He leaned in to kiss me, but chatter outside halted his actions. “Tonight,” he promised. “You can make it up to me tonight.”
Anticipation had me pressing my thighs together. “Leave your door open,” I whispered.
“It’s always open for you, Lilith. Always.”
Connor Sullivan was a poor substitute for his brother, and the sooner I remembered that I couldn’t have them all, the easier my life would be.
35
EVELYN
The mouthwatering scents of rich Italian tomato sauce hit my nose before I even opened the front door to Bluebell House that evening, and I groaned with hunger. I’d been too worked up about the Connor-Lacey thing at lunch to really eat, but now I wasstarving.
“That smells amazing,” I commented, kicking off my shoes in the foyer before excitedly hurrying through to the kitchen. My mood instantly soured when I realized who was cooking.
“Thanks, brat,” Connor replied, standing at the stove with a wooden spoon in hand. “How come you’re home so late?”
I pinched my lips together, trying not to let my feelings show all over my face. “I was catching up with Nina. She just got back last night from visiting her aunt in Vietnam.”
Connor looked like he was about to say something else, but I had come to a few harsh realities today, the biggest being that, despite his softened demeanor, he didnotlike me as anything more than his housemate. Everything else I’d imagined between us was just that: imagined. It was a bitter pill to swallow, and to be totally frank, it was embarrassing. So I’dmade a pact with myself to just…gain a little distance. Let the hero worship die down.
Rather than hang around to chat, I abruptly left the kitchen and went upstairs to drop my books and charge my laptop up.
“Evie babe,” Brodie sang out, appearing in my doorway as I dropped my things on my bed. “I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever. Wanna have a sleepover in my room?”
My cunt blushed. “Forever? Brodie baby, we spent all Saturday night fucking in a dirty motel. I’mstillsore.”
He gave an exaggerated pout, coming into my room and closing the door with his heel. “So…does that mean no sleepover? Or yes, sleepover so long as I promise to be gentle?”
I wet my lips, watching him prowl closer. Goddamnhe was one handsome human being. I felt the need to pinch myself because surely it wasn’t real that Brodie Keller—theBrodie Keller—was currently looking at me like his favorite dessert.
“You can be gentle? I don’t believe you,” I taunted, tipping my head back to maintain eye contact when he came toe to toe with me. “Prove it.”
I was waving a red flag in front of a bull but I couldn’t help myself. Brodie smiled, his hand cupping the back of my neck ever so softly as he lowered his lips to mine. The kiss he offered waspainfullygentle, slow and tender as he took his sweet fucking time exploring my lips with feather-soft caresses. I tried to lure him into a more passionate embrace but he held me firm, setting the pace and proving his fucking point.
“I don’t think I like you being gentle,” I grumbled.
Brodie smirked. Evil bastard. “I dunno, Evie babe, I could get used to this. Look how worked up you just got from a kiss. I bet those panties are soaked right now, aren’t they?”
They absolutely were. Totally saturated, to the point where I’d need to change before heading down to dinner for fear of sliding off my seat. And yet, I couldn’t seem to make myself put a foot on the brake.
I licked my lips. “Want to find out?”
Brodie’s eyes blew wide, his pulse thumping in his throat at my eye level. “Fuck yes I do.”
Except apparently, fate had other ideas and a knock on my bedroom door made us pause. The boys of this house weren’t big on knockingpolitely. They usually knocked once, then yelled whatever they came to say through the door.
“Who is it?” I called out, frowning. If it was Andrew coming to playdadagain, I’d probably kick him in the nuts. He was getting right on my last freaking nerve.
“It’s Lacey,” the surprising answer came, making me stiffen up like a board. “Connie invited me over for dinner but I thought we could hang out while he’s cooking?”
I stifled a groan, and Brodie gave me a puzzled look. “Lacey?” he asked softly. “As in Connor’s Lacey?”
Apparently, he also didn’t know she was returning to Meadowridge, but he definitely knew all about Lacey herself. When I nodded, his smile lit up and he quickly threw open my bedroom door to greet the perfect specimen of a woman standing there.
“Lace-face! You’re back!” he exclaimed, wrapping her in a huge hug and really sending a sharp pain through my chest. Did everyone love her? Christ, what the fuck was she doing dating a moody grump like Connor?
“Brodester! Holy shit, I missed you!” She laughed as she hugged him back, and a sick sensation of pure jealousy swelled in my gut. “Did you get bigger? Damn, they were working you hard onset forResurrection, huh?” She squeezed his bicep and I nearly choked on my own tongue.
