Chapter 1 Neil #4
“Okay. I hope…” She sighed. “I hope I hear from you or see you soon,” she said, almost sounding afraid of how I might react.
I also longed not just to see her but to kiss her, to touch her, and to take her to bed again.
I yearned to breathe in her coconut scent, to stroke her soft skin, to feel her legs wrapped around me, and to lose myself in her heat, in the only place where I felt truly good.
My Neverland.
“Good night, Tigress.” I ended the call without another word and walked out of my bedroom.
I ruffled the long hair on top of my head and went down the stairs, heading for the kitchen. Though hearing Babygirl’s voice had given me a momentary peace, I still called up Xavier because I needed William to know just why I’d seemed so calm with him.
“Talk, asshole,” my friend answered on the second ring.
“I’m going to text you the code to my father’s garage. You can take out your rage on his car,” I chuckled.
He burst into laughter. “Are you fucking with me?”
“Do I ever joke about shit like that?” I cocked an eyebrow as I entered the kitchen.
“I guess not,” he admitted.
“So go on, knock yourself out.” I ended the call and sent Xavier the text just as I said I would. Then I opened the fridge to fish out a bottle of pineapple juice.
“I’d have thought you were more of a beer guy.”
I sucked in a breath when I heard Alyssa’s voice from behind me.
I spun around to find her sitting on a stool at the kitchen island, drinking a glass of something amber-colored.
Did she get into the liquor while she was waiting?
I hadn’t expected to find her there, but, then again, Alyssa had been spending more and more time with Logan, so I shouldn’t have been surprised that she hadn’t just gone home.
“I don’t drink much.” I got out a glass to pour my juice into and went back to ignoring her. The fact that she was Megan’s little sister bothered me.
“I see,” she murmured thoughtfully. I turned away from her then and leaned against the counter.
I slid my phone into my pocket and lifted the glass of pineapple juice to my lips.
I gave her an assessing look, not bothering to appear anything but cold.
It was the kind of look I frequently offered to women and girls I found unattractive to make sure that they knew not to try it on with me.
“You always have such a strong scent. Did you know? I can smell it from here.” She gave me a sliver of a smile, and I cocked my head to one side, unsure what exactly she was trying to tell me.
I continued to stare flatly at her until she stiffened up and quickly turned her gaze elsewhere.
Clumsy flirtation did nothing for me, especially not when it came from her. I loved my independence, and I was always the one who made the decision to get with a woman. Besides, there was no way in hell I was going to make a pass at my brother’s girlfriend.
“Where’s Logan?” I asked her quickly, taking a sip of juice. The sweet pineapple taste hit my tongue, and I instinctively licked my lower lip. Alyssa watched this completely involuntary movement and looked embarrassed. I kept my face blank. Her discomfort was not my problem.
“Still upstairs with Chloe. So I came down here for a drink.” She gestured toward her glass, and I said nothing in response.
Instead, I rifled through one of the cupboards looking for a bag of pistachios.
I was craving them, and I’d been forced to leave behind the ones I bought in Detroit when Selene forced me to go grocery shopping with her.
I smiled slightly at the memory.
Sometimes, just thinking of my Babygirl’s ocean eyes let a little light into the darkness that surrounded me.
“Shit,” I hissed when I couldn’t find a single bag. I should have reminded Anna to get some more.
My shoulders slumped, and I let out a disappointed huff like a little kid. I’d never been a big eater, and I’d trade just about any fancy meal for a bag of pistachios.
“We’re going to eat soon. Did you come here looking for a snack?
” Alyssa asked teasingly, reminding me that she was still there.
I turned to see that she’d gotten off her stool.
Her high-heeled boots elevated her slim figure, and her short woolen dress highlighted her curves.
Logan has good taste, I thought. We both appreciated a certain harmony in the female form.
“Yeah, but apparently I’ll have to wait for dinner,” I answered in a bored tone as I gulped down what was left of the juice before putting the glass in the sink. I was about to leave when Alyssa, in a single impulsive movement, grabbed me by the hips and pinned me against the kitchen counter.
I looked at her in bewilderment.
I didn’t even have time to process what she meant to do before she was up on her tiptoes, kissing me.
