Read Online Phoenix: Book One of The Stardust Series by Autumn Reed, Julia Clarke - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Autumn Reed, Julia Clarke
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sound of metal clanking against a dish. Two
guys, check. I drew a deep breath and forced myself to step out from the
safety of the bedroom.
I took a few steps before
my ankle gave out, and I stumbled forward awkwardly. Great, so much for
staying invisible . Arms flailing, I attempted to catch my balance while
Chase popped up from his seat on the couch and held out a hand, offering to
steady me. His smile was warm, and for a moment I felt even more unstable. I
clasped my hand on his forearm, grateful for the support, and smiled in return.
Chase led me to the
table and pulled out a chair, patiently waiting as I sat down. Glancing around,
I wasn’t surprised to see Ethan busy at the stove. He wore a navy and pale
orange patterned button-down shirt that was rolled up at the sleeves. The top
two buttons were undone, providing a glimpse of his powerful chest muscles
beneath. With his shirt tucked into his jeans, his brown leather belt
accentuated his tapered waistline in contrast to his broad shoulders. His
patterned socks made me smile; today’s choice was houndstooth. I wonder if
his boxers match.
“Good morning, sleepy
head.” His voice was cheerful and I sensed a note of mocking.
“Smells good,” I said,
ignoring his tone. He quickly plated the breakfast and set a dish in front of
me before joining us at the table. I relaxed a little, feeling less awkward
about last night. I took a few bites and reminded myself to eat slowly, savoring
the flavors as I felt the edge of my hunger start to fade.
Knox suddenly appeared
at the sliding glass door to the deck, and I gripped the sides of the chair to
steady myself. Chase turned toward me, a concerned look crossing his face.
As Knox slid the door
open, Ethan smirked. “Don’t worry, Knox doesn’t bite.”
My mouth felt dry, and
I doubted my ability to speak even if I wanted to. In the light of day, Knox
was still intimidating. I hadn’t been imagining things last night; he really
was as solid as a brick wall. He was just a hair shorter than Ethan—who I had
gauged was close to six and a half feet tall—but he was much broader, with wide
shoulders.
Knox’s dark blond hair
grazed his cheeks and fell over part of his face. A dark V-neck shirt clung to
his chest, covered by a worn, brown leather jacket. Relaxed jeans and
motorcycle boots completed the look. If Chase looked like the blond
All-American, Knox was the blond bad boy through and through.
Surrounded by Ethan,
Chase, and Knox, I was tongue-tied. Pretending to be absorbed in my breakfast,
I observed them one by one. They were each remarkable in their own way, but
together, the three were almost more than I could take.
I was interrupted from
my thoughts by Ethan. “Haley. Earth to Haley. Feeling okay?”
I nodded, lazily
swatting away his hand that was reaching out toward my forehead as if to check
my temperature. The corner of his lip twitched upward, and his eyes flickered
with amusement as he resumed eating. After a few bites, he looked at me. “Speaking
of. How is your ankle feeling today?”
I pushed my food around
a little before speaking in a quiet voice, still focused on the plate in front
of me. “It feels fine, I guess.”
He scoffed. “I’m sure
it does after walking on it all night. Do you mind if I take a quick look at
it?”
“No,” I replied,
avoiding looking him in the eyes. I felt the most guilty facing Ethan after
running away; probably because he had taken care of me and spent so much time
with me yesterday. He very gently lifted my leg and rested my foot on his
thigh. Inspecting my ankle, he lightly pushed at the swelling before placing my
foot back on the ground.
“I think you’ll live,”
he said with a slight smile.
Ethan looked me
directly in the eye, his rich brown eyes holding my attention until he finished
giving his orders. “Stay off that ankle today, Haley. I mean it. Rest it, ice
it, and take the medicine I gave you yesterday. Don’t put any weight on it;
Chase and
guys, check. I drew a deep breath and forced myself to step out from the
safety of the bedroom.
I took a few steps before
my ankle gave out, and I stumbled forward awkwardly. Great, so much for
staying invisible . Arms flailing, I attempted to catch my balance while
Chase popped up from his seat on the couch and held out a hand, offering to
steady me. His smile was warm, and for a moment I felt even more unstable. I
clasped my hand on his forearm, grateful for the support, and smiled in return.
Chase led me to the
table and pulled out a chair, patiently waiting as I sat down. Glancing around,
I wasn’t surprised to see Ethan busy at the stove. He wore a navy and pale
orange patterned button-down shirt that was rolled up at the sleeves. The top
two buttons were undone, providing a glimpse of his powerful chest muscles
beneath. With his shirt tucked into his jeans, his brown leather belt
accentuated his tapered waistline in contrast to his broad shoulders. His
patterned socks made me smile; today’s choice was houndstooth. I wonder if
his boxers match.
“Good morning, sleepy
head.” His voice was cheerful and I sensed a note of mocking.
“Smells good,” I said,
ignoring his tone. He quickly plated the breakfast and set a dish in front of
me before joining us at the table. I relaxed a little, feeling less awkward
about last night. I took a few bites and reminded myself to eat slowly, savoring
the flavors as I felt the edge of my hunger start to fade.
Knox suddenly appeared
at the sliding glass door to the deck, and I gripped the sides of the chair to
steady myself. Chase turned toward me, a concerned look crossing his face.
As Knox slid the door
open, Ethan smirked. “Don’t worry, Knox doesn’t bite.”
My mouth felt dry, and
I doubted my ability to speak even if I wanted to. In the light of day, Knox
was still intimidating. I hadn’t been imagining things last night; he really
was as solid as a brick wall. He was just a hair shorter than Ethan—who I had
gauged was close to six and a half feet tall—but he was much broader, with wide
shoulders.
Knox’s dark blond hair
grazed his cheeks and fell over part of his face. A dark V-neck shirt clung to
his chest, covered by a worn, brown leather jacket. Relaxed jeans and
motorcycle boots completed the look. If Chase looked like the blond
All-American, Knox was the blond bad boy through and through.
Surrounded by Ethan,
Chase, and Knox, I was tongue-tied. Pretending to be absorbed in my breakfast,
I observed them one by one. They were each remarkable in their own way, but
together, the three were almost more than I could take.
I was interrupted from
my thoughts by Ethan. “Haley. Earth to Haley. Feeling okay?”
I nodded, lazily
swatting away his hand that was reaching out toward my forehead as if to check
my temperature. The corner of his lip twitched upward, and his eyes flickered
with amusement as he resumed eating. After a few bites, he looked at me. “Speaking
of. How is your ankle feeling today?”
I pushed my food around
a little before speaking in a quiet voice, still focused on the plate in front
of me. “It feels fine, I guess.”
He scoffed. “I’m sure
it does after walking on it all night. Do you mind if I take a quick look at
it?”
“No,” I replied,
avoiding looking him in the eyes. I felt the most guilty facing Ethan after
running away; probably because he had taken care of me and spent so much time
with me yesterday. He very gently lifted my leg and rested my foot on his
thigh. Inspecting my ankle, he lightly pushed at the swelling before placing my
foot back on the ground.
“I think you’ll live,”
he said with a slight smile.
Ethan looked me
directly in the eye, his rich brown eyes holding my attention until he finished
giving his orders. “Stay off that ankle today, Haley. I mean it. Rest it, ice
it, and take the medicine I gave you yesterday. Don’t put any weight on it;
Chase and
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