Page 18 of Conflagration
“Because, when I woke up the next morning, she was gone. No note, no phone number. Nothing. And I thought I’d lost her.”
Cohen chuckles then shakes his head. “Damn, I can relate. And now it all makes sense. No wonder you were such a mess. Been there, done that, felt the pain.”
At this point, I have no idea what’s going on anymore. I just let the brothers talk it out.
“It wasn’t until recently that we reconnected, and I knew I had to take my own advice. Do whatever I could to hold on to her so she wouldn’t slip through my fingers again. And fortunately for me, she said yes. This time, I made sure to get her name,” he tells Cohen, giving him a playful smile.
“Well, hell. It’s a surprise, but it’s damn good to see you happy. You deserve it, Branson, and I mean that.”
I watch as a sad smile forms on Branson’s lips, and I can tell that, while he appreciates his brother’s words, he doesn’t quite believe them. For some reason, that brings a pang of sadness to my heart, and for his sake, I wish the story weren’t a lie.
“Okay, all of this excitement is wearing me down, and if it’s okay with you two, I think I’m going to get some rest,” Branson says with a yawn.
Cohen nods. “I’ll tell the rest of the family just to come by later. Maybe one-on-one instead of overwhelming you with everyone’s presence all at the same time. Plus, knowing how Mom’s been with Charlie’s wedding, she’s going to be enough of a handful. Nice to meet you, Ari. And you,” he says, pointing at Branson, “take it easy. You’ll be outta here soon enough.”
With that, he leaves. I take my hand out of Branson’s and turn to follow his brother. Branson catches my arm, and when I turn back to him, he beckons me closer. I feel like I’ve been on a Ferris wheel for the last hour, going around and around but not actually getting anywhere. I’m starting to feel exhausted.
“Come here,” he says, patting the empty space on the bed beside him.
I’m slowly but surely beginning to get used to his demanding tone, strangely finding it alluring and downright sexy.
Rising out of the chair, I move until I’m sitting next to him, not missing the way our thighs are touching. A shiver of excitement rolls down my spine, but I instantly brush it off, feeling like a fool for having any sort of lustful thoughts while he’s lying here broken and bruised from the car accident.
He brings a hand up to the base of my neck, those shivers returning almost instantaneously. It’s the strangest occurrence, because even in my two years with Benjamin, I never felt these sensations or this out of sorts. I feel the need to flee, to get away from this man so I can regroup. It’s just some sort of weird savior complex, a Jane-needs-Tarzan type of reaction, and I tell myself that, after the whirlwind of the last twenty-four hours, it’s okay that my emotions are all over the place.
Looking down at him, I find our faces merely inches apart, and I lick my lips in anticipation of his kiss. Or what I think is going to be his kiss. He must feel me shiver because his smile turns cold. The heat of his touch vanishes, turning my blood to ice.
“Don’t mistake this for anything other than pretend, Ariana.”
I pull back, surprised and a little irritated at the sudden change in his demeanor. “Is it really that easy? Can you really pretend that you’re in love with someone you barely know? Because that kiss? That didn’t feel like pretend. That felt real. And so does this.” I have no idea where this brazen hussy has come from, but when I bring my hand between his legs, even I can feel his erection between the thick blankets.
For a split second, he closes his eyes, his jaw tightening and his thighs clenching, but when he reopens them, I see cold, dark steel and I know the moment’s been lost. For some strange reason, that bothers me more than it should. I need to get away, to put distance between us before I start believing I’m his for real. But just as I start to move off the bed, his hand catches my wrist as he pulls it away from the blanket, away from the feel of him, hard and wanting.
The silence is deafening, nothing but the sounds of beeping and my labored breathing between us as he ignores my question. I’m about to turn away when the hand at the back of my neck pulls me in, causing my lips to crash down on his for the second time.
I want to protest, and I try to push against him, but he’s holding me tight and my resolve is beginning to falter. My lips betray me when his tongue pushes against them, parting immediately for his entrance. Instead of continuing to push him away, my hands ball into tiny fists in his hospital gown as I try to move closer to him, ignoring the pain in my ribs as I drink in every last drop he’ll give me, knowing I may never get a taste of him again.
This kiss stirs something in me, and I never want it to end. For the first time in forever, I feel something behind a kiss. Passion. Longing. Possession, even, and I don’t want those burning desires to start swirling in my belly to be under false pretenses. I want them to be real. I want him to claim me.
But all too soon, the spell I’m under is broken and he’s pulling away, his eyes getting droopy as he leans back against the bed. And then he finally answers me.
“Yes, Ariana, it will be that easy. That’s what I do. It’s who I am. A pretender. I spent the last decade acting like I was in love. Another week won’t hurt me. I’d suggest you learn to do the same.”
The warmth I felt from his kiss fades away, and it’s all I can do to get out of his room without breaking down. This mess, this giant mess I’ve created, just got far more complicated than I’d ever intended.
IT’S BEEN nearly a week since I both drew Ari in and then simultaneously pushed her away. It wasn’t my intention to kiss her. At least not the first time. The second time though? I couldn’t help myself. The way she was looking at me, like I really was her hero, almost like she wished this whole façade were true, unnerved me. The moment she placed her hand on my erection, I could no longer control myself. I wanted to possess her. I wanted to haul her up into my bed, demanding that she finish what she’d started. And with the way she returned my kiss, I had a feeling that she would’ve complied with my request, which was enough to freak me out, my inner asshole taking over. I couldn’t afford to have her feeling anything for me or thinking this could turn into something real. It’s just not possible. It’s not in the cards for me, and knowing that she had just run away from some other poor fool, I couldn’t trust her judgment any more than I could trust mine.
So for the past week, we’ve both put our best acting skills to use. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say we were a pretty damn good couple. And it’s coming back to bite me in the ass. Big time. Mom loves her. Charlie and Andi think she’s a perfect fit. Not once have I seen her check out either of my brothers. And from the stolen moments we’ve had alone, we’ve gotten to know each other and I’m surprised to find that she’s intelligent and witty and she doesn’t give a shit about appearances. In one week, I’m more than convinced I’ve found the polar opposite of Megan, a fact that almost has me proposing for real.
A soft knock interrupts my thoughts, and I smile inadvertently when I see her at the door dressed in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt.
“Hey,” she says softly, nibbling on her lower lip, letting me know she’s nervous about something, but I’m not sure what.
Although she acts at ease whenever my family’s around, she gets a little shy when we’re alone, and I’m hoping to break her of that soon. Oh hell. I don’t even know why I’m thinking that, especially since soon she’ll be long gone. Unexamined anger wells within me at the thought, because for a week, she’s been mine, even if it’s been pretend. And I’ve never been known to give up easily.
“Morning,” I tell her, happy that the scratchiness of my throat’s dissipated. I’m slowly healing, and while I’m much better off than I was a week ago, I’d be happier if I were recuperating at home. “Finally out of the gown, I see?”
She looks down at her clothes then back at me. “Oh, yeah, finally. Thankfully Charlie and I are the same size, so she lent me some clothes. It’s just…” She pauses and lets out a sigh.
