Elias opens his bedroom door, and Avocado comes bounding out. He sniffs at the puppies, then jumps up to lick my face. Smiling, I pet him on the head, making him wag his tail happily.

“You hungry?” Elias casually asks, dressed in shorts and a T-shirt.

He really is a temptation.

I look him up and down and I nod, swallowing when he closes the distance and sits down next to me. He taps on his phone, searching through Uber Eats.

“I’m going to buy something for Olivia, too. She’s staying the night, if you don’t mind?” he asks, waiting for my confirmation.

“What? No, this is your house, Elias,” I laugh. I don’t mind if Liv visits. Her presence will keep me from throwing myself at her brother.

Who knew perceptions could switch and change so fast? I’ve always known Elias is attractive, but the thought of kissing him rarely crossed my mind. At least not until a week ago. Now I notice every single thing about him.

I noticed how his nose twitches whenever he’s uncomfortable or how he licks his lips when they’re dry. I noticed how most of his t-shirts are white, and he doesn’t care about the state of his pants. I glance at them now and wonder —

“As long as you’re here, it’s your house too,” he says, shaking me from that train of thought. “I’ve ordered pizza for us all.” He puts his phone down and sighs.

Elias takes his glasses off — he only wears them when he’s working — and massages his temples with his fingers.

“What?” I ask. “Work didn’t go as planned?”

He shakes his head. “It’s great, actually. I have a meeting with a well-known doctor, so no. It’s not about that.”

“What then?” I turn to him to give him my full attention.

“I’m nervous about how Olivia might react.” He shrugs and I instantly smile. “What?” he asks.

“Nothing,” I say. He raises a brow in question. “You’re a good brother.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

I smack him on the arm. “I’m serious. I think she’s going to love it.”

He looks at me from one eye to the other. He seems to do it whenever I’m not wearing lenses. It’s like he’s taking the time to analyze them.

“I like you better this way.” He brushes a couple of strands of hair behind my ear. “There’s no barrier between you and me with your lenses off.”

“Yeah,” I whisper and he leans toward me, his eyes fixed on my lips.

Avocado and Dog One jump off the couch, sensing the mood changing.

“I like knowing I can kiss you anytime I want to,” he admits, our mouths only millimeters apart.