Page 10

10

CONNOR

I wake up early—even earlier than Sunny —and get silently out of bed. I need to leave and let her get on with her life, even though the thought of never seeing her again makes me feel like my heart is being cut up by a sharp pair of scissors. Still , it’s better this way.

I pull on my jeans and socks and work boots and I’m about to squeeze into the too-tight black t-shirt again when I hear Sunny say,

“Good morning, big brother. And where do you think you’re going?”

“Um…” I turn to see her staring at me in the darkness. She flips 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?” Sunny arches an eyebrow at me. “ Because that wouldn’t be very nice of you.”

I sigh and run a hand through my hair.

“Look, I just think maybe it would be better if I got going, you know?”

“No, I do not know,” she said tartly. “ Just where are you going? Do you have a job lined up?”

Actually, I have a multinational corporation to run that I’ve been neglecting for far too long. But Kane doesn’t have anything like that.

“No,” I admit, sticking to my “big brother” persona.

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

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

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

“Stay here?” I ask blankly.

“With me,” she repeats. “ Look , our last dishwasher quit a week ago and Cookie is looking to find a new one. I know it’s not a very glamorous job but I thought 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— I swore I’d never do anything like that again. But if it lets me stay close to Sunny …

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

“I can’t, baby,” I say heavily. “ I think maybe it’s just better if we go our own ways. I don’t think I’d be any good for you, hanging around here.”

I’m standing by the side of the bed and Sunny is still half reclined, leaning on one elbow and looking up at me. But when she hears my words, a determined look comes over her pretty face and she gets out of bed and comes over to me. She looks 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 but I don’t let it show on my face. After years in prison, I’m good at concealing my emotions.

“What happened last night?” I repeat.

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

Inwardly, I groan. And then outwardly too, because I can’t fucking hold my poker face around her for some reason.

“Fuck—you saw that?”

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

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

“Yes, I do.” She nods firmly. “ You haven’t had any contact with a woman in over three years. It’s like that part of you is starved. I don’t blame you for looking at me while you, uh, gave yourself pleasure anymore than I would blame a starving man for taking some food from my kitchen.”

Her words so exactly echo my own thoughts from last night that I’m stunned into silence for a moment. At last I lay a hand over hers, which is still planted in the middle of my chest.

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

She shakes her head.

“No, of course not. I mean, we shouldn’t do anything else—you are my big brother after all. But I don’t mind letting you look, if…if you need to.” Her cheeks are pink again—actually almost red. She’s embarrassed to be saying this—embarrassed but excited. I can hear her heart pounding and her scent just suddenly got hotter.

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

Sunny lifts her chin defiantly.

“Yes, I will.”

As if to prove she’s not joking, she pulls her nightgown over her head and drops it to the floor. She’s standing in front of me in nothing but those pink, lacy panties with her full curves on display and damn does she look fine!

“See?” Sunny demands. She puts her hands on her hips and her full breasts jiggle with the motion. The nipples are even darker pink than I thought. I have a sudden dark urge to lean down and suck one into my mouth while I pinch the other until she squirms and gasps. But I can’t do that.

I clench my hands into fists at my sides to keep them from reaching for her.

“Baby… Sunny , you don’t have to do this.” My voice sounds slightly strangled.

“I’m just proving a point— I’m not mad at you for looking,” she retorts. “ You haven’t seen a woman in a long time—you probably need to look.”

That’s not all I need to do. My cock is throbbing in my jeans again, a hard ridge pressing against the too-tight denim as I take her in. God , she’s fucking perfect, from her full, bare breasts down to her wide hips and ample, heart-shaped ass. She’s exactly the kind of woman I’ve always had a thing for—my “type” if you will.

I ought to say no. The smart, responsible thing to do is to leave Singing Rock and Sunny behind, go find a willing woman to fuck and try to get my fake little sister out of my system.

But I can’t do that. I know I can’t as I stand there watching the emotions play across Sunny’s face. Embarrassment …pride…determination. She wants me here and she’s going to keep me, no matter what it takes. I remind myself that she’ll feel like she’s losing her big brother if I go. As far as she knows, I’m the only family she has.

“You’re going to stay until you can get on your feet,” she tells me, getting bossy in that cute way again. “ You’re my big brother— my home is your home. And if you need to look at me sometimes, well…that’s okay. I promise I won’t get upset.”

“All right,” I hear myself saying, against my better judgment. “ I’ll stay.”

“You will?” Sunny’s face breaks into a smile. “ Yes !” She throws her arms around me spontaneously and I feel her warm, bare breasts and tight nipples press against my abs. “ Oh , sorry!” She jumps back before I can decide if I should hug her back or not. “ Forgot I was topless.” She gives a self-deprecating giggle.

“You’d better get dressed,” I tell her. “ Or we’re going to be late to the diner.”

“You’re right.” She bends down to pick up her nightgown and presses it to her chest, which is a good thing— I was having a hard time looking at anything but her gorgeous tits.

“Thank you,” I tell her and mean it. “ I mean, for asking me to stay even after last night. For not being mad at me. You’re right. It’s like…like a hunger ,” I finish lamely.

Sunny nods.

“I understand.” She looks up at me earnestly. “ I just want to be here for you, big brother— I want to help you any way I can.”

I’m touched by her concern. She’s so sweet—so completely unselfish. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone with such a pure soul.

“Thank you, baby.” I cup her cheek and look down into her eyes for a long moment. Impulsively , I lean down and press a kiss to her forehead.

Sunny sighs and smiles up at me when I pull away.

“You’re welcome. Now come on—let’s get dressed! We need to get going.”

Then she crosses over to the dresser across from the bed and starts rummaging for clothes.

There’s nothing for me to do but pull on my t-shirt, which I had almost forgotten. I can’t believe I just agreed to live here with her. This is such a bad decision on my part. But somehow I can’t leave her. I just fucking can’t.

I guess I’m staying…at least for now.