Adore Me (Austin Singles 3)

“Why don’t you skip to how the two of you hooked up.”

Swallowing hard, I leaned back in the chair. “I saw Morgan at a bar. She was pretty drunk.”

Morgan had never shared with Nash how she went to Butch’s Place each year on the anniversary of Mike’s death, so I left that part out.

“When I saw her, I knew I couldn’t leave her there, so I made sure she got home. I brought her into her house, and that was it. Besides leaving her a note and some Advil for in the morning, I left. I didn’t touch her, and nothing happened, I swear to you. I won’t lie and tell you I wasn’t tempted to kiss her when she asked me to, but I’m not that kind of guy. You know that.”

Nash nodded. “I know that, and I believe you.”

“She called me the next day because I had her key. I picked her up, and we went out for breakfast. I’m not going to sugarcoat it, I thought about her the entire night after I had dropped her off. Then seeing her the next morning and all, it made it all those feelings from college resurface. I was determined to ignore it though, but then she . . . well . . . she, ah . . . um . . .”

Nash shot me a dirty look. “For fuck's sake, dude, spit it out.”

“Well, forgive me, Nash, but this isn’t something I think a brother would want to hear.”

His brows pulled in tight. “I can take it.”

My eyes darted over to Tucker, who shrugged. Then I focused back on Nash. “Fine. She said she wanted one night of no-strings-attached sex. A night to have fun with someone she trusted and was attracted to. After the night was over, then we would walk away in the morning and return to being friends.”

Nash’s mouth dropped and his eyes widened in shock. “Morgan said that?”

I rubbed the back of my neck. “Yeah, and I’m telling you, I turned her down immediately. I mean, at first I thought she was fucking with me, and I might have been playing around with her until I realized she was being serious.”

“Okay, then what happened?”

“I told her no. I mean, deep down I wanted to scream yes.”

Nash made a fist.

“But I told her no. She got upset and told me to forget she’d ever brought it up. A few minutes later, she got up and said she was going to the restroom. But instead she walked out the front door and jumped into an Uber. Two weeks later, we ran into each other again. Same bar. She was upset and spewing bullshit about me not being attracted to her. She stormed out of the bar, and I went after her. Long story short, we ended up at my place.”

Nash groaned and looked away from me.

There were parts of the story I was keeping to myself. It wasn’t anyone’s business what Morgan and I did together. All Nash needed to know was how she had changed me.

“I’ve never in my life experienced a connection with a woman like I have with Morgan. Hell, I felt something for her the first day I met her. She makes me feel things I honestly didn’t think were possible. The woman can drive me to my knees. Or drive me insane. I do and say things with her I would never dream of doing. She makes me confused, and sometimes I can’t even concentrate. I say the stupidest shit. It’s fucked up, dude! Your sister is fucking me up in the head.”

The corner of Nash’s mouth rose slightly in what looked like a smile. “Do you care about her, Blake?”

“Yes. I feel it in here,” I pounded my fist on my chest. “The air around me gets warmer, my heart races faster, and I feel like I need her close by to breathe. Hell, she only has to smile at me, and my knees feel weak.”

Tucker and Nash exchanged a look before Tucker cleared his throat and spoke.

“Dude, I hate to tell you this, but you’re in love.”

I swallowed hard. My heart already knew it. I’d known it since the moment I slid into her the first time we made love. “It’s too soon. Right?”

Nash stood. “I know the real you, dude. I know you’ve played around, but I also know you have the biggest heart of anyone I know. There isn’t anything you wouldn’t do for your friends. So I will trust you with my sister. I don’t know how this will turn out, but I only ask for one thing.”

I stood. “I’ll do anything, Nash.”

“Don’t hurt her.”

His eyes filled with something I hadn’t ever seen before. It wasn’t anger. Or concern. It was trust.

“I won’t hurt her. I swear to God, Nash, I would rather die than hurt her.”

With a nod, he shook my hand.