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Shaye
“What the fuck were you doing with Nico the other night?”
I jump about three feet into the air, my fingers freezing over my laptop keyboard. “Jesus, Max! You almost gave me a heart attack!”
Max glares at me with his large arms folded over his broad chest. You never want to meet my brother in a dark alley. At twenty-four, he’s more built than most older guys, and he’s fast. He can have someone on the ground kissing their own ass in seconds. But he doesn’t only use his body. He’s always packing. It’s something he’s tried to hide from me, something he still denies to this day. But baby sister is on to him. On to a lot more than they give me credit for.
“Tell me why you were at his house, Shaye.”
“Seriously? I went over there to give my condolences. His grandfather just died. I’m not completely heartless.” I smirk, hoping to lighten the moment, but he’s still not convinced. I can tell by the way he’s seething. Dammit. How the hell could he possibly know anything, unless…no. No fucking way would Nico ever tell him, right? I mean, the way he kicked me to the curb? He must know Max would shoot him between the eyes for treating his sister like that, after stripping her of her virginity. Oh yeah, that’d be grounds for cold-blooded murder in Max’s eyes. Best friend or not.
“You were at the funeral. You didn’t tell him you were sorry while you were there?”
“I didn’t speak to him at the funeral. He was kind of…occupied.” The memory of Nico flanked on all sides by girls in tight black dresses with huge boobs, dark red lips, and bleached blonde extensions makes my stomach roll. His typical whore-type times about five. Go big or go home? No, his MO is more like go big and take them all home.
My pulse throbs against my neck. God, the thought alone of his tongue taunting every inch of my body makes my skin prickle with need. Sonofabitch. How did I let this happen? I was so good while I was away. I’d only fantasized about him a few days a week, tops. Maybe there were vibrators involved, but who cares? I’d gotten over the hump, came to terms with the loss of my friend, the one I’d carried a torch for since I was old enough to notice boys.
Oh, for Pete’s sake. Can I not think of anything other than humping right now? I’m trying to maintain my cool so my brother doesn’t go ape shit on me for seeing Nico. I know the rules. Stay far away or else. Nico’s life isn’t a safe one. Nico makes dangerous choices. Nico is on the radar of too many thugs. Nico is Max’s best friend.
Bottom line? He is not allowed to see me naked.
Except…he did.
I’d managed to avoid the rumblings from deep within my core every time we were in the same room together growing up. I fought them hard, but in the end, I fell victim. And that fall felt so fucking good. I’d do it again, and again, in a hot second. Totally worth the risk of being murdered by my father and my brother for disregarding their wishes.
“I think you’re full of shit.” His dark eyes narrow and he creeps toward me. “What happened when you went over there?”
I slam the lid of my laptop and jump out of my chair. “I told you! Nothing! You know, I’m an adult, Max. I am perfectly capable of handling myself. I’ve known him and his family for how long? It was only right to go over there.” Oh, yes. So very right.
“Look,” his voice softens. “I’m just worried about you. The past couple of days…I don’t know, you haven’t been your normal, annoying self.” He reaches out and gives me a noogie, of all things.
I squeal and jump backward. “Asshole! I just flat-ironed my hair!”
“Drama queen.” He flashes a smirk, displaying the dimple in his left cheek. For all of his less-endearing qualities, like running as hot as a fireplace poker, he’s got dark Mediterranean looks that make women swoon at his feet. No joke. I’ve seen it firsthand. I, on the other hand, take after our northern Italian side. “Hot date tonight?”
I roll my eyes. “Yeah, with my psychology textbook.”
“Want to go out and get some ice cream?”
“It’s freezing out!” I wrap my arms around myself as if the cold from outside had suddenly infiltrated the house.
“We’re not going to eat it outside, dipshit.” He pulls on his jacket. “Come on, if the cold is too much for you to bear, I’ll take you to Starbucks instead. You can get a tall, nonfat, caramel macchiato, no foam with an extra shot, or some frou frou shit like that.”
“Actually, I could do with a hot chocolate. With regular old marshmallows.” I lift an eyebrow at him. “Not everyone needs frou frou.”
“Glad to hear it.” He tosses me my coat and I slide my arms into it. “Did you see Mom and Dad?”
I nod. “Yeah, they took off an hour ago for that dinner.”
He doesn’t say anything, just mumbles in response.
The front door swings open, and a cold gust of air chills my bones. Good Lord, do I love going to school in Miami. I can’t wait to get back there. A shiver runs through me. Especially after…everything.
That bastard. If I so much as breathe a word of his behavior to Max, he’d be over there pummeling the shit out of Nico in less time than it’d take me to blink.
But I can’t for two reasons.
Number one, I’d have to come clean about being so very dirty.
