I scoff at the absurdity of his comment. “You never once paid attention to me. If it weren’t for your stupid decision to kiss a random stranger to make your ex-girlfriend jealous, we wouldn’t be here.”
His eyes darken with an emotion I can’t quite pinpoint. It’s a mix of desire and want. A predatory gleam underneath the familiar warmth as he closes the distance. My breath hitches, a silent acknowledgment of the unspoken tension crackling between us.
“Is that what you really think, Moonshine? That I wouldn’t have one day broken the unspoken rule of fucking my sister’s best friend when you look like this.” His voice is low and husky, sending a shiver down my spine.
Jase slowly tugs on the tie of my robe, and it falls open, revealing the least sexy white ruffly top I’ve been using to sleep in. It’s the only thing that fits me, and I can’t deny his initial observation of how good it makes my tits look may be part of the reason I choose to wear it around the house.
“I mean, I had to pretend I didn’t notice. Especially after giving Bailey so much shit for hooking up with your brother. I couldn't do the same thing until?—”
“You did.”
He laughs, and my heart skips a beat because Jase being playful and laughing with me after what I did to him takes me by surprise. “Yeah, but we’re all adults now, and you know that their being together has nothing to do with my decision to want to be with you, right?” he asks, and I simply nod.
It may have been a fear of mine when Nash first found out and reminded me that Jase had been so angry with him when he found out he’d slept with his sister, but I’ve never known Jase to be vengeful. He wouldn’t use me in a revenge plot.
The way they interacted the other day, things seemed better. “I thought things were better between you guys.”
“They are, trust me. The fact that your brothers didn’t murder me says a lot. I think there’s a lot of hurt feelings between Nash and me, decades of it that we need to move past, but I've also come to the realization that we’re going to be in each other's lives forever.”
His words shock me not only because they are true, but how he so casually talks about forever. “Oh God, are you leaving me for my brother?” I say playfully, trying not to think too hard about what he’s said. “Stop no, I think you’re admitting to me that you are in love with my brother.”
Jase doesn’t laugh this time. He sees right through me and how I'm trying to use humor to deflect from the sincerity of what he’s said. It’s so frustrating how well the man knows me. “I know he means a lot to you, Monroe.”
“We’re family. Whether you like it or not.”
His hand finds my waist, pulling me forward so I can feel the length of his erection pressing against me. This man is always hard, or maybe he’s just like that around me. “Oh, baby, I like it. It's you I need to convince to commit.”
I try to pull away, but he keeps me in place, spinning us so that my back is pressed against the kitchen counter. “I’m trying, okay. You know this isn’t easy for me, especially the last few months.”
“You’ve never really told me how you've been holding up. You never talk about your dad or your mom.”
“They’re gone. What more do you want me to say?” A muscle ticks in his jaw, a subtle sign of the tension brewing.
“I know you’re thinking about it. I hear you crying at night.”
“I thought I had some privacy in my bedroom.” My voice cracks slightly, the words catching in my throat.
“I’m only saying this because I care about you. I want you to talk to me about these things. I know you’re wondering if you’re gonna be a wonderful mom because yours left.”
“Yeah, I know I was there.” I cross my arms in a defensive posture, turning to look away from him.
“You’re nothing like them. Honestly, you’re the farthest thing from a Bishop.”
I scoff. “Like being a King is any better.” My eyes glisten, tears threatening to spill over.Why the hell am I always crying now?
“You and I, for this baby, we’re going to be our own people. I’m not like my father. You’re not like your mother. We’re doing this together. It’s not something they would ever do.”
The weight of the conversation presses down on me, a heavy blanket of despair suffocating me.
“Jase, we’re faking our relationship so that your mother doesn’t have a meltdown about us not being married and raising a baby together.”
In a swift motion, he pulls me closer, my chest crashing against his as his grip tightens around my waist. His lips find my neck, placing soft kisses along my skin, and I can’t help but arch my neck back to allow him more access. “Moonshine,” he whispers against my heated flesh. “That may be how things started, but that’s not how they are now, and I know that you know this has become so much more than that.”
“Has it?” I question, trying my best to remain composed. I tighten my lips, holding in the moan that wants to escape, but it’s useless. I let out a breathy moan as his teeth nip my ear lobe, hot breath tickling my ear. “Why? Because we almost slept together again. I can’t deny that I care about you. I really do, you’re like family to me, always have been, but we also can’t pretend like we’re in a position to be more.”
I can’t do this right now. Not with him looking the way he does after he’s just made me my favorite dessert. I escape his grasp, grab my blanket from the couch, and step out onto the front porch to sit on the small swing to the right. I have yet to sit out here, and I need to get away from Jase. The emotions and raw feelings he brings out of me cloud my judgment. My mind is overcome with a haze of desire and want—a need to be close to him, to feel his touch even if I know it's dangerous for me.
I snuggle up cross-legged under the blanket, hating the way my pregnancy hormones are dictating the mood I’m in even more than before.
