Page 19

Nolan

L evi had a shit-eating grin as he stared at me while spreading butter on his toast. He had been looking at me like I had an 'I am stupid' sticker on my forehead that I wasn't aware of. We were in the dining room eating breakfast, just the two of us. Aelin wasn't here yet. She was in the shower when I left the bedroom. I was so tempted to join her, even though I had already showered and changed.

"What's so funny?" I asked after giving up on ignoring him.

"I thought you said you weren't sleeping with her?"

I refrained from rolling my eyes. While we were alone yesterday, Levi had asked me about my relationship with Aelin. I didn't tell him much except that it was purely business and that we weren't sleeping with each other. I could have slept in my study, but something in me, some possessive fiend, did not want Levi and Aelin to find each other in the middle of the night whilst I was asleep. Was it irrational? Yes. Did I want to dig further to understand why? No. The reasons terrified me.

I took a sip of my coffee. "When did you become so interested in my love life?"

" Love life is it?"

I picked up a bagel and threw it at him. Levi giggled as he ducked from the pastry. It flew above his head and landed flat on the floor behind his chair.

"I'm not sleeping with her. "

"Uh, huh? And what were those sounds I heard coming from your bedroom? Were you watching a porn with the volume on?"

"How did you hear us?"

"Should not have left the door open."

The door was closed when I woke up? Was he the one who closed it?

"It was a one time thing." I had exorcised her from my system. That's all I needed. One night with her should be enough, as good as that night was.

I don't remember the last time I had sex that good. In fact, I don't think I've had sex that mind shattering before. There was a lack of artifice about her that was addictive. She brought out something in me. A deviant that wanted to do anything and everything to her. Fuck her senseless. Cum inside her. And doing it again. Dipping in again would be a mistake. I had been so enamored by her last night, I almost forgot to put on a condom. Something I should be vigilant of considering the type of person she was.

"Are you sure about that?" Levi took a bite of his toast before adding, "she is your wife after all. There's no need to live like a monk during your quote unquote marriage. But then you haven't, have you."

"Trust me, last night was the first and last time. I won't be touching her with a ten-foot pole."

Levi raised his eyebrows. "Uh…Nolan."

"Who knows how many diseases she's carrying. I would be lucky if any didn't pass through the condom I put on last night."

"Morning, Sis!" Levi said. Aelin strode past me and went to a chair between Levi and I. I wanted to bash my head with my coffee cup. The least Levi could have done was warn me. I glared at him. He frowned as though to say, I tried to.

Aelin sat in her chair. She looked even more beautiful in the morning light. Her freshly washed face, with minimal makeup, gave her an innocent look, making me feel like a fool for my gaffe.

"Aelin…"

"You don't have to worry, Nolan. I got tested before I married you. If you want me to send you my clean bill of health, I will."

"Ael—"

"Are you able to offer the same assurance?"

Levi's eyes darted between us like a spectator at a tennis match. I ignored him. "I am sorry for what you heard. I shouldn't have spoken about you like that."

She gave me a tight smile. "Oh, don't feel sorry for me. I'm a big girl."

Levi chuckled. "Thalia has competition. You might be my favorite sister-in-law."

Aelin flipped her hair and reached for a coffee pot and poured some in a mug. I watched her as her lips pursed and she slowly sipped the hot beverage, my mind going back to last night when those lips were kissing mine instead of that mug. My defenses were slowly crumbling. Too bad I would never be with here again. One time, right?I felt Levi's gaze on me and ignored him. The little fucker was enjoying my hypocrisy.

Breakfast was silent for the rest of the meal and when he was done, Levi announced he had a meeting with his literary agent and was leaving.

"I might go to Yale, since you hate my being here so much," he added. "You lovers can have the rest of this place to yourselves."

"You don't have to leave." Aelin sounded genuinely sad. "I was enjoying your company."

"Me too, sis. But alas, I have to leave you before my brother challenges me to a duel."

I scoffed. "Carey wants you to come to his sailing debut, by the way. I’ve already sent you the details."

Levi's shoulders slumped. "Do I have to?"

"You haven't seen the family in a while. We miss you."

Levi looked slightly offended. "I talk to you guys all the time!"

"On the phone. From across the pond. It's not the same seeing you in the flesh."

"Well, if you put it like that. I guess I have to come. But I am only doing it because you let me stay here." Levi downed the rest of his coffee, got up, and went to kiss Aelin on the cheek. I gripped my mug tightly, fighting the urge to hurl him up and out of this building. He was my brother, and I knew this kiss was platonic, but the irrational part of my brain was hard to rein in. Then she smiled. Fucking smiled at him as she said something that was inaudible under the sound of blood rushing to my head.

"Aren't you going to be late?"

They both whipped their heads at me. Levi raised his hands in mock surrender. "Okay. okay." He blew a kiss at her for good measure and left.

"You could try to hold your drool in as you ogle at my brother's ass," I said, once Aelin and I were alone again.

She looked at me in disbelief. "I was not!"

"He may be younger than me and closer to your age, but trust me he's not available. Emotionally at least."

She shrugged. "I don't care. I'm only after a good fuck. And it's not like you will be available in that department. Last night was a one time thing, remember?"

Rage bubbled inside me. "You're going after my brother because I denied you sex?"

"Why not?" She thrust her nose in the air. "A woman has needs."

"If you're so sex starved. All you need is to come to me. Just stay away from my family."

"What?" she cooed. "Afraid I will suck them all inside my pussy like a succubus?"

"Ay… Stay away from my family."

She paused. And the silence in the room was so tense, you could cut through it with a knife. Her eyes narrowed. She stared at me with a gaze that was so scrutinizing it left me feeling naked. Then her shoulders slumped."Okay, okay, big bear. It was only a joke. I do not want to fuck your brother."

Feeling too open for overreacting, I tried to get back to my cooling breakfast. The bacon had hardened, making it difficult to cut through, so when I said, "Maybe one night wasn't enough for you." I only appeared like I was angry and not nonchalant like I was attempting to.

"It wasn't enough for you, you mean?"

"Maybe we should continue with our arrangement until one of us gets bored," I said.