My cheeks were already flushed, hiding my embarrassment as I crawled off the bed. I pulled on a pair of shorts to sleep in. “That was nice too, but I meant for staying,” I quickly corrected because I didn’t want him to think I was odd.
He shrugged. “Mason will be thrilled. I’ve never spent the night with a girl before, you know.”
Snuggling up to him, I rested my chin on his chest, peering down into his face. “Why do I find that hard to believe?”
“I don’t like…complications.”
My brows lifted as I drew lazy circles on his chest. “Is that what I am?”
“Definitely, Hales. You’re the definition of complicated.”
“When do I get to meet your other brothers? You have two more besides Mason?” I asked.
He nodded, looping an arm behind his head. “Raine and Kreed. And probably sooner than I’d like.”
“And Kaylor?” I tried to be casual, but I wasn’t sure I succeeded. “Do I get to meet her too?”
He made a face. “That sounds like a bad idea. The two of you together? I can only handle so much trouble. I’m already at full capacity.”
“Is that why you won’t let her talk to Paisley?” I was tiptoeing into treacherous territory and was at the risk of ruining a very good vibe between us, but the question was already out there. I couldn’t take it back.
His expression turned solemn. “She’s been through a lot, Kaylor, and some of those things were because of me. I wasn’t kidding when I said I wasn’t a good guy. I’m not. I know what it’s like to relive the worst moments of your life again and again.”
“You’re protecting her.”
“In a way. Kreed, Raine, Mason, and I can only offer her so much protection. The stuff in her head, the memories, the thoughts, the pain…we can’t save her from those, and I think that’s what kills Kreed.”
I couldn’t help but think about the shit I’d been through. Kaylor and I probably had more in common than either of us wanted. “Trauma’s a bitch. Once she has her claws in you, she leaves a mark, and those imprints might fade over time, but they’re never really gone.”
His brows furrowed. “What do you know about trauma, Hales?”
I pinched his side and was satisfied when he squirmed beside me. “I have scars, Corvo. Some people are just better at covering them up than others.”
“Watch out, I’m good at uncovering secrets people would rather stay buried,” he teased. At least, I was pretty sure he was half joking.
I swallowed. Hopefully, he wasn’t as good as he thought he was because I had things no one could ever find out. I needed to steer this conversation into safer waters. “Did you know Sienna?”
He picked up one of my curls, twisting it around his finger. “The missing girl? No, not really. I’d seen her around, but we’d never talked. I don’t think.”
My lips quipped. “So you have no idea if you had sex with her or not?”
He chuckled, winding the curl tighter. “No. I warned you.”
I side-eyed his hand. “You did. What do you think happened to her?”
He tugged at my hair, and I narrowed my gaze at him. “This is a rabbit hole you don’t want to travel down, Hales. It’s best you don’t know.Andtell Paisley I said to stay out of this.”
Perhaps I had underestimated him or my ability to stealthily pry information out of him. “I think we all want the same thing.”
“Do we? I’m not so sure about that.” He released my curl and tucked it behind my ear. “I doubt you could stomach what I want. I do know that somehow when I’m with you I’m not thinking about her, and it feels so good not having her in my head.”
“Does this help?” I pressed my lips to his, selfishly regretting bringing Kaylor up because I didn’t want Maddox thinking about anyone else when he was with me.
“No, I’m trying to tell myself to be the good guy for once and not kiss you again.”
I tipped my chin, bringing our faces closer. “I like that you’re not a good guy.”
“Hales, watch what you say. You might not like yourself or me in the morning,” he warned, his eyes flaring a fraction.
