Hott and Handled (The Hott Brothers #3) - Leah Sharelle Page 0,2

the bag then storming to the next piece, silently hoping Lenoxx would get the hint and bugger off.

“Funny, Dad used to say that to us whenever we annoyed him, which was practically every minute of the day.” Noxx’s rumble of laughter was not quite filled with humour or nostalgia; rather, it came out indignant.

Speaking about Dad was hard these days. Gone was the heartsick pain of missing him; instead, it was replaced with a sense of gall directed at the man who I once hero-worshipped. We still had yet to find the money Dad lent old man Rogers, or understand why Mack and Mallory’s father went to his nemesis for money in the first place.

Still so many mysteries, and we weren’t any closer today than we were a year ago.

The silence hung thick between Lenoxx and me as we stood there and looked out over the valley, a place our father loved and was proud to own.

“I just wish I knew why Makena’s father went to Dad in the first place,” Noxx suddenly muttered, as if he read my mind, which he probably did as was the strong connection the three of us shared.

“I’m sure we will one day, mate. Life has a way of working shit out in its own time,” I assured him, thinking not only of Dad but my own battles.

The health of my heart was fine; surviving a congenital defect had nothing on what a certain brunette was doing to it—conjuring an image of the gorgeous woman with her soft coffee-coloured, short hair and her matching eyes. Brown with gold flecks, almond in shape, they had a sexual hooded look to them. Her face round with the perfect button nose, full lips all leading down the most classically shaped neck. Everything about Farron screamed feminine, ladylike and ultra-gorgeous.

A pure beauty.

“I wish you would talk to her Nixx,” Lenoxx said, breaking into my thoughts, “how is she going to know you are interested if you don’t approach her.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but Noxx beat me to the punch.

“Going to her pizza joint every night doesn’t count dickhead. You sit in the back of the restaurant, give your order to the waitress, then shove money in the tip jar when Farron isn’t looking. You do know the aim is to talk to her, right?

Groaning with annoyance of the having the same conversation the night before at the reception. When are they going to give up offering me advice on how to approach Farron?

I am no fresh-faced virgin too shy to say hello to a woman for fuck’s sake. Girlfriends had been in abundance for my brothers and myself in our teens and twenties. Being from a rich family and according to the female population of Cattle Ridge, good lookin’ blokes, none of us had any trouble finding a girl. Then, somewhere along the way, that all lost its appeal for me, and I guess for Drixx and Noxx too. Lenoxx found Makena when he was just eighteen and fell hook line and sinker for the local beauty. Drixx always carried a torch for Blake, and only went out with a couple of girls and even then, not seriously. His attraction to the younger girl confused him, so he tried to find another one to take his attention, but it never worked for him. It was always going to be Blake for my brother.

“Nixx?”

“Yes Lenoxx, I know talking is a key point, thank you for your wisdom. Now back the fuck off and let me worry about my life love.” My voice hard and unrelenting.

Turning my back once again, I locked out the noise of Lenoxx’s ribbing and continued to clean up slowly, wasting time. Farron surely would arrive soon to pick up her ovens. A thought dawned that there were three ovens here, how was she going to tow all of them herself? Was she bringing someone else, maybe the guy she was dating.

I had no idea if she was still dating the auctioneer from Mansfield. Despite my stalking efforts at the pizza place, I had not managed to hear any conversations between her or her employees on the subject. Come to think of it, I had not seen the man in question in the restaurant for the last couple of months. Maybe he was too busy to see her at dinner time? Maybe he was a fucktard and didn’t appreciate her cooking? Maybe he …

The sound of a car driving closer caught my attention. Looking