She pressed her hot lips to mine and teased me with her tongue, coaxing my mouth to open reflexively.
I could taste her lipstick as she laid claim to me, bold and aggressive.
I reciprocated her deranged show of desire but only for a few seconds.
She panted against my mouth with a strange gleam in her eyes.
Her arms held me tight until I managed to wriggle free from her and push her away.
“All the girls at school say your kisses are addictive. I wanted to see for myself,” she shrugged.
I was frozen, staring at her. Typically, I had full control in any situation with a woman.
I was almost always the one making advances and coaxing them to give in to me.
In that moment, however, I was literally rendered speechless with shock.
I knew women wanted me; there was nothing I could do about that, but I’d never expected this kind of move from my brother’s girlfriend of all people…
My brother’s girl…
“What the—” I wiped my lips off disgustedly with the back of my hand.
“Fuck!” Logan shouted from the kitchen doorway.
I whirled around to look at him, and the reality of the situation finally dawned on me—the knowledge of what he must have just witnessed.
My brother’s eyes were wide, his breathing rapid, and he stared in horror at both Alyssa and me.
“What are you doing? What the hell is going on?” he shouted so loudly that his girlfriend flinched.
No, no, no, goddamnit!
I didn’t want Logan to misconstrue what had just happened. I also wanted to know what the fuck his girlfriend had been thinking and why she’d done it, but I turned away from her and went to him instead.
“Logan…” I began, horrified, but he just backed away from me, shaking his head.
“Don’t make excuses, you asshole!” He stabbed a finger at me, and I sucked in a breath.
“I stood right here and watched you stick your tongue down my girlfriend’s throat!
” he accused, enraged, before turning his attention to Alyssa, who ducked her head in shame.
“And what about you? You’re pathetic!” He gave her a glacial look.
I moved toward him again, though I knew how impossible it was to get through to him when he was this angry.
I needed to tell him what had actually happened.
“Logan, I had nothing to do with this. You have to believe me; your girlfriend owes me an explanation too!” I gestured furiously at her, and my brother arched a skeptical eyebrow at me before chuckling mirthlessly as he rubbed his face.
No, he didn’t believe me.
He thought I was lying to him, but even worse…
How could he believe I’d do something like that to him?
“Don’t start with that shit!” he said, rounding on me.
“You want Alyssa now too? You already hurt Matt by fucking his daughter. Are you going to do the same to me?” he lashed out at me, a betrayed look on his face.
I tried to chalk these dark thoughts up to his anger in the moment.
He probably wasn’t thinking clearly; maybe his wounded pride was doing the talking.
Anything to avoid believing that he had so little faith in me.
“What are you talking about?” I murmured incredulously.
“How would you feel if you caught me making out with Selene, huh? How?” he insisted venomously, and I gave him a tortured look.
“I wasn’t the one who kissed her. It was her!
Fuck’s sake!” I shouted back. It wasn’t like me to put the blame on other people.
I always took full responsibility when I fucked up, but in this case, I wasn’t about to lose my brother over some fucking girl’s raging hormones.
“I would lay down my life for you or Chloe,” I continued as he stared at me, his face screwed up in a grimace.
“I would do anything to keep you from feeling any kind of pain, and you know that better than anyone. You know what I went through to keep you safe. Do you seriously think I’d betray your trust in such a disgusting way?
” I asked him, without yelling this time.
I didn’t need to; he understood me well enough.
All at once, the feeling of guilt melted away, giving way to the understanding that I hadn’t done anything wrong. I pulled myself together and returned to my usual unbothered demeanor.
I turned to Alyssa and leveled a glare at her.
“You need to get shit straight with your girlfriend. Because apparently she’s the one who’s confused.” I turned to look at Logan. His hazel eyes stared into mine as, slowly, his anger receded. In that moment, my brother seemed to see me clearly once again, and, slowly, he moved to stand next to me.
“Alyssa,” he said to his girlfriend. “You want to explain yourself? After that, you can leave this house, and I will never see you again, but, right now, I think I deserve a fucking explanation!” he said with a raised voice, and Alyssa looked like she was really struggling.
I folded my arms over my chest and leaned on the counter, scrutinizing her.
I, too, wanted to know what she had to say for herself, but, at the same time, I almost felt a little pity for her.