I slowly reached for it and looked at the caller ID.
I released the breath I had been holding as I read the name.
It wasn’t Wyatt.
It was my dad.
I answered, “Hey Dad, what’s wrong?”
It was minutes to midnight. He wouldn’t have called so late unless something was wrong.
“Hi honey, I’m sorry to call so late but I just had to talk to someone. I just had a big blow out with Joe and he ran out. I’m worried about your brother. He has been hanging with bad crowd lately and he gets testy every time I try to talk to him about it. I’m just worried he will end up in trouble.”
I bit back a sigh.
My parents adopted a very overprotective style of parenting and Joe hadn’t been reacting to the helicopter parenting well lately. He was a young man starting to form his own opinions about the world and their attempts to figuratively keep him protected in bubble wrap was causing tension.
They had had several blow ups as of late and if Dad didn’t let up, it wouldn’t get better any time soon.
Dad was most likely worried for nothing. Joe had a good head on his shoulders and wasn’t easily swayed by others. Still, I told my father what he needed to hear.
“I’ll talk to him, Dad.”
He made a sound of relief and replied, “Thanks, sweetie. If anyone can get through to him it is you.”
***
That next morning, Joe and I were seated at Angie’s Bakery having scones. I had kept my promise to my father, I’d check in. We’d eat some delicious baked goods and Joe would tell me he was fine and then we could all move on. I was sure of it.
Except when I arrived, it looked like Dad had been a least a little bit right. I noticed how tired Joe looked. Haggard even.
Finally, Joe broke our carb induced silence.
“Let me guess? Dad asked you to speak to me.”
Looking even closer, I saw that he had lost some weight and his movements were a little nervous in nature.
I frowned. Dad may be right to worry this time.
“He is just worried about you, you know,” I said.
Joe made an exasperated sound and put his scone down as if it suddenly left a bad taste in his mouth.
“God, not you too,” he groaned.
“Why are you being so defensive?” I asked him. “I just want to know how my little brother is doing. Why is that wrong?”
“I do not need you to look out for me. I’m a big boy,” he replied.
“You’re never going to be too old for me to look out for you. I’m your big sister. It’s what big sisters do.”
I reached out and took a hold of his hand. “You would come to me if something was wrong, right? You can trust me with whatever.”
I was suddenly worried that I had been so wrapped up in my own life that I had been neglecting on my older sis duties. My family may have their annoying moments but I loved them with all my heart and would do anything for them.
Joe rolled his eyes like I was being dumb, pulling his hand away. “Of course I know that.”
“Then talk to me,” I said and I remembered someone else besieging me in a similar way not too long ago.
I pushed that thought back.
“There is nothing to talk about,” Joe said and that response sounded hauntingly familiar too. “I have everything under control.”
Joe wiped his hand on a napkin, most of his scone left untouched.
His last statement didn’t sit well with me and I opened my mouth to grill him more but he beat me to the punch. He stood, towering over me. I stood as well.
“Look, I have some place I need to be. See you later, sis,” he said.
Although he leaned over to kiss my cheek, our meeting ended far from satisfactory.
I watched him leave the bakery and hated to agree with my father by my brother was definitely hiding something.
I was going to find out what.
I grabbed my book bag and headed back to campus. I still had one more class for the day before I had to pick up Noah from daycare.
As I drove, I was plotting how I would uncover what was up with my little brother.
Chapter Thirteen: Hailey
I kept hitting a road block in trying to get my brother to confide in me.
A week had passed since meeting up with Joe at the bakery. And I was no closer to finding out what he was hiding now than I was then. In fact, I felt like I had taken several steps back on that front.
He had started avoiding my calls and another one on one talk had resulted in him clamming up on me and walking off angry.
I swallowed a sigh as I walked the hallway of the campus, heading for the organic chem lab. I needed to fit in some studying before I had to pick up Noah in a few hours. I was behind on the material with dealing with my family drama.
The lab was usually empty around this time and I wanted to take advantage of the quiet space.
My mind was on my brother and I wasn’t really seeing where I was going, my body moving on autopilot when I stepped into the lab.
I abruptly stopped as I noticed that I wasn’t only one who thought to use the empty lab to study.
Wyatt was seated in his usual seat, his head bent over an open text book and headphones plugged into his ears.
My eyes couldn’t help trailing over him in appreciation of his own unique brand of male perfection. Shit, why did he do these things to me?
His hair was mussed as if he had dragged his fingers through it a few times. It was getting longer as the days passed and falling over his brow. My fingers itched to push it back.
He wore a simple tee shirt and full-length cargo pants over brown boots. The fabric clung to his hard body. The muscles his arms looked like one good flex would tear the clothes off him.
Yum, came the unbridled thought even as I fought to control my hormones.
He had respected my wish to keep things plutonic between us. Apart from a few teasing comments that were rather tame for him, he had made no moves toward me. We still sat next to each other for bio labs but he kept his attention on the lecturer during those times and left with an impersonal smile and goodbye after the professor dismissed us.
