Winner Takes All by Erin Kern Read Free Book Online Page B

tongue-tied?” Brandon’s brows shot up his forehead. “Don’t tell me you don’t notice what she looks like.”
    Blake shook his head. “Didn’t say that.” And that was all he was going to say about one Annabelle Turner.
    Brandon burst out laughing. As in tossing his head back and guffawing like he did when they were kids. “Oh, I see how it is,” he said after calming down.
    Blake glanced at his cousin, noting the smile still turning up the corners of his mouth. “See what?”
    “How she’s already under your skin,” Brandon answered.
    Blake slid his cousin a narrow-eyed glance. Truth.
    “Again with the no comment,” Brandon mused. “That stony silence might work on others, but you forget I’ve known you since we were in diapers.”
    Blake didn’t need reminding. “I don’t even know her,” he corrected his cousin.
    “Don’t have to know someone to lust after them,” Brandon pointed out.
    Blake kept his pace up, even though his knee was on fire now. Damn his injury and damn his need for more pain pills. “Who said anything about lust?”
    “Your denial is enough, my friend.”
    Blake shook his head. “She’s not under my skin.”
    “Matt said some of the kids on the team are calling her Tantalizing Ms. Turner.”
    Blake stopped running and jabbed his hands on his hips. Brandon did the same and used the hem of his T-shirt to dry his sweat-drenched brow. A woman walked in the opposite direction, with her cell phone glued to her ear, and allowed her gaze to drop down to the strip of flesh exposed beneath the lifted shirt. His cousin shot the woman a grin, and Blake swore the woman’s cheeks reddened just as she passed them.
    Yeah, his cousin was a chick magnet. Always had been.
    Blake waved a hand in the air. “Whatever. Say what you want, but I’m not getting involved with her.”
    “Who said anything about involvement?” Brandon gave Blake’s shoulder a shove. “I just want you to admit she gets your panties in a twist.”
    “You mean the same way Trisha did for you?” Blake asked, mentioning Matt’s mother.
    Brandon let out a humorless laugh. “You always did play dirty, didn’t you?”
    Blake moved one of his shoulders. “Just returning the favor.”
    “I guess I had that one coming,” Brandon admitted.
    They walked in silence for a moment, allowing their breathing to slow down and soaking in the mid-Saturday-morning sun.
    “Yeah, okay, she’s hot,” Blake finally said.
    Brandon just grinned. “There it is.”
    Blake jabbed his index finger toward his cousin. “But I’m not getting involved with her.”
    “You keep mentioning that, but I never said anything about getting mixed up with her,” Brandon pointed out. “So is it me or you you’re trying to convince?”
    Blake stared back at his cousin for a moment, then turned away. Damn the man for knowing exactly what Blake was thinking, then having the balls to call him out. Brandon West always got some kind of sick satisfaction out of watching Blake squirm. The thing was, it had never mattered before. His cousin’s ribbing, even if it was playful, because everything about Brandon was playful, never made Blake want to sock one to him.
    Which meant Brandon was right.
    Annabelle was under his skin.
    The three of them, men and dog, stopped at a water fountain where Brandon pulled a foldable mesh water bowl from his shorts pockets, filled it with water, and placed it on the ground for Duke. The dog, tongue hanging about a foot out of his mouth, bent his big old block head down and lapped the water up, sloshing the stuff all over the concrete.
    “I can’t imagine what your kitchen floors look like,” Blake commented as Duke continued to drink.
    Brandon grunted. “He can’t help it if his tongue is the size of a surfboard.” He bent down and scratched the dog’s ears. “Ever think of getting one?”
    Blake shook his head and swiped his forehead with the back of his hand. “If I could ever keep a plant alive for more