AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I suppress a laugh. “It seems likehehas other ideas.”
The scruff of his beard tickles my neck as he laughs. “He always has bad ideas where you’re concerned. But it’s not about him tonight. Sleep.” He kisses the back of my shoulder and rests his head back on the pillow.
I could sleep so easily, too. My body is tired, and so is my mind, but having him near me like this, making me feel warm, it sparks another need, and my body definitely has other ideas. I turn and hike a leg over his, pulling him closer to me, his erection straining between us.
“Suddenly, I’m not so tired,” I whisper, stroking his abs, the fever inside building. I ache for him, for everything about him; the way he soothes me, the way he touches me, the way he fucks me. I know right now I’m not going to want to give him up when this fake marriage arrangement is over.
“What do you need, Zoey?” he whispers, eyes fixated on my mouth.
My stomach flutters at a euphoric speed.
“Everything.”
Chapter 35
Harrison
IneedtotakeZoey away. I want to help her, but I understand that she feels she has something to prove, especially after witnessing that spectacular display ofaffectionfrom her parents not long ago.
We’ll sort the shelter and get the animals temporarily into other shelters, and then I’m taking her camping. I know she joked that she’d hate it, but I have a feeling she needs to completely switch off, and this is the perfect way to do it.
I tap my pen on my desk. Work this morning has gone slowly, and exhaustion has begun to creep into my vision. The late night with Zoey ended up being averylate night after she and I did things that aren’t considered resting.
Last night, the defeat in her eyes nearly killed me. I want to fix this for her; I want to save her from any hurt, to protect her, to make all her fears disappear and seeing her look so small and fragile… that was when I realised that I have feelings for her I’ve never had for any other woman. The tightness in my chest when I’m not around her seems to be a permanent thing now. So, when she threw the whole ‘business arrangement’ at me again, I tried not to let it show, but that stung… a lot. Truth is, this hasn’t been a business arrangement since the moment I kissed her. I’m being fully led by my emotions here, but I have no idea if she’s on the same page.
“Knock knock, brother.” Max’s voice wakes me from my daydream of Zoey as he walks into my office.
I sit up straighter and drop my pen on my desk as I stand. “Shit, I forgot you were coming over.”
We do our bro-hug that we’ve always done since we were kids, slapping each other’s backs. Yeah, we’re a cliché, but it’s weirder if we don’t do it now.
“Don’t dent my ego any more than you already have. I’m adjusting to being the second most important Bancroft in your life now.” He huffs as he sits in the chair opposite me, stretching out his long legs. “Speaking of. How is my little sister?”
“She’s good. Busy, some shit is going on at the shelter again. She’s stressed,” I admit and immediately wince. I need to tread carefully here. I know Zoey hasn’t spoken to her brothers much lately. She even left a post-it with a cartoon hedgehog on the coffee table last week with ‘Don’t forget to call Max and Owen’written on it.
Max’s head tilts. “Again? That place is a liability, I swear. She needs to cut her losses. Not that I’ll ever tell her that.”
“I wouldn’t either. She’s more attached to that place than ever.” I rub my hand through my beard, avoiding his stare as best I can while trying not to blurt out that Bancroft Snr is a complete arsehole.
I feel the weight of Max’s stare because that’s the thing about being friends with someone for most of your life; They can tell when you’re keeping something from them. “What’s up with you?”
“Didn’t get a lot of sleep last night,” I tell him honestly.
“It doesn’t take a genius to know why, but it does take a brother not to tell me the details, please. Considering that’ll be my sister’s doing, I’m sure.” He shudders dramatically. “Is that all though?”
I twirl the wedding band on my finger, still not looking up.
“I’m good, man. Honestly.”Just figuring out my feelings for your sister, but I can’t talk to you about that because you think we’ve been dating in secret for ages. God, this is complicated.
“Okay, well, the offer is there if you need an ear.” He stands, running his hands down the front of his chinos as he does. “Ready for lunch? Owen is meeting us there.”
I stand, too. “Sure.”
Max stops me before I advance past him. “Dude, seriously, you’re acting weird.”
I blow out a breath, wracking my brain for what I can say. “I want to take Zoey camping, and I don’t want her to hate it. I feel anxious about it, okay?” It’s not a total lie, so I go with it.
Max bursts out laughing, and just when I think he’s stopped, he starts again. “I’m sorry,” he splutters, not sounding apologetic at all. “Zoey and wilderness don’t mix, man. We went to Canada when we were kids and she had a panic attack when a fly landed on her arm as we were walking around Lake Louise.” He shakes his head and grips my shoulder, looking me dead in the eyes. “Good luck with that, mate.”
