Chapter 4
Eli
I’m going to hell.
Twenty-seven years. I’ve known her for twenty-seven years as Kellan’s little sister, and now that I’ve tasted her, I can’t get enough.
Her skin is so fucking soft. Her lips…
The way she tastes?
How the fuck has she been in my life this whole time, and I never knew touching her would feel like this? It’s fucking addictive.
She’s got the perfect amount of curve to sink my fingers into. Her hair feels like silk, and the way she’s looking at me, with her eyes all hazy? I’m not going to fucking survive this.
“Hi,” she whispers. Her sweet, quiet voice is like music to my ears.
“Hey, Sibby girl.” I slide my hand up her back until it’s tangled in her hair. Flexing my arms, I scoop her into my chest. The need to feel her lips on mine again overrides any logic, along with any loyalty to Kellan.
Sibyl arcs into me. Her lips parting, letting me dip my tongue inside. We’re putting on one hell of a show for the photographer, but I can’t seem to care.
I don’t know if Sibyl’s girls know about this shoot, but Taylor does, which means the whole town is going to learn about it. It’s going to go viral, and then Kellan is going to kick my ass for licking his sister’s tonsils for the world to see.
The thought is sobering enough that I pull away, winking at Sibyl when she gives me a confused look. I don’t want to hurt her feelings, but I need a minute to breathe—to think. Sibyl is family. She’s a part of us. I can’t fuck this up and lose her. We wouldn’t survive that loss. I know it.
I get her back on two feet, tugging her hand—testing a theory. How deep is she in this? How much does she trust me? She follows instantly. Compliant. Her body melts into me wherever I touch her. I forget again that we’re being filmed as I tuck her body into the base of a willow.
I rest one hand next to her head, bending at the waist, pressing a kiss to her neck. My nose runs along her jaw.
She giggles. It’s her nervous giggle, I’ve heard it a few times, catching her out on first dates over the years, watching her flirt with boys who turned out to be assholes.
Boys that Kellan and I took way too much pleasure in beating after they broke her heart.
I’m not violent by nature, but there’s nothing like a nose breaking under your hand when it’s justified, and making Sibyl cry automatically made it justified, in our eyes at least.
But I’ve never paid much attention to the noise, never had it affect me before. Until today, that is, when it goes straight to my dick—the needy bastard doing his best to make an appearance.
“I need to stop touching you,” I breathe into her neck.
“Do you want to stop?” Soft brown eyes meet mine, understanding in them.
“Kellan would—”
“I’m not asking about Kel, do you want to stop?”
“No, but I should…”
Sibyl ignores me, offering an award-winning smile to the photographer behind us. I don’t know how she’s doing it—keeping it together, when I’d like to slam my mouth into hers and find out what she’s got on under that dress.
It has to be my lack of any recent relationships.
That’s gotta be the explanation. I haven’t been on a date in years, nor have I tangled with anyone in the past year either.
I’ve been too busy to take a night off for a one-night stand—using my hand to relieve the ache when necessary.
Right now, that ache is hard to ignore. My cock is keenly aware of just how freely I’ve been touching Sibyl.
“Whew, you guys sure you’re just friends?” Ramona startles me, her face appearing in my line of sight.
“So far.” Sibyl winks, her hand squeezing my forearm.
My body draws taut as a bowstring. Does Sibyl want to be more than friends?
She’s never shown an ounce of interest—at least none that I’ve seen.
But I haven’t been looking either. If I hadn’t promised Tucker, I wouldn’t even be here.
I was convinced I wouldn’t find anyone else, and I was okay with that.
I had Lara, I have Tucker. I don’t need anyone else, but maybe… maybe it’d be okay to want more.
I want this right now. Want her right now.
Usually, when I see her, she’s fussing over Tucker. The two of them are thick as thieves. Always getting into some kind of trouble that I can’t actually be mad about, because staying mad at either one of them is impossible.
I clear my throat, trying not to jump to conclusions, trying to shake out the image of Sibyl passed out on my couch last week. Tucker’s little arms wrapped around her neck as they slept, with PAW Patrol quietly playing on the TV.
