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“Dune it is then?”

“You don’t mind?” Her voice pitches in shock.

“Nope, I don’t mind. I kinda like sci-fi. I just don’t have time to watch movies.”

“Work?”

“Yes. Come on, let’s get settled and watch Dune.”

She smiles and moves past me to the living area. I follow and grab the remote to search for the movie. I don’t have time for movies. All I do is work, sleep, or fuck whatever female is available. But tonight, I do want to watch a movie with Lexi.

Chapter eleven

Lexi

Bruce and I settle onto the sofa. I wish he had picked another seat and not be this close to me. His closeness is stirring up my insides, even as Jonah’s warnings are blasting like a siren in my head.

The movie begins; we are quiet, but the tension between us thickens. I try to gently exhale, but the thickness is pulling. I have never felt a pull like this before. A pull so strong that all I want to do is fucking kiss him, but I hold it together. I'm keeping this struggle locked down inside, I’m not letting it escape. I get up at some point to grab a glass of wine, hoping it will calm my nerves. Nope, it doesn’t work. Nothing does.

I notice a smirk on his face.

He knows I’m fighting hard to kill this attraction that’s so fucking strong and basically twerking between us. Damn it! Why did we have to pick a long movie, one that commands your silence and attention?

“Excuse me,” I say, getting up fast and racing to my room. I grab my bag and take my sleep meds out. I shouldn’t take it, but I do know sitting so close to Bruce, I’m about to break my promise to Jonah and that I can’t let that happen.

The worst thing that can happen is someone coming in and killing me in my sleep, or I fall asleep and not break my promise to Jonah. Before I can go down the rabbit hole of analyzing, I throw the pill in my mouth and swallow it. I return to the sofa, take my seat, and he plays the paused movie. About thirty minutes into the movie, I start to feel the effect of the medication and my mind starts to wander.

Amrit once told me that I would ramble and get ecstatic whenever I took the pill, so I better keep my mouth shut and not say anything to him, especially things I can’t take back.

Chapter twelve

Bruce

Lexi returns from her room and takes the seat next to me. I’ve concluded that we are fighting a losing battle. It’s just a matter of time before the attraction between us takes over and its fiery flame burns through us. We are quiet, our eyes are trained on the movie, even as I’m provocatively attuned to her presence. Her allure is seeping into every nook and cranny of my being. It doesn’t take long before she leans into me. I don’t move out of her reach. She’s soft and warm in my arms, and my whole being is responding to her closeness. I need to get her in bed. I move her head from my shoulder.

“Hmm,” she groans. “Kiss me, Bruce,” she whispers. I pause for a moment, convinced I didn’t hear her.

“What did you say?” I ask, betting she doesn’t realize what she asked of me.

“Kiss me, Bruce,” she says, her voice barely audible. “I want you to kiss me. I took my meds.” A chuckle escapes her. “Be aware that I may not remember in the morning, so make it good so I can dream of you.” She grins, though a bit out of it.

I want her to remember, and I shouldn’t grant her request, but I’ve been dying to kiss her, so who am I to deny her request, especially when she wants to dream of me. I shift positions so she’s on her back and I kiss her lips gently, and she opens her mouth to let me in. I kiss her with the fervor of a starved man that I am. Her tongue swirls sweetly with mine. She wraps her arms around my neck and pulls me closer and deeper to her. My tongue is seeking every inch of her mouth; my body is intensely aroused. A soft moan escapes her; it sends a charge through my body.

I can probably make love to her now and she wouldn’t stop me, but for that, I want her sober and consenting, plus I want her to always remember us, every touch, every kiss, and every thrust of me inside her. I slowly pull away, breaking the sweet feel of our kiss.

Fuck, I just kissed Jonah’s girl, and I fucking like it.

She smiles. “Goodnight, Bruce.”

She turns to her side and sleeps like she didn’t just break through every resistance shield of mine. I sigh because looking at her, I want more. I feel it in the blood thumping in my veins, my ragged breath that I fucking need to control, my hands running through my hair in exasperation of what I’ve just done. I know there’s no going back now.

Leaning down, I lift her in my arms. She giggles like a little girl. I should leave her in her room, but I’ve a need for her closeness I can’t explain or control. I move slowly with her asleep in my arms and place her gently in my bed. She curls to her side and sleeps off. I sit on the bed for a moment watching her. “She can’t leave,” the voice that slams in my head. Just as Declan’s words a while ago: “When you kiss the one, you never want another.” I feel the weight of what I’ve done. Kissed the one, but she belongs to another man, and not just any man. A man that hates my guts, paid me to keep her safe, and sternly warned me not to touch her. I now know why. He made that request because he knows what would happen once I did.

He and I would be at war. Yet I find myself willing to go to war for her. Damn it.

I move closer and kiss her temple, my palm gently touching her face. A giggle escapes her, and I wonder if she’s dreaming of me. I cover her and get off the bed. I go into the bathroom to shower and relieve the monster awakening between my legs. I get temporary relief, wrapping my towel around my waist. I peek to check on her. She’s knocked out. I put sleeping pants on and get in bed with her, pulling her into my arms, and she doesn’t resist.

My watch buzzing is the alert that Ice is in the unit. Lexi is still in my arms and still asleep. Not sure I’m a fan of this medication that knocks her out this much. My body responds to her. Her body is making a fucking siren call to me. I get out of bed, and my eyes roam her whole body. She doesn’t stir. I let Ice know I will be out in a few minutes. I make the sofa look like I slept in it, not sure how she would feel if she finds out we slept in the same bed.