Didn’t want to let him know how much she was beginning to care for him. “I will too,” she whispered.
His dark eyes glinted under the foyer light as a half smile formed on his lips. And then he was gone. Taking all his warmth with him. Closing her eyes, she sagged against the front door. She shouldn’t miss him. She’d wanted him gone. Had wanted her house and her life back to herself. Now that he wasn’t under the same roof, she wished he were. Hell, she wished he were in her bed right now and that instead of just kissing, they were making love. Hot, wild sex that would leave them both panting and begging for more.
“What kind of future do you possibly think you have with him?” Parker’s voice caused her eyes to snap open.He leaned against the entryway, his arms crossed over his chest.
Feeling self-conscious under his scrutiny, she shrugged. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t lie to me.”
She started to protest when he cut her off.
“I don’t know what’s going on between you two, but I’m not stupid. I see the way you look at him, so I’m telling you this now so there’s no misunderstanding later. If you mate—or bond, or whatever the hell they call it—with him, I’m out of your life. I won’t stand by and watch you bind yourself to someone who will only bring you heartache and violence.”
Her brother’s words were like a slap. She straightened against the door. “What?”
“I’m not saying Liam’s a bad guy, but getting involved with one of them is stupid. There are some things I can’t…” His jaw clenched and he got this faraway look that was all too familiar.
Parker was thinking about Brandon, their dead brother. A balloon of guilt rose, then popped inside her, every time she thought about their younger brother. How her stupidity and naïveté had gotten him killed. If she’d never made friends with Allison, a shifter who had attended her high school, her friend’s drugged-out feral brother would never have latched on to December’s scent and followed her home. And her brother wouldn’t have died trying to protect her. She pressed a hand to her stomach to quell the nausea. She wanted to snap at Parker and tell him he was being stupid, unreasonable. But it was her fault Brandon was dead, and Parker had looked out for her their whole lives. He was her only family. “I understand, Parker.” Without another glance at him she hurried up the stairs.
Once inside her room she didn’t bother with washing off her makeup. She took off her boots and climbed into bed wearing her clothes. It was stupid but she could smell Liam on her and didn’t want to lose that scent. That knowledge scared her. Her brother would never accept him. Something she’d known deep down inside her, but now she had no doubt in her mind.
When it came down to it, family was family. After everything her brother had sacrificed for her, she owed him. Fighting back tears, she closed her eyes and pulled her comforter over her head. Getting tangled up with Liam would break her heart in too many ways to count. Staying away from him seemed to hurt just as bad. She didn’t want to have to choose between her only brother and the man she was falling for.
Liam hated the sense of loss he experienced at having to leave December’s house. But he’d seen that look in her eyes. The one that said, “Don’t make me choose between you and my brother.” Yeah, he’d have lost that one. That much was clear. And she hadn’t wanted to cause Liam pain. He wasn’t sure if that made him feel better or worse.
Thankfully Ryan and one of his other packmates had dropped his truck off at December’s earlier. Otherwise he’d have been walking because he sure as hell wasn’t asking her brother to take him home. The drive wasn’t long but it seemed to stretch on forever. All he could think about was that kiss.
What it had felt like to have December plastered to him as he tasted her. He’d been so
His dark eyes glinted under the foyer light as a half smile formed on his lips. And then he was gone. Taking all his warmth with him. Closing her eyes, she sagged against the front door. She shouldn’t miss him. She’d wanted him gone. Had wanted her house and her life back to herself. Now that he wasn’t under the same roof, she wished he were. Hell, she wished he were in her bed right now and that instead of just kissing, they were making love. Hot, wild sex that would leave them both panting and begging for more.
“What kind of future do you possibly think you have with him?” Parker’s voice caused her eyes to snap open.He leaned against the entryway, his arms crossed over his chest.
Feeling self-conscious under his scrutiny, she shrugged. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t lie to me.”
She started to protest when he cut her off.
“I don’t know what’s going on between you two, but I’m not stupid. I see the way you look at him, so I’m telling you this now so there’s no misunderstanding later. If you mate—or bond, or whatever the hell they call it—with him, I’m out of your life. I won’t stand by and watch you bind yourself to someone who will only bring you heartache and violence.”
Her brother’s words were like a slap. She straightened against the door. “What?”
“I’m not saying Liam’s a bad guy, but getting involved with one of them is stupid. There are some things I can’t…” His jaw clenched and he got this faraway look that was all too familiar.
Parker was thinking about Brandon, their dead brother. A balloon of guilt rose, then popped inside her, every time she thought about their younger brother. How her stupidity and naïveté had gotten him killed. If she’d never made friends with Allison, a shifter who had attended her high school, her friend’s drugged-out feral brother would never have latched on to December’s scent and followed her home. And her brother wouldn’t have died trying to protect her. She pressed a hand to her stomach to quell the nausea. She wanted to snap at Parker and tell him he was being stupid, unreasonable. But it was her fault Brandon was dead, and Parker had looked out for her their whole lives. He was her only family. “I understand, Parker.” Without another glance at him she hurried up the stairs.
Once inside her room she didn’t bother with washing off her makeup. She took off her boots and climbed into bed wearing her clothes. It was stupid but she could smell Liam on her and didn’t want to lose that scent. That knowledge scared her. Her brother would never accept him. Something she’d known deep down inside her, but now she had no doubt in her mind.
When it came down to it, family was family. After everything her brother had sacrificed for her, she owed him. Fighting back tears, she closed her eyes and pulled her comforter over her head. Getting tangled up with Liam would break her heart in too many ways to count. Staying away from him seemed to hurt just as bad. She didn’t want to have to choose between her only brother and the man she was falling for.
Liam hated the sense of loss he experienced at having to leave December’s house. But he’d seen that look in her eyes. The one that said, “Don’t make me choose between you and my brother.” Yeah, he’d have lost that one. That much was clear. And she hadn’t wanted to cause Liam pain. He wasn’t sure if that made him feel better or worse.
Thankfully Ryan and one of his other packmates had dropped his truck off at December’s earlier. Otherwise he’d have been walking because he sure as hell wasn’t asking her brother to take him home. The drive wasn’t long but it seemed to stretch on forever. All he could think about was that kiss.
What it had felt like to have December plastered to him as he tasted her. He’d been so
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