Page 27 of Dopplebanger

“Evan?”

It stung every time she used my brother’s name. But again, no one to blame but myself. “Yeah?”

“Come cuddle with me. My eyes don’t need to be open for that, and it’ll help me fall asleep. Right now I’m in that weird in-between phase.” Her words came out slurred and sluggish. “Like I can’t fully relax even as the medication is trying to pull me under, so I’m just in limbo. I hate limbo.”

The oxygen drained from my lungs. I didn’t know if I could be as strong as I needed to be if I crawled into that bed.

Her arm swung out, sweeping the air until she made contact with my wrist. I could’ve easily resisted the tug, but I didn’t want to.

“Just a sec,” I said.

“Did you say sex?”

I bit back a groan—she wasn’t going to make this easy. I kicked off my shoes, considered taking off my jeans and then decided that’d only ensure my failure to behave, and climbed in next to her.

Rustling came from her side, and the next thing I knew, she’d thrown her bra and shorts out of the bed, leaving her in only her shirt and… I resisted looking, even though it was all I could think about.

I wasn’t Superman; I was a fucking saint.

My sainthood was tested when she snuggled up to me, resting her head on my shoulder and hooking her leg over both of mine. Having her next to me was the sweetest kind of torture. Her warm breath hit my neck a mere moment before her soft lips.

She was definitely initiating, and I was definitely turned on. But I was also definitely shutting it down. Since I didn’t want to hurt her feelings, especially after that ridiculous comment about being disappointed, I gently shifted, pulling her back against my front. I couldn’t do much about the hard-on. Her ass was right there. A choked noise escaped my mouth as she wiggled against me.

Taking shallow, tempered sips of air, I dragged my fingertips over her arm and back up. Over her shoulder and down her spine.

Her breathing slowed; mine quickened.

Her body relaxed; mine tensed.

She let go and let sleep take her; I clung on to consciousness, soaking in the way she felt in my arms.

Hadn’t I already accepted the fact that I was going to hell for this? Paving my way with every stolen look, kiss, and touch?

I settled my hand on her hip and kissed the back of her head.

If so, let me burn.

FOURTEEN

“You got your wish,” Evan said in a quiet voice as my eyes fluttered open. He stood across the room, and when he reached up and tugged on a cord, the curtains split, flooding the room with light.

I lowered my eyebrows, trying to remember my wish, but the last wish I remember having was that he’d kiss me and we’d make better use of the bed than a mere cuddling session. Although that was hardly fair—it’d been a spectacular cuddling session. “Not unless we had sex and I missed it.”

Oops. That wasn’t supposed to come out of my mouth.Inside thoughts, inside thoughts.

Evan chuckled and flashed me a cocky grin. “Trust me, if that’d happened, you wouldn’t have missed it. You’d remember every single minute, I’d make sure of that.”

Heat twisted deep in my core, and I contemplated telling him to put his money where his mouth was. Or to just put his mouth on me—yeah, we should definitely take out the middle man and get right to it.

“I meant your brain taking a vacation,” he said before my sloggy mind could come up with the perfect flirty line.

“Right. That wish.” I reached up and pressed my fingertips to my temple. “Unfortunately, this stupid brain of mine is still trying to spin. I might need a distraction to ensure the not-thinking thing.” I pushed to my knees, planning on kissing him.

Then I realized my breath might not be the best, and from the feel of it, my hair was a tangled mess.

“No slamming your big, beautiful brain on my watch. It’s one of my favorite things about you.”

Was that his way of saying he was more attracted to my brain than my body?Thanks, insecurities. Why don’t you go away for a few minutes and take my thoughts with you?

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