We were just as I demanded – classmates and nothing more.
I couldn’t explain why the fact left me feeling annoyed when I should be ecstatic. He listened to me, he never fucking listened to me. Why now?
Yet…
Yet my heart was silently asking that he ignore my words.
I should not be here with him. Alone.
I had a feeling I would do something stupid if he even just looked my way.
He looked up just as I was about to turn and leave. Of course.
For a moment, we just looked at each other. So much was said with that lingering look yet nothing at all.
He pulled the wires away from his ears and the movement mesmerized me. I watched his big hands and remembered the pleasure they could inflict.
“Don’t leave,” he said eventually and even though I knew I should, I found myself stepping deeper into the room.
I settled next to him without a word and pulled out my books. He turned his attention back to his books but left the headphones off.
We were quiet for a time, each of us looking down into our books. There was only the sound of a ticking clock and paper being turned.
My cell phone beeped. With a few swipes of my finger, I unlocked it and saw a text from my dad, telling me Joe had skipped school today day. Again.
He was thinking we needed to have an intervention as a family.
I frowned, thinking that would only push Joe further away.
“What’s the matter?” Wyatt asked, pulling my attention toward him.
He was watching me, concern marring his forehead.
“What do you mean? Everything is fine,” I said, trying to downplay the whole situation. He didn’t need to hear about my family drama.
“Something’s bothering you. I can tell. What’s up?”
I hesitated. I did want to talk to him about it but it felt wrong after I had been so harsh with him over the last two weeks.
He was being kind when I had turned away from him.
“Come on, Hailey. You can trust me. I just want to help.”
He leaned closer as he said this, his focus now centered on me and the scent of his cologne wrapping me in a little cloud that excluded me from the rest of the world. He did just want to help. I could tell by the earnest look in his eyes and I couldn’t deny him.
“Joe is in some kind of trouble. I have no idea what it might be and it’s driving me up the wall,” I confided.
I went on to tell him about the call from father, my subsequent meeting with Joe and my suspicions.
“I have no idea what I should do to help him, especially since I don’t even know what the hell is going on,” I ended, frustrated.
Wyatt had a thoughtful look then said, “It will be okay. Your brother has always had a good head on his shoulders, even as a kid. Sometimes guys just need time to figure out stuff on their own. Just remind him that you’re there for him and I’m sure it will all work out.”
He cupped my cheek as he said this and I found myself leaning into that touch.
“You really think so?” I asked, eyes clinging to his.
He gave me a little smile.
“I know so,” he said. “Come here.”
He pulled me into his arms for a hug. It wasn’t sexual but a gesture of caring, comfort and understanding.
I closed my eyes and savored the connection. It had been so long since I allowed myself to lean on someone else like this. With the simple hold, he made me feel secure. Safe and protected.
I didn’t want that feeling to ever go away.
He was the first to pull away. My eyes fluttered open to find his face close to mine.
He was going to kiss me.
I knew it and didn’t do anything to stop it.
Sparks flew when our lips touched and ignited into a full-blown fire by the time we separated.
We were both breathing hard. My chest touched his, hard nipples pressing into him, betraying my wants.
“I know you want me to stay away and I promise that I have tried. I just can’t, Hailey. I am addicted to you and I don’t think that will ever change,” he whispered against my lips. “I don’t want it to.”
I didn’t say anything. I just pushed my chair back. I saw the disappointment in his gaze as I got up.
I went to the entrance of the lab but instead of leaving, I pulled the door closed. I turned the lock and turned off the light switch.
Only the small florescent lights above the lecturer’s desk provided dim illumination.
Wyatt was watching me when I turned back to him, a guarded look in his eyes.
I walked back to where he sat, stopping only when our knees touched. That guarded look turned heated as he watched me as I pulled my top over my head. I removed my bra and shimmied out of my skirt to leave me in only a pair of panties that didn’t shield much.
“What are you doing?” he asked after watching my little striptease.
“Seducing you,” I answered.
“Yeah?” he asked.
“Yeah,” I returned.
“And are you going to run away from me after this seduction is over?”
He watched my face as he asked this.
“I don’t know,” I told him honestly.
He nodded then said, “I hope you don’t.”
I took his hand and pulled him to his feet. I undressed him and he let me, watching me with the same heat that made my skin feel fevered.
When I was done, I pushed him back into his seat. I made space for myself between his knees then knelt there.
He was so hard it felt like I hard to force the length away from his skin.
He hissed when I gripped the jutting tool, eyes closing briefly before shining on me again. He was too thick to wrap my fingers around fully. His hips jerked, coming off the chair before settling back down.
He looked down at me with desire-laden eyes. He demanded nothing, only watching to see what I would do next.
