"Hello?" He said, invading Claire with his hoarse mighty voice. She had never closely imagined a voice could sound that beautiful and could penetrate in her bones like his voice did.
She cleared her voice, she even forgot her own name, and the voice got stuck in the back of her throat impeding her to murmur out a introduction. Luckly enough, Brendon soon intervened to come to her rescue.
"Hi, Cole. She is Claire.. my girlfriend." Brendon introduced her to his brother.
She offered a shy smile, proceeding to hastily look down at the ceiling to avoid getting caught blushing by both his boyfriend and his brother.
She inwardly rebuked herself, what was happening to her? When did she become so heedless?
Cole pushed the door open, allowing the couple to get inside. Claire darted her gaze through the house, it was even huger inside, only a few furniture here and there but all those seemed purposely picked from a collection and prestigiously handmade to be in that house. The house was so big that her gaze wasn't unable to explore it all not even peeking through the doors opened.
"Thanks for letting us stay here." Brendon said, "it would be the first time we stay in the same house." He explained.
"Hmm hmm, exciting I guess. Please do not wake me up if you get involved in…" he darted his gaze to Claire and raised an eyebrow, "in any activity in the night." He winked at his brother but the joke only embarrassed the poor couple who shared a shy glance.
They had never got themself involved in that activity since Claire was strict about her decision to make love only with the man she deeply loved. And Brendon wasn't part of that definition yet.
Cole frowned, he couldn't even redeem it possible that a couple didn't get involved in such an activity that was more than common for him. In fact, he was very popular among women of the city, because of his charm and - probably also the hugeness of his wallet- he was one of the most beloved men.
However, Cole prevented himself to dig in that matter and changed the subject.
"As I told you via phone. You will work for me as my assistant. After those months, when you'll learn more about this work you will start to work in higher positions."
That was the plan arranged with the wealthy CEO, two months of coworking to help Brendon have a solid first experience in the sector and help him to fill his curriculum. However, in the arranged plans Brendon had never mentioned the company of a girlfriend by his side.
"Sounds good." Brendon replied. "I am sorry if I hadn't told you earlier about my girlfriend, but I decided yesterday to bring her here. We are not in a good time and I am sure staying in the same house could help."
Cole met Claire's gaze for some second before inspecting her body from head to toe, making her wonder about her worth. She mentally questioned her outfit choices and the little make up she wore, if she knew the effect that mysterious man did to her maybe she would have dressed herself up.
When Brendon talked about his brother he only mentioned his strong cold personality and how they took two different directions in life, Brendon stayed with his mother whereas Cole left when he was only 15 to work at the company where his uncles worked. Since then, they had barely talked.
"It's fine," he flashened a smile to Claire and then walked to the second floor leaving the couple in crisis to get lost in that enormous villa.
Somehow, they managed to find their respectivies room, and got there their suitcases, Claire took care of the closet by folding and orderint her clothes inside while Cole told Brendon to visit the company already to meet their uncle who will explain him his work.
Claire half an hour later, walked in the kitchen, the only room she could spot through the corridor. She checked the surronding and after making sure the owner of the house wasn't there she opened the fridge.
She opened few drawers before finding the correct one, which contained glasses.
She poured herself some wine and then took a few sips before exhaling a deep breath. She couldn't believe the only man who gave her heart a shake and made her realize what attraction felt like was her boyfriend's boyfriend.
She massaged her forehead, shaking her head disappointed and concerned.
"Claire is it?" The same horse voice that had been echoing in her mind now echoed in the room. Her stomach clenched once again.
If she successfully pretended love feelings were there with her current boyfriend maybe she could also pretend those weren't there now.
"Yes, I'm Claire." She said, struggling to hold his staring. One step closer to her made her blink before jerking her head to the left.
His foot clicking on the marble floor as he took a second step, halving the distance between them.
The oxygen struggled to reach her lungs, a tight poundered over her chest.
"So did I hear it right, you and my brother are in crisis?" He stomped his feet in front of her, hinting at a smile. The whiteness of his smile contrasted the darkest of his eyes.
"Kind of…" She murmured, the tension of the room was palpable. Or maybe that was what the innocent Claire perceived.
"That's a shame." One last step and he was terribly close now, at a dangerous distance, only few inches separated their bodies from touching.
Claire nervously tucked her hair behind her ear like she usually did when she was nervous and timid.
"Why?" The word slipped ojt of her lips in a low whisper.
"My brother seems to like you quite a lot. Which makes my hobby even more interesting."
"Your hobby?" She asked confused and at her question, a mischievous grin lightened his face and he rested his hand over the wall behind her slouching forward enough to brush their noise tips together. Her heart started beating intensely and before she even realized it the emotions got the best of Claire and her cheeks heated.
What did he have in mind?
"My hobby is to seduce my brother's girlfriends." His grin turned into a smirk which grew even more once he noticed the color of Clair's cheeks.
She swallowed down and her mouth dried. Those were feelings she had never experienced before, feelings of pure attraction. He wasn't even the type of men she thought she liked. She always said to herself that she wanted someone gentle and with a clean appearance. But Cole's appearance didn't match with the description of the kind of boy she always fantasized about and described to her parents as the man she wanted by her side.
Maybe even because of that or for some other inexplicable reason the first man who made her heart beat so loudly that it echoed all around her ribcage was a man with so many tattoes that could be seen through his shirt. A man with his left eyebrow cut and with two eyes that seemed way too dark to be normal. He took one more step closer forcing Claire to backward and crash her back against the wall.
He smiled, "can you feel it too?" He whispered as he leaned with his lips closer to her. His breath was warm on her pale skin.
"What?" Claire murmured in distress.
"The attraction between us, this sparkle, it can't be innate."
His gaze bursted into hers, waiting for an answer she couldn't provide him with.