Page 30 of Sugar Rush
Moving the washcloth down between my legs, he glanced up at me, looking hesitant and sheepish. “Is it okay if I…?” He trailed off, but I nodded, flushing pink all over. Trying not to hiss at the feeling of the warm washcloth probing me, I cleared my throat.
“About the other night… You don’t have to worry,” I said. “You were really sweet. You kissed me and… You said some things,” I finished, trying to hold back my grin when he grimaced, his face radiating embarrassment. He tossed thewashcloth into a hamper and reached down to scoop up my shorts off the floor.
“What did I say?”
“You just said I was pretty and you kind of, um, gave me a little nickname. That’s all.”
“God.” He groaned again, pressing his palms into his eyes like he wanted to sink into the ground and disappear.
Wiggling back into my clothes and sitting up, I snickered, glad at least that he wasn’t pissed off anymore. “Don’t you want to know what it is?”
“I already know what it is,” he answered flatly.
“Do you really think of me like that?” I wondered, biting down into my lower lip to keep from giggling when he lowered his hands to give me a dry, unamused look. “An angel?”
“No, I think you’re a spoiled brat.”
“Aw.” I pouted a little, but curled my fingers into the front of his shirt. “I really liked when you called me that, though.”
“Don’t say that.” He warned, but before I could try to counter, his eyes narrowed a little and realization dawned on his face. “Why are you wearing my hoodie?”
“You just noticed that?”
“I’ve been a little distracted.”
“I wear your hoodies all the time.”
“Yeah, but…” He glanced over to the chair where he’d had this one thrown over the back. “You have one in your room. Why are you wearingthisone?”
I shrugged. “It smells good and it’s warm. I saw it and I just… wanted it on me. Wearing your clothes makes me feel closer to you,” I confessed.
He shook his head, a shadow passing over his eyes again. “You shouldn’t say that, either.”
“Why not?”
“You know why.”
“I don’t care that we’re stepbrothers, Kieran. It doesn’t even mean anything, anyway. Our parents are married, that’s all.”
“It’s…” He let out a harsh sigh. “It’s not just that, you know?”
“No, I don’t know. Isn’t that why you’re so weird about all this?”
Staring down at the bedspread, he shook his head again. “It’s complicated.”
“You can tell me,” I said, scooting over toward him so I could wedge myself under his arm, wrapping my arms around his waist. “You can tell me anything.”
“Not this.” He sounded hopeless and resigned, but he let me wiggle into his side. Holding me closer into his body, I felt his lips press into the top of my hair. “I’m sorry, Jordy. I’m trying to do the right thing here.”
“Thisisthe right thing,” I said, raising my gaze up to stare at him. “I know this feels right for you, too. I can tell how much you want this with me.”
He sighed, squeezing his eyes closed. “I…”
The sound of tires crunching onto the driveway had both our faces snapping toward the window. Our mom’s car was pulling in. I felt Kieran’s body instantly go cold and stiff. He shoved my arms off him, springing up from the bed again.
“Shit!” He hissed out, his gaze darting between the window and me.
“It’s fine. She isn’t going to know anything happened.”
