Fight or Flight

Warmth flooded me, soothing my earlier fears. “Wee yin?”

“Aye, wee yin. Wee one.”

I bit my lip to stop a cheesy smile from taking over my face. “I like that better than ‘babe.’ ”

He kissed me in answer, a soft, sweet, gentle kiss filled with a quiet yearning that made my heart catch and words tumble out of my mouth before I could stop them as he pulled back. “Make love to me.”

Caleb’s gaze sharpened as his whole body locked above me with tension. “Ava—”

“It won’t mean that you love me or that I love you,” I whispered. “But I’m still a woman, Caleb. I just … I need to feel like you want me. I need to feel that you see me.”

This whole conversation, our entire interaction since I’d walked into his apartment, was breaking our unspoken rules, but I couldn’t help myself. If he ended things, he ended things, but at least I would know I hadn’t let myself be treated like a mere means of satisfaction.

“I do see you, wee yin,” he said, the words gruff, hoarse, as if discussing any kind of emotion was so rare the words came out all rusty from disuse. “I didn’t touch another woman back home and it wasn’t because there wasn’t an opportunity tae. I do see you.”

More than pleased by that response, my heart fluttering wildly in my chest, I sat up, forcing him back a little so I could whip my sweater off. My bra soon followed it to the floor and I wrapped my arms around his broad shoulders to press my breasts to his hard naked chest. My kiss was fierce, yearning, and he immediately got swept up in my desire. His strong arms banded around me, crushing me against him, and we kissed and kissed until we were panting for breath.

When his mouth left mine, it was so he could kiss me all over. I felt his tender kisses on my chest, my breasts, trailing a path down my body, to my center. He kissed me there until I exploded in relief, and while I was coming down from my climax, he removed his jeans and rejoined me on the bed.

This time when he pressed inside it was a slow, thick glide as he returned his mouth to my mouth. We kissed and gasped against each other’s lips. I wrapped him up, my thighs pressed against his hips, my arms around his back, holding him to me.

In that moment this man was my entire world and the orgasm he gave me was world-shattering. He tensed, his groan filling my mouth, and I kissed him, capturing his release inside me in every way I could.

When he finally lifted his head and our eyes met, I saw something that chased the pleasure away.

I saw his fear.

And I hated it.

Lowering my gaze, I forced a smile. “Multiple orgasms. Someone is in fine form tonight,” I joked, trying to break the sudden tension.

I prepared myself for his cold withdrawal. Instead, he grinned and I knew he’d fought back the fear. We would be okay. We would find our way back to a safe place where it was just great sex between two friends who trusted each other.

We would.

We had to.

We were still lying in bed when we heard a male voice, remarkably similar to Caleb’s, call out, “I know you told me tae bugger off, but it started tae piss down out there and I’m bored!”

Caleb threw the duvet over me, hiding me, as he jumped out of bed to shut the bedroom door. “I’ll be out in a second!” he yelled back.

Amused, I watched as he hurried back into his jeans and threw my sweater and bra at me. “Your brother, I presume,” I said as I got out of bed and pulled my clothes on.

“Aye.” His eyes glazed over a little at the sight of my half-nakedness. “Where are your knickers and jeans?”

“Out there. Where you took them off.”

He didn’t seem as entertained by this as I was. “Stay here.”

“Oh, like I have every intention of wandering out there naked in front of your little brother.”

He scowled at the thought before turning his back on me to get a T-shirt out of his built-in wardrobe. When he opened the bedroom door, it was just enough so he could slip out and his brother wouldn’t be able to see in. Once it was closed, I tiptoed over to it, but I couldn’t make out their conversation, just the sound of their voices.

Then Caleb returned, the door forcing me back into the room. He handed me my jeans, underwear, and shoes, appearing almost grim faced.

“I take it he had something to say about these.” I tried not to snicker as I pulled on my clothes.

“He’s a cheeky arse, that’s what he is.”

Chuckling, I stepped into my heels and gestured to myself. “All good?” I strolled over to him, where he was still blocking the door. “Are you going to let me out of this room?”

He scowled at my head. “You have sex hair.”

“That’s because we just had sex.”

“You’re in a good mood.”

“Because of the aforementioned pleasurable physical activity.”

When he still didn’t move, I sighed. “Do you not want me to meet your brother or something?”

He made a face at me like what I’d said was ridiculous and finally opened the door to let me out.

The man who switched the TV to mute and got up off the couch at my appearance made me draw to an abrupt halt, causing Caleb to collide into the back of me. He gripped my arms to stop me stumbling forward.

Oh my goodness.

There were two of them.

Ice blue eyes traveled over me with an intensity that felt unsettlingly familiar. The eyes belonged to a younger version of Caleb.

“Ava, this is Jamie. Jamie, this is Ava,” Caleb introduced us.

At first I was too busy cataloging the brothers’ similarities to notice Jamie’s countenance. All I saw was the same dark blond hair, the same scruff, and the same taste in clothing. Then I saw that his features were slightly softer than Caleb’s, more handsome in a traditional sense, and although he was extremely tall—a good two inches taller than Caleb at least—he was of a slimmer build. He was still muscular, but lean.

He also didn’t have any tattoos that I could see.

And finally, as I stopped my appraisal and looked into his face to smile a greeting, I caught the way he was looking at me.

Perturbed was a nice way of putting it.

Unimpressed was more accurate.

Jamie’s gaze flew over my head to his brother. “Thought you learnt that lesson.” He gestured rudely to me.

As I flinched in confusion, I felt Caleb tense behind me. “Watch it,” he warned dangerously.

His tension leaked into me and I stepped aside, glancing from brother to brother, wondering what the hell was being said between them in their silent glaring match. And why did Jamie seem pissed off by the mere sight of me when he didn’t even know me?

After what felt like a really long time but was probably only seconds, Jamie sighed and turned to me. He appeared defeated. “Nice tae meet you, Ava.” But it didn’t sound like it was nice to meet me at all, and I had no idea why.

“Um … you too?”

My response made him snort.

“Bedroom. Now.” Caleb pointed to the guest room.

Jamie rolled his eyes but did as his brother commanded. Caleb cut me a look. “Stay.”

As he followed his brother into the room, I replied, “Would you like a ‘sit’ or a ‘roll over’ with that?”

He threw me an amused smile over his shoulder but didn’t respond. The door closed behind him and his brother, and I silently crept over to eavesdrop.

I know, I know! Not cool. But I was so confused! I needed answers and I knew Caleb, Mr. Stoic and Brooding, would not provide them for me.

“… aye, but you have tae admit she’s like a short version of Carissa,” I heard Jamie say.

Who was Carissa? And I wasn’t that short!

Okay, I was that short, but still. I frowned at my legs. No need to point it out like it was a bad thing.

“She is not,” Caleb snapped. “They look nothing alike. They are nothing alike.”

“Coloring, aye, different. But … they’ve both got that shiny, immaculate, fresh-coat-of-paint look about them. You know, the high-maintenance type that’s only after one thing. Carissa should have taught you that lesson. We all thought it did.”