Chapter 213

After leaving the living room, I return to my closet, where I am once more seriously packing. This time, I move all my packed boxes toward the door.

I’ll leave my boxes here for the movers, I’ve decided. For right now, I’ll just throw some clothes into a duffle bag and camp out at the penthouse. There’s furniture there, so I’ll only really need to stop for some groceries and some new sheets for the bed. That’s all doable.

I pull down a duffle bag from the top shelf. That’s when I hear someone come in through my door.

“Chloe?” It’s Neil. “Where are you?”

He follows the sound of my fumbling into the closet. I don’t acknowledge him at all. I’m too busy throwing some of my regular clothes into my duffle bag. I’ve been avoiding packing my regular clothes, figuring I’d need them the final couple of days.

That seems moot now.

“Chloe,” he says. He steps farther into my space, so close that he comes right up beside me. He reaches out and places his hand on my wrist, stilling me. “Stop. Please.”

I refuse to look at him. I’m not crying anymore, but the shame of my tears haunts me. I never should have cried like I did. I hate that I keep giving these brothers so much power over me and my emotions, when they never asked me for it. They never wanted it.

“I know you are angry,” he says, and his voice is so damn calm and soothing. It slips over me like a warm blanket, soothing my fraying nerves. “I’m not saying you can’t be. You have reasons. But please. Stop.”

I swallow hard. I hope my voice doesn’t crack. “I’m leaving in two days, Neil. I’ll have to pack eventually.”

“I know that. But you don’t have to do it right now.”

I tilt my head, finally looking at him. His eyes are full of compassion and care.

“You guys want me to stay. And then you want me to leave. It’s like you can’t make up your mind.” I close my eyes, cutting myself off from the comfort and familiarity of his gaze. “I’m tired of being given the runaround.”

“I wish I could tell you the reasons we changed our mind,” Neil says. “But I can’t. What I can tell you is that it has nothing to do with us not wanting you here.”

I squeezed my eyes shut tighter, trying to block out the pain. “I don’t believe you.”

He’s quiet a moment. When he does speak, his voice is soft. “You don’t believe I want you…?”

I blink open my eyes to look at him. Instead of the uncertainty that was apparent in his voice, I see the growing resolve hardening in his features.

Rather than touching my wrist, as he has been doing, his grip fully encloses around it. He none-too-gently yanks me towards him. My body collides against his. I feel the gentle buzz of silver rumbling under his skin and against mine.

“Neil…” I half-gasp, half-moan. My body’s natural reaction to him and his displays of dominance has always and likely will forever be lust. “Neil,” I say again, a pleasant sigh this time, as his arm wraps around my waist, keeping me firmly against him.

He lowers his face down toward mine. He moves so slowly, painfully slowly. He gives me time to lick my lips, to stare at his mouth, to want, to envision. Then his lips touch my own and everything is bliss.

His tongue sweeps into my mouth and all is lost for a while. He pushes me up against the wall of the closet. He brings one hand up to rest at the base of my throat, just as he knows I like.

My skin buzzes. My heart hammers. My mind and soul are united in their desire. We want him.

“You believe I don’t want you,” he says, his voice low, dangerous. Sexy. “Allow me to correct this completely wrong misconception.”

Clothes have no meaning between us. They are easily discarded and thrown down onto the floor.

The moment I’m naked, Neil lowers his head and clasps his mouth over my nipple. The heat of his mouth is electric, as is the hum of the silver prickling my sensitive nub. I buck forward from the wall, pressing myself more fully into him – offering myself to him.

He accepts the offering, lapping at my nipple, circling his tongue around it. When I’m a writhing, begging mess, he pops off of it, and kisses his way across the valley of my breasts to give the same attention to its twin.

All too soon, we are down on the floor of the closet. His fingers are circling around my entrance. I rub my hand up and down his rock hard dick. He drops his head down and kisses me full on the mouth as he plunges two fingers deep inside of me. He swallows down my moans.

Then he starts moving his fingers in and out and I lose my mind. I try to match his pace, fisting his dick. We start slow but move faster and faster.

Neil breaks the kiss to grunt and groan. “Ah. Chloe. Gods.”

It’s so fucking sexy, I wonder if I can get off on his words alone. A question for another time. Not right now. Not with his fingers inside me and his voice in my ear.

Not when I’m so fucking close.

We move faster. Faster. My arm hurts and my body aches, and everything feels tight. Tighter.

Then, all at once, my insides clench and tremble.

“Ah! Neil!!”

At the same time, he reaches his peak, and spills out, seed catching over my stomach and breasts.

Then he collapses on top of me. Our breaths are heavy. Our bodies sweaty. But my mind is peace, and the thrum inside of me pleasant.

For a long moment, we stay there, just as we are, trapped in the afterglow.

Then, the doubt begins to return to my mind.

So Neil wants me. That much is clear. But I still have to leave. This is still likely the last time Neil and I will ever be like this.

I’m still not welcome here.

Yet Neil’s hot body pressing down on top of me keeps me rooted. It brings me comfort. I’m confused and I’m hurt, but right now, I don’t want to move.

“I know you have to leave,” Neil says. “When the time comes, I will even help you pack. But for now. Please. Just stay.”

I could leave now. I’m tired of the mind games the brothers keep playing on me, purposefully or not. I have a beautiful penthouse waiting for me. Most of my bags are packed. Mia doesn’t need me anymore.

No one does.

I have everything ready to make a clean break.

The only thing that isn’t ready yet is my heart.

I look down at myself, at the mess Neil and I have made of each other. And I sigh.

“Right now, the only place I really want to go to is the shower.”

Neil smiles in obvious relief as he leans forward and kisses me softly. “I’ll escort you.”

I don’t know what the future holds, but I do know that for the rest of tonight, I’m in for a good time.

I smile against Neil’s lips and try to forget about everything else for a while longer.