“That doesn’t count, I know Bo. You’re the wild card, here,” she argues with a frown and my lip twitches along with the muscle beside Cinjin’s eye.
“Do you have to work tomorrow?” I ask. She shakes her head while eyeing Cin suspiciously and I snort in amusement. “You'll be passed out before we make it to the end of the driveway. You want to talk about bad impressions, how's it going to sound when I have to explain to you when you sober up that I stole your keys, let myself into your apartment, and put you to bed? I’ll look like a fucking creep and you’ll march right back here to bitch slap me.”
Her obsidian hair is mussed from her fall and the simple white dress gives off an illusion of innocent vulnerability that’s intoxicating in a dangerous way. But the way that she’s biting her bottom lip as she considers the idea is the kicker, my focus rapt on her mouth. Slade suddenly smacks the back of his hand against my chest, and the low growl that was unconsciously slipping out abruptly cuts off.
“Miss Laroque,” my older brother smoothly interrupts, drawing her attention away long enough to give me time to get control of myself. “With as easily as you and Emmeline have hit it off and get along, it’s as if you’ve been friends for years instead of days. So maybe we all agree that this particular situation gives us a pass on customary expectations?”
Cinjin chimes in with his enthusiastic support, though he does release her and take a step back, hovering in case he needs to catch either of them again. “Exactly, let’s stop stressing. This isn’t high school where we have to worry about peer pressure and reputations; we’re adults. Do whatever you want, and fuck the people that give you a hard time over it. If they’re bitching, they're not someone’s opinion you should care about, anyway.”
"See? I told you," Em states triumphantly. "Nobody here cares, and lord, it's not like we don't have the space for company. If anything, it'smoreof a burden having one of them drive across town in the middle of the night, so you should stay. Sleep with me, let me convert you to the dark side. I promise it’ll be fun." She waggles her eyebrows, but there’s only teasing behind them, no heat, and half a second later, Cinjin is saving her from falling on her ass.
Breath rushing out of her, Sabrina gives a weak nod and pulls the strap of her purse over her head, tossing it in the general direction of the coffee table and missing by several feet. Promptly sitting down, she declares, “I can make my peace with that. Easy sounds good. People unnecessarily over complicate everything as far as I'm concerned. It gets exhausting.” Stretching out on the floor, her eyes are closed before her head touches the carpet.
Not bothering to conceal my laughter, I haul her off of the floor since she made it clear she was more comfortable with me than the others. She’s half-asleep on my shoulder almost immediately and I chuckle, heading for the stairs. "I couldn't agree with you more.”
Chapter 5
Sabrina
––––––––
Attempting to rollover, I don’t budge, though the moment I manage to crack my eyelids open, I instantly regret it. Everything in the room is cream with gold accents, and the sunlight streaming in through the window to my right makes the space damn near blinding. As I take another few minutes to try to wake up and orient myself, the pressure on my stomach increases as someone shifts on the bed. It finally jars enough sense into me to have my eyes flying open despite the glaring sun.
Emmeline is stretched out on her stomach, currently using mine as a pillow. My panic drains away in an instant at the sight of her, but as she squirms on top of my bladder, comfort wins out over politeness.
Gently pushing on her shoulder, I extract myself from her grip to slide out from under her. “I’ve got to pee, where’s your bathroom?”
Groaning, she wads up a part of the comforter we’re laying on top of to replace me, balling it beneath her head in a replacement pillow. “Turn right, few doors down,” she mumbles groggily.
By the time I’ve climbed off of the massive mattress, she’s snoring softly again. My feet sink into the plush carpet, and I trail my fingers along the sheer canopy tied to the post at the foot of her bed as I circle around it. The entire place looks like it was designed for a princess, but not in an obnoxious way. More... elegant, I suppose. It suits Emmy perfectly; the cheery golden child without the slightest concern that something will sully the perfection surrounding her.
Between the money and brothers, it’s no wonder she’s confident within her pristine bubble.
Closing the bedroom door softly behind me as I head into the hall, I quickly pad across the cool, polished wood, pushing doors open until I find the bathroom. Locking it behind me and turning, I pause, eyes wide. This isn’t a bathroom; it’s a goddamn spa as big as my apartment.
Quickly relieving myself and washing up, I leave the imposing room behind, retreating to the hall where it’s ten times worse. There’s a chest high, wrought iron banister that wraps around the walkway in a giant square, giving an easy view of the first floor beneath me. Bypassing Emmy’s room, I follow the hallway lined with numerous doors that I don’t think I want to know what’s hiding behind them.
