a chicken on her head. It's off to the side, an adornment to her hat, but still. She is bird-thin with a sharp nose and chin. And a frown.

I jump in the elevator and move to the back between a young girl around ten or eleven with short curls and wide eyes and a heavy-set man who smells like flour. Another contestant, perhaps?

As the door slides shut, a hand slips through to stop it. The woman huffs, and I feel sorry for the person jumping on at the last minute.

Except it's Xander.

Did he change his mind? I expect him to turn back around. This car already has more than he's comfortable with—usually anyone more than me—but he strides in without hesitation. He smiles at the little girl and moves beside me.

"Brother."

"What are you doing?" I hiss. I swear he's messing with me, but that's not something he does. Ever.

He glances around and then back at me. His head tilts. "I think that's fairly obvious."

"No. I mean…" But I stop. The answer I get won't help, and I'm resolved not to throw each other off our game today.

If only Xander had resolved the same. He stares at the woman in front of us, tilting his head this way and that to get a better view of the hat. His eyes dart to mine, full of amusement, and he bites his lips to keep from laughing out loud. The girl giggles. And he winks at her. What the fuck?

He leans in. "Close your mouth, brother."

I snap it shut, only then realizing I've been staring at him. But this isn't like Xander. "Cage?"

"Yes?" he answers right away. "Are you all right? You look deranged."

I lift my chin and glare at him. "I do not."

"Do so."

The girl giggles again. The elevator car stops, announcing the first floor, and everyone exits. The woman glares at us on her way out. The bird jiggles as if trying to free itself, and by the time we are out of the elevator, Cage and I are laughing hysterically.

This is not my brother. However, there really is no other explanation. Maybe he's developed dissociative identity disorder.

I don't have time to figure it out. The competition is starting soon. I let Cage lead me to our station, and we discuss our plan. Which is not at all what we discussed at length last night.

"Cage?"

"Yes?" His dark eyes meet mine, and it's like I'm seeing him for the first time.

"Do you believe in alternate universes?"

"Before this competition, no. Now? I'd like to. Honestly, this entire experience has been weird as shit, but I'm just going with it."

"I like that plan."

"Excellent." He winks again, and my stomach swoops. "Let's win this."

We work well together. Not as well as before because I can't anticipate this Xander. But I can make this pastry in my sleep, so I let my muscle memory take over. The rest of me wants to focus on Cage and the sheer confidence he has. It's sexy as hell. Even though it shouldn't be.

I feel good about the end result until I see the judges. The woman with the bird hat. Of course. She smiles when she tastes our lemon blueberry tart until the end when they announce our names. Then she frowns.

Thank goodness for anonymity. We win second. Again. I turn to Cage, ready to apologize, but he scoops me into a hug, and all thoughts leave my head. His arms feel good around me, and I press my face against his neck and shoulder. He smells amazing. Vanilla and a spicy cologne I've never smelled on him before. Xander doesn't usually like strong scents, but he should wear this one more often. Or maybe not.

I scramble out of his embrace before my problem becomes apparent.

As we clean up, I try to put my reaction to Cage out of my mind. I turn right instead of left and smack right into him.

"Oh. Sorry." My hands reach out to steady him and land on his broad chest.

He grabs my arms to keep me from falling. "No worries."

It's too much. Being this close to him again? His scent hits me like the end result of three shots of tequila. I'm liquid putty. Melted by his musky scent and the heat from his body, I can't catch my breath. I keep my eyes on his chest. That's not safe either, but I'm afraid of what he'll see in my eyes if I look at him.

"Dom?" he asks casually, not like he's about to accuse me of being a creeper.

"Yes?" I regain my senses and step out of his embrace. I look up because it would be weird if I didn't. He smiles, amusement shining in his eyes.

"Want to grab a coffee with me?"

My brain should not interpret this as a date since it's my freaking brother. But it feels different from all the other times we've gotten coffee or done anything together. "Sure."

"Do you mind if we go somewhere out of the hotel?"

I barely keep from gasping. Xander never wants to leave the hotel. But that's not really true anymore. What the hell is happening? "Okay. I might need to change first."

He scratches his head, which messes up his hair, and…leaves it. I have never in my life seen Xander do this. "It's just…" He shakes his head. "Never mind."

He's turning away, so I grab his hand, ignoring the delicious tingles. "What?"

"It's silly." He laughs, shaking his head. "I guess I could go with you. I'm just worried that if we separate, I'll lose you. "

How fucked up is it that I completely understand? "It's fine. I can wear this," I say in a rush. "I'm all yours, Cage."

He grins and leads the way out of the hotel.

What the fuck is wrong with me? My brain and my body are obviously broken.

And I don't have any desire to fix them.