I nuzzled him. He smelled warm, musky and clean. Then I licked a path from the root of him to the tip. I moaned softly at the hot, slightly salty taste of him. I licked my lips and made a sound of appreciation at the taste of him there. I went back to him eagerly and closed my lips around his head. I was looking up at him and saw his pupils dilate as his thighs tensed under my actions.
His fingers tangled in my hair and he bucked into my mouth, force feeding himself into my throat.
I gagged, an automatic reaction and he immediately subdued his motions.
“Fuck, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to lose control like that.”
I pulled away and holding his gaze, I told him, “Take what you need, Wyatt. I can handle it.”
With my permission, he slid deep inside and together we built a rhythm that made him shudder. I remembered how he liked to be pleasured and pulled out all the stops. My muscles adjusted to the invasion after being so long unused and he slid neatly into my throat with every upward push of his hips.
He reacted to my every action, his control in pieces. Knowing I did this him gave me a heady feeling of power that shot straight to the center of me. Wetness made between my legs slippery and I could feel the lips guarding my center rub against each other as I squirmed with the sweet agony.
“Stop, baby, please. I don’t want to come this way. I want inside you. Please, Hailey.”
With the taste of him thick on my tongue, I got up and got into his lap. My thighs were on either side of his, feet on the floor. Cupping his face in mine, I got close until only a whisper of air separated our lips.
“Make love to me. Please,” I pleaded, my heart close to the surface and my lips sharing more than I meant to say.
All that was supposed to exist between us was sex. Nothing more. Nothing less.
This time though, I wanted the physical connection to be more than that. I needed him emotionally, I was finally ready to admit it out loud.
He let out a harsh breath and looking into his eyes was like watching walls drop. It was like looking into my own soul and I knew I had been so stupid I running away from him before.
“You have no idea how bad I want to love you,” he said.
He reached down between us and took his cock. He positioned it so that his cap was lined with my center. I let my weight settle on him and gravity took care of the rest.
“Ohhh,” I moaned as I slid down on him.
How could I have thought that I could live without this? Without him?
He conquered every part of me as we became joined as intimately as two people could be joined. Every nerve ending in my body became stimulated and burned for him. I was stuffed to bursting with him and it was the most delicious pain.
“Damn, you’re tight,” he groaned.
I bounced on him, my motions growing increasingly fast and hard in no time. He aided me with his hands on my ass and his hips meeting mine halfway. He leaned down to capture my nipple in his mouth.
One hand snaked between us and stroked my clit.
Breathy cries and pleading filled the air to mix with the slap, slap, slap rapid, wet sound of our lust.
“Fuck I’m going to come,” I whispered.
I was still coming when he stood. In the next moment, my back was on the desk and he drilled into my still spasming core.
His jerky, erratic movements signaled his imminent release and in the next second he pulled out of me. With a few strong tugs of his hand, he spurted his release onto my stomach.
He lifted me off the desk a few minutes later and sat me back in his lap. Sweaty and exhausted, I lingered in his arms.
He kissed my forehead and I allowed my heart to hope that maybe there could be more between us.
Then my brain reminded me that when he found out my secret, he would likely want nothing to do with me.
I wou
ld have to tell him soon though and deal with the consequences of my dangerous choice.
Still, I stayed in his arms, having no other place I would rather be in that moment.
Chapter Fourteen: Hailey
The next day I received another phone call from my father.
He was panicked and I barely understood what he was saying but when I did, I felt my face lose color and my heart began to beat with dismay.
Joe was missing… And he was wanted by the police for questioning in connection to drug case that was currently under investigation.
What. The. Fuck.
I had just arrived on the college campus when I got the call. I had been sitting in my car, prepared to walk Noah across to daycare and head to biology lab where I would see Wyatt.
I had been on cloud nine too. Wyatt and I had separated on a high note yesterday and even though I knew the news I would reveal to him would be hard to swallow, I had convinced myself I was blowing the fallout out of proportion in my head while I laid in bed last night.
I knew he had feelings for me. It was there in his touch. In the way he looked at me. In the way he said my name.
How deep those feelings were I didn’t know yet, but I had hope that we could bury the mistakes of the past and build better, happier future.
I was nervous but I was also hopeful. It was a weird jumbled up feeling.
I had made up my mind to tell him today and have faith that it would turn out for the best.
My little bubble of sunshine burst with that call from my dad. Telling Wyatt the secret I kept from him was now the last thing on my mind.
I listened Dad as he explained that he and mom were currently at Joe’s school helping the police in locating him.
“I’ll be right there,” I promised him and hung up the phone, throwing it onto the passenger seat.
“What’s wrong, Mommy?” came Noah’s voice from the backseat.
I turned to him, trying to clear the anxiety from my expression.
“Nothing, honey. Let’s get you to daycare,” I answered him with a false bright smile and overly cheerful tone.
He gave me a skeptical look and looked like he was going to question me further but I distracted him by mentioning the new students that would be welcomed into his class today.
Twins Make Four: A Mistaken Identity Secret Baby Romance Page 50