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“Um…”Iturn to see her staring at me in the darkness.Sheflips on the bedside light and both of us wince at the sudden brilliance, even though it’s not really that bright.

“You wouldn’t be slipping out on me, would you?”Sunnyarches an eyebrow at me. “Becausethat wouldn’t be very nice of you.”

I sigh and run a hand through my hair.

“Look,Ijust think maybe it would be better ifIgot going, you know?”

“No,Idonotknow,” she said tartly. “Justwhere are you going?Doyou have a job lined up?”

Actually,Ihave a multinational corporation to run thatI’vebeen neglecting for far too long.ButKanedoesn’t have anything like that.

“No,”Iadmit, sticking to my “big brother” persona.

“And do you have anywhere to live?” she demands.

I have to say “no” again, since theKaneImade up for her is definitely homeless.

“I didn’t think so,” she says. “Sowhy not stay here with me until you can get on your feet?”

“Stay here?”Iask blankly.

“With me,” she repeats. “Look, our last dishwasher quit a week ago andCookieis looking to find a new one.Iknow it’s not a very glamorous job butIthought it would let you save a little until you can get out on your own.”

After working in the prison kitchen—which included dishwashing duty—IsworeI’dnever do anything like that again.Butif it lets me stay close toSunny…

No, you can’t stay close to her!a guilty voice shouts in my head.Youwant more than she can give and you know it!

“I can’t, baby,”Isay heavily. “Ithink maybe it’s just better if we go our own ways.Idon’t thinkI’dbe any good for you, hanging around here.”

I’m standing by the side of the bed andSunnyis still half reclined, leaning on one elbow and looking up at me.Butwhen she hears my words, a determined look comes over her pretty face and she gets out of bed and comes over to me.Shelooks me right in the eye and asks,

“Does this have anything to do with what happened last night?”

I feel my stomach twist into a knot of guilt butIdon’t let it show on my face.Afteryears in prison,I’mgood at concealing my emotions.

“What happened last night?”Irepeat.

“You know when you, er, were stroking yourself.”Hercheeks get pink with embarrassment but she refuses to break eye-contact.

Inwardly,Igroan.Andthen outwardly too, becauseIcan’t fucking hold my poker face around her for some reason.

“Fuck—you saw that?”

“I was only half asleep,” she admits. “Look,Kane…”Sheputs one small hand on my bare chest. “IthinkIunderstand what’s going on.”

“You do?”I’msurprised that she doesn’t seem at all upset.

“Yes,Ido.”Shenods firmly. “Youhaven’t had any contact with a woman in over three years.It’slike that part of you is starved.Idon’t blame you for looking at me while you, uh, gave yourself pleasure anymore thanIwould blame a starving man for taking some food from my kitchen.”

Her words so exactly echo my own thoughts from last night thatI’mstunned into silence for a moment.AtlastIlay a hand over hers, which is still planted in the middle of my chest.

“And…you’re really not angry or upset with me?”Iask.

She shakes her head.

“No, of course not.Imean, we shouldn’t do anything else—youaremy big brother after all.ButIdon’t mind letting you look, if…if you need to.”Hercheeks are pink again—actually almost red.She’sembarrassed to be saying this—embarrassed but excited.Ican hear her heart pounding and her scent just suddenly got hotter.

“You’d let me look at you again?”Myvoice comes out hoarse with lust and my eyes stray down to her breasts, semi-visible beneath her white silk nightgown.Hernipples are tight—poking at the thin fabric.