She’s been such a staple in our lives. The thought of her as more—as ours—hits me square in the chest. She’s already ours. How didn’t I notice it? Notice her.
“Hey.” Sibyl’s head cocks to the side, concern written on her face. “You okay?”
The question is generic, but I see the deeper meaning in her eyes. Is this okay? Are we okay?
“All good.” I slip my hand in hers, wrapping her fingers in mine again. Her cheeks flush, the prettiest shade of pink climbing all the way to the tips of her ears.
“Ramona asked if we wanted to try the boat.”
“Sure.” I can’t stop staring at her. Pretty sure I’d do anything she asked right now. All my common sense went out the window the moment I turned and saw her.
Sibyl leads me toward the boat. Her dress flows around her, the misty light of the afternoon settling around her like a halo. Ramona sidesteps across from us, trailing along, snapping photos the whole way.
When we get to the silver boat, I snap out of my trance. Offering a hand to Sibyl to help her get in, letting my brain focus on Ramona’s instructions, trying to clear some of the lust out.
“You’re only going to go about ten feet off the shore. Anymore, and the fog will make you hard to see. Turn to face me broadside, if you would.”
I grunt my assent, hopping into the boat before it’s too far off the shore. I guide the boat to the spot she indicated, turning us so she has the shot she wants. Sibyl’s watching me—a look I can’t discern etched in her face.
“This is a dream, right? I’m dreaming right now?” Sibyl whispers, almost to herself.
“You dream about me often?” I tease, leaning forward until I hear Ramona say, ‘Yesss’ from the shore.
“More than I should,” Sibyl breathes against my lips.
Fire shoots through my chest, straight to my cock.
I take her lips then. The photoshoot completely forgotten as I crash my mouth into hers.
I sink my fingers into her hair, angling her head so I can kiss her deeper—claim her.
I haven’t felt anything like this in so long.
It’s fucking with my head, muddling my thoughts until all I see is her.
Sibyl squeaks. Her body softens when she opens for me, tongue sweeping into my mouth, matching me stroke for stroke. She surges into me the same moment I lean into her.
One second I’m warm, pulling Sibyl into me, and the next I’m flailing, capsizing into the pond as the boat dumps us into cool water.
Instinct has me reaching for Sibyl, my hands gripping the fabric on her hips, bringing her to the surface with me. She’s a terrible swimmer. With this dress on, she doesn’t have the best odds in the water, even if she could probably touch the bottom on her tiptoes.
We burst through the water, Sibyl sputtering, Ramona and her assistant staring wide-eyed.
Sibyl’s eyes narrow at me, her father’s temper climbing to the surface when I wrap her legs around my waist. My hand on her back, I press her core into my erection. Her eyes widen, mouth parting on a gasp when she realizes what she’s feeling.
“Eli,” she hisses.
“This is not my fault.” I grin, smoothing wet strands of hair off her face. My hand settles on her jaw.
“So it’s my fault, then?”
“You’re the one kissing me like we’re alone.”
“You kissed me first,” she scoffs.
“Eli, can you turn just a quarter—yup, perfect!” Ramona directs us from the safety of the shore.
“I’ll do it again. If you make me a promise.”
“What’s the promise?” She lifts her body higher, using my shoulders to drag her core over my jeans.
I nearly groan, tightening my hold on her waist. “Promise me, when we leave here, it won’t be the last time I get to kiss you.”
Her eyes darken, one cold hand tracing a finger from my temple to my jaw. “You can kiss me whenever you want.”
Fire courses through me like I’ve never felt before. “How am I just now seeing you?” I cup her jaw, turning her head to meet my gaze.
“I’ve been here the whole time. I’ve always seen you,” she whispers. Her words hit me so hard, she might as well have slapped me in the face.
“Sibyl…”
She shakes her head. “This isn’t the place.” Her smile is soft—guarded even. “Plus, you promised me a kiss.”
“So I did.” I lower her head to mine, pulling at her cold lips, I kiss her softly.