Chapter Two
Everett
"Brynn! Stop! Uh..." I ducked again as she took another swing, a small part of me pretty impressed with her wicked right hook. "Cal! Your brother! He called me."
She was still in panic mode, fighting me off even as her eyes started to register understanding. I reached up and grabbed her hand again and forced her to look me in the eye. She shivered in my arms, squirming and stomping her feet and a flicker of something I hated to name ran through me, feeling how completely she was under my control.
But I banished that thought back to the dark places inside of me that it came from and instead I took a deep breath. I licked my lips, all set to explain to her that Callum had called me just as I was leaving work late and asked me to check in on her. That she'd heard a noise that scared her and I was the closest person able to make sure she was okay. That I was just doing her brother a favor and didn't mean to scare her.
But all those words died on my lips as I looked into her wide, frightened eyes.
In all the years I've known her, I'd never seen Brynn Reese undone. She was always polished and poised, her face carefully made up, her hair sleekly straightened. There was something completely unnerving, and also downright alluring about seeing her — fuck about holding her — in faded pajamas with her face scrubbed clean, her hair caught back in a scraggly topknot with pieces falling down around her face.
I'd only seen her like this one other time, and then I only had the little sliver of light underneath the closet door to illuminate her parted lips and wide-open eyes. The porch light wasn't much brighter, but at least I could see all of her at once. And now that I could see her, I couldn't seem to stop staring.
"Sorry," I exhaled, loosening my grip on her once I was sure she wasn't going to try to murder me yet again. I lowered my hands and took a deliberate, conciliatory step backward. "I didn't mean to frighten you."
"Well you did," she muttered petulantly, idly rubbing her arms where I'd been holding her. Even in the dim light of the bare overhead bulb, I could see that the pressure had raised delicate pink lines in her peachy skin.
I swallowed, my throat suddenly dry, and I turned away and coughed, stuffing that impulsive desire, the thing I hated most about myself, back down. Not here. Not with her. She was too sweet, too nice. What I wanted... I could never ask it from a girl like her.
I always pushed too far. And when I pushed girls in the past, I always ended up pushing them away.
I couldn't do that with Brynn.
"Your brother called," I said, clearing my throat and coughing again. "He wanted me to make sure you were okay." I allowed myself to sneak another look at her and was relieved to see that some of the poise was returning to her face. "Are you okay?"
That little haughty smirk she wore, the one that looked like she'd spent ages practicing it in the bathroom mirror, had returned. "I'm fine," she said, blowing out an exasperated breath. "No thanks to you, Rett."
I swallowed again, trying to wrench my eyes from her bare, marked skin. I'd always thought she was pretty, but holy shit in this moment I felt something I'd never felt for her before. Never allowed myself to feel anyway, I reminded myself, considering who she was. Cal's sister. My best friend's sister.
And she was looking at me like I was a crazy person, because all I seemed to be able to do was stare.
"Were you in bed?" I asked, the words tumbling out of my mouth before I could catch them.
She cocked her head to the side and gave me an odd look. "I have to be at the school at seven tomorrow," she reminded me. "Kindergarten starts early."
I started nodding, and then tried to stop my head, but I just kept nodding because every time I moved my head, I was able to take her all in.
That night, that New Year's, well we had never really talked about what happened, because I was fairly certain she was intent on forgetting it. Brynn hated awkward moments more than anything and there was nothing more awkward than being reminded of sex you clearly regretted.
Me, I could never forget it. I'd wanted her forever.
But I couldn't have her in the way I wanted her. So it was best for me to back away. Cut myself off cold turkey before I went too far.
The memory of how she looked that night came roaring back as she stared at me on her porch, bare toes wiggling, and I realized I'd never gotten her out of my system.
If anything, she'd only wormed her way deeper under my skin.
"You want to come in or something?" she asked.
I took a deep breath, temptation making my blood thud in my ears. . It would be polite to do so, of course, but it would also be complete agony. I was tired, and at the end of my rope. She looked like she wanted to go to bed, and frankly I wasn't sure I could trust myself near her when she looked so sleepy and vulnerable.
"No, it's fine," I told her. "I'll just check around the perimeter one more time before I go."
Her mouth worked up into a smile. "The perimeter?" she teased. "Who the heck are you?"
"Someone who likes to be thorough," I reminded her as I turned to step off her porch.
I did a double take as she followed me onto the grass, but she didn't seem bothered in the slightest by the cold, damp ground under her bare feet. "Do you see anything along the perimeter?" she teased again, crossing her arms across her chest. My eyes dropped down to where she was clearly not wearing a bra, and then bounced right back up again, trying to look anywhere but there.
I looked all around, as if I could somehow make out anything in the gathering dark. "I don't see anything," I said truthfully. "But if you heard something suspicious, maybe you want to have the police come out." I took out my phone. "I can call right now."
She bit her lip, and I had to look away again, my throat a fucking desert. I heard her take in a deep breath, considering.
"No," she finally said, waving it off. "I'm sure it's nothing." I turned back to look at her and she smirked up at me, her full lips lit up by the single streetlamp. "Thanks for coming by," she said. She tilted her head to the side. "You're a good Boy Scout."
She meant to tease me, but I wasn't taking the bait. "Yes." I nodded. "You know it. You were there at my Eagle Scout ceremony."
She nodded. "I was. Always prepared and all." She grinned that haughty little grin at me. "You're useful to have around, Rett. Thanks," she teased. Then she turned, barefoot still, to walk back into her house.