I halted immediately, my hands braced in front of me.“What’s wrong?”
“Turn around.”
My knees began to quake.I closed my eyes.
Say no, Harley.
I slowly spun on my heel to face him.“I’m sorry.”My voice shook.“I’m almost ready.Just have to pull on my clothes.”
“Holy fuck,” he whispered hoarsely.“Harley…” His eyes left a trail of smoke from the top of my head to the tip of my toes and back again.
Dressed casually in worn jeans and a faded Rolling Stones T-shirt, he looked like sex on wheels.
I may or may not have drooled.But I was one hundred percent sure my nipples were loudly broadcasting their interest.I quickly crossed my arms over my chest.
“Don’t,” he spoke softly, but somehow it sounded like a warning.“Don’t hide your beautiful self from me.I adore you.”
Adore me?You don’t even know me.
“Maybe I don’t want you to see me,” I whispered.
“If you don’t, it’s for all the wrong reasons.”He inhaled deeply and leaned back on his heels.“I’ll wait for you in your living room.”
I nodded, backing out of the room a few steps before turning around and booting it to my bedroom.
I closed my door and locked it.
It wasn’t that I felt unsafe with him, but he had this way of belonging where he shouldn’t and taking over every space he entered.And I was not ready for him to come into this space.
Throwing my robe onto the bed, I pulled on my cropped boyfriend jeans with a tight white tank over which I layered a lacy, barely there, blouse.Slipping my feet into flats, I gathered my courage and walked out to the family room.
He stood beside the mantle, a framed picture of Hawk, Hunter, Noelle, Max, and me taken the summer we lost Hunter.I probably should not have had it up.It was taken only about a month before he died and seeing it only ever brought me pain.
But how could I put it away?
“Is this…” Daire murmured, pointing at Hunter.
I looked at the picture, as if I needed to confirm, as if it wasn’t permanently imprinted on my brain.
Hunter stood, laughing as usual, between Hawk and me with his long arms wrapped around both of us.Noelle stood beside Hawkley, smiling up at him.And Max stood with his elbow resting on top of my head, pretending to lean on me.
God, we were so happy then.My face pinched.
“That’s Hunter.”
I’d never, ever had to explain to anyone who Hunter was.Hunter was larger than life.Hunter was legendary.Hunter was my brother and everyone who knew me knew him.
I answered stiffly.“My brother.”
Daire looked back down at the photo for a moment before putting it back on the mantle.“Your apartment is beautiful, but not what I expected.”
I didn’t know whether to be disappointed or relieved that he steered the conversation so sharply away from Hunter.
“What did you expect?”
“I’m not sure,” he mused, looking around.“I guess I’m just surprised to see how differently you express yourself in public than you do in private.”
I frowned and drew back, crossing my arms over my chest.“What do you mean?”
