Eye of the Beholder Read Online Free Page B

with as much gusto as her broken face would allow. “Mmm-hmm.” She licked her lips, moaning in cheesy ecstasy.
    A dark flush crept up Travis’s cheeks. He cleared his throat. “Isn’t that bad for someone who’s sick? Aren’t you supposed to eat bland food?”
    She looked at him blankly. “I’m already hurting. Why suffer more than I absolutely have to?” She finished her soup and handed the tray back to Logan with as sweet a smile as she could muster. “Thank you, Logan.”
    He smiled down at her, his fondness for her written all over his face. “You’re welcome, Pita.”
    She finished off the water and handed the empty glass to Travis, who took it with a frown. She yawned, snuggling down against the pillow, the pain pill making her sleepy again. “’Night, Travis.”
    “’Night, Pita.”
    She smiled, her eyes closed as she began drifting off to sleep. The gentle kiss she imagined against her lips sent her into sweet dreams where Travis actually wanted a crazy, pushy redhead for his own.

    Travis lifted his lips from her, shaking his head over the lingering taste of peppers. He smoothed his hand over her hair, unable to resist the way the limp curls clung to his fingers.
    She needed a bath. As soon as she woke up, he’d see to it she got one. He’d have to be careful of the cast still on her wrist, but he could deal with it when the time came.
    He left her to sleep, heading into the living room to find Jordan, Jeff, Logan and Kir waiting for him. “What?”
    “Nothing. Just wondering when you’re going to move your stuff into her bedroom.” Jeff threw a piece of popcorn up into the air, catching it in his mouth. He grinned at Travis as he chewed.
    Kir grinned. “Already taken care of.”
    Travis did his best to keep his expression serene. If he had any hope of a happy life with Jamie he’d have to make sure her twin was okay with it. “You have an objection to that?”
    “Nope, but she might.”
    The two men stared at one another. Jeff looked relaxed, his bare feet propped up on the coffee table, a bowl of popcorn in his lap, but Travis knew better. Even at twenty-five, Jeff was one of the best operatives he had, mostly because people saw a slender, carefree guy with bright red hair and a cheery smile. What they failed to see was the ruthless hunter underneath, a warrior who felt quite capable of taking Travis on if he felt his sister was threatened.
    Travis wondered if that attitude would still be there if Jeff knew who he was challenging. When it came to Jamie, he had the feeling that it might.
    He could respect that. He’d still have to smack the kid down if he got in the way of Travis taking care of Jamie, but, still.
    The younger man stood and stretched, putting the bowl on the coffee table. “I’m not going to wait much longer for you guys to get your collective heads out of your asses, you know.” He looked around the room at the four of them, his intent stare lingering the longest on his older half-sister, Jordan. “You are going to tell me what the fuck is going on with the Old Man and why he turned Jamie into a piñata. Because if you don’t, I’ll be forced to find out on my own, and something tells me none of you would like that.” He smiled sweetly, reminding Travis of Jamie. “Good night, everyone.” He sauntered off toward the den with an absent wave. “I’m taking the futon, Travis.”
    Travis shook his head as he watched Jeff close the door behind him. “Fuck me.”
    “No thanks. Logan would kill me.”
    Travis closed his eyes against the incipient headache building behind his eyes. “Kir.”
    “Sorry.” The blond man sank into the seat Jeff had so recently occupied, picking up the bowl of popcorn with a sigh. “Anyone want—”
    “ No. ”
    Kir winced as all three of them shouted him down. “Okay, okay. I can see how you’d all be pizza’d out. You don’t have to shout, though.” He put the bowl down, fiddling with it absently. “He’s right.”
    Travis