As I slip my fingers from hers, her arm falls to the bed. She’s already out of it.
I silently walk from the room and pull the door closed, heading to my room, discarding my towel and dragging on a clean pair of boxers.
I flop onto my bed and stare at the ceiling.
Well, tonight didn’t exactly go as I’d hoped.
I just wanted a normal night out with friends, a night like we used to have before women turned up and stole my best friends’ hearts.
I blow out a long breath.
I’m happy for them, of course I am. But equally, I can’t help thinking that they’re fucking delusional.
Women are great, don’t get me wrong, but relying on one to make you happy for the rest of your life? Huge fucking mistake.
So while I’m happy for Zach and Titch, I’m also dreading the day they learn what women are really like. The day they have their hearts smashed and their worlds turned upside down. Because it’ll happen. I’d put everything I have on it.
I lie there for the longest time, running the events of the past few weeks, along with tonight, through my head.
I should be fucking some hot woman right now. I should be half-cut and having the time of my life. Instead, I’m lying here fucking miserable with an untouchable woman in the other room.
I think about the way that man put his hands on her earlier and my fists clench, my knuckles cracking open from the couple of punches I got in before Titch took over.
No man should get to touch any woman like that, but especially not one of us. Because Titch was right—she is one of us. Just another reason why I need to keep my eyes off her.
I’m just drifting off when a blood-curdling scream fills the flat.
I’m up and out of bed in a flash, racing toward her room.
There’s only a sliver of light coming from the crack in the curtains, but it’s enough to see her thrashing about under the covers.
Rushing over, I rest my knee on the edge of the bed and place my hand on her shoulder.
“Kas, Kas. It’s okay. Wake up.”
“No, no. No!” she cries. “Get off me, no.”
“Kas, wake up.” I shake her harder in an attempt to pull her from her nightmare.
The light catches the tears streaming down her cheeks, and my heart aches for her.
We all knew that she didn’t have the best of lives from the little she’s told Zach, but I fear he’s barely scratched the surface based on the little glimpse I’ve had tonight.
Suddenly, she sits up, drops her head into her hands and sobs, heart-wrenching sobs that wrack her entire body.
Without thinking, I crawl next to her and pull her into my arms.
3
Kas
When I come to, not only is my head banging, but I’m really fucking hot.
Stretching my legs out, I still, when what I thought was the pillow that I’m clinging onto also moves.
My heart jumps into my throat. What the hell did I do last night?
Then one face pops into my head.
Oh, fuck no.
Lifting my head, I drag my eyelids open and look up at my companion.
“Mornin’, Tiny.”
“Fuck. My. Life,” I groan, dropping my forehead to his very naked and very sculpted chest.
“Well, that’s the first time I’ve heard that so early in the morning,” he chuckles, sounding way too amused and way too awake for my liking.
“Why the hell are you in my bed?” I ask. “You’d better have some…” I lift the edge of the covers that are resting halfway up his belly and breathe a sigh of relief when I find he’s wearing a pair of boxers, although it’s impossible to miss the huge bulge of his morning wood.
Something stirs between my legs, despite the hangover raging in my head.
Running my eyes over the definition of his abs and over his chest, I finally make it to his eyes. They’re darker than I remember from last night, and I can’t help wondering if he’s having similar thoughts.
“I’m certainly not here for the reason you’re thinking.”
“I’d really hope not, because I don’t remember anything, and I’m sure that would be a hit to your ego.”
“Tiny, Tiny, Tiny,” he mutters. “Had I touched you, you wouldn’t have been able to think about anything else for days.”
“Days?” I ask, one eyebrow lifting in question.
“Daaays,” he confirms. “But seeing as I refused all your offers last night, you didn’t find out.”
He rolls away from me and sits himself on the edge of the bed.
My eyes lock onto his tattoo. I immediately know who did it, because the detail in the wings is as intricate as the one on my shoulder blades that Zach did not so long ago.
Unable to resist, I reach out and run my finger over the edge of the feathers.
His entire body jolts at my touch.
“Shit, sorry. This is amazing.”
“Well, that’s your brother for you.” His shoulders square and he pushes from the bed, stopping me from touching him any longer.
The atmosphere in the room immediately changes, making it hard to drag in the air I need.
“Get dressed,” he says coolly. “I’m taking you home.”
Sitting up, I watch him march from the room. The muscles in his back flex in the most delicious way as he moves, and it’s not until he’s disappeared from my sight that I’m able to look or even think about anything else.
What the hell just happened?
Swinging my legs over the edge of the bed, keeping my movements slow so the room doesn’t spin, I stand and follow him.
His door is still open, but the sound of him moving around inside is clear.
Coming to stop in his doorway, I push the door wider and lean against the frame.
“Spike?” He’s still just in his boxer briefs, and I can’t help but allow my eyes to wander over his inked skin. He’s got fewer tats than I was expecting, and my muscles twitch to add more. Not that I think for a
