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Her eyes widened while her body melted into the mattress. Her skin flushed a deeper shade of red with each second that passed between us. I could see it in her heady gaze—she wanted me to kiss her. Evie could never hide her feelings from me. It didn’t matter how hard she tried. I could always see right through her, making our connection that much stronger.
When she licked her lips, I knew she was baiting me, and because I couldn’t resist, I inched closer to her mouth.
Almost touching her lips with mine, I rasped, “I can still taste you in my mouth.”
She swallowed hard, and I felt it against my fingers around her throat.
“If all you ever were to me was just a meaningless fuck, then I’d fuck you right now, and you’d let me.”
I pushed off the mattress and left her there, craving my touch, fully aware I was right. I had to walk back into the living room to get my head straight. If I didn’t, I’d fuck her right then and there just to remind her who she belonged to.
Joseph was cleaning up their mess and paused when he saw me standing there. I tried to keep a calm composure, but my temper wouldn’t allow it.
Stepping into his face, I spewed, “What the fuck are you still doing here?”
He didn’t back down, not that I expected him to.
“What is your problem? I haven’t seen you in over a year. I can’t visit my brother, niece, and nephew?”
“Who the hell do you think you’re talking to, Joseph? This is what you do. You show up out of nowhere, always causing a disaster that you leave me to clean up. When are you going to grow up and be a man, huh? What do you need this time? More money? Who do you owe now?”
“Actually…” He cunningly grinned. “Since you’re still never around and drowning yourself in work, I thought I’d fuck your lonely nanny—”
My fist connected with his jaw. His body whooshed back and stumbled into the fireplace behind him where he caught himself.
“That’s your one warning, Joseph. Stay the fuck away from Evie and my kids.”
Raising an eyebrow, he rubbed his jawline as he backed away from me.
“You always did have a temper, big brother.”
“Get the fuck out of my house!”
He smiled and chuckled. “Fine, but this isn’t over.”
“Nothing ever is with you.”
I watched him leave and locked the door behind him. I couldn’t stop thinking about what I walked in on. I swear Joseph’s timing was always impeccable, making his presence known when I least expected it. He was still a fucking mess. I could see it in his eyes. It wouldn’t be the last time his gambling addiction got him into trouble. I was exhausted from having to bail him out.
For years my parents and I tried to help him, save him from himself, but it didn’t matter what we did for him. It was never enough. He had an addicting personality, and everything he did was to the extreme. Even as a child, he was pure chaos running around our home.
Who knows what kind of problems he had now…
The only time he reappeared in my life was when he needed something. He made the worst decisions. Since he was a kid, there was no controlling his poor choices. Most of the time, they were complete and utter bullshit.
Getting suspended from school.
Dropping out of college.
Losing money left and right.
The list of his mistakes was endless.
I was fighting a battle I couldn’t win with him.
And now I was in a war with a woman I couldn’t live without. All I knew was I couldn’t lose her again. I wouldn’t survive it. I barely did the first time.
To catch her in my brother’s arms, regardless of the reason, turned my world upside down. Our relationship was frustrating, having no clue where the fuck I stood with her.
One minute I felt like we were making progress, going in the right direction, and the next I didn’t recognize the woman standing in front of me. For the last eight years, I thought about her every day. Whether it was for a few seconds or couple hours, I never stopped thinking about her.
I opened the cabinet in my bathroom and grabbed some pain reliever for Evie before making my way back into my bedroom. She was passed out on my pillow on my side of the bed. Her hair cascaded around her face, reminding me of all the times I watched her sleep while she was in my arms. I didn’t want to wake her, but if I didn’t then she’d wake up with a hell of a hangover.
“Darlin’, you need to take this.”
She half-opened her glossy eyes, nodding at me.
After she swallowed the pills, I laid her back down. She was already asleep when I began sliding off her jeans. I left her in her shirt and panties.
