Page 39 of Moonlit Temptation

Brothers in all but blood.

Saint had always reminded me of a lion. Not just in the way he prowled when he walked, but in his loyalties. He was a fighter, a protector. A provider.

He was a believer in oaths, and there was an unspoken oath between dudes with younger sisters.

Thou shall not sleep with thy best bro’s sister.

But Saint broke that oath. Betrayed that loyalty.

And now he wouldn’t look at me.

“Yeah, it’s no problem,” Saint said nonchalantly as he gazed out the window. “Seriously, man. Don’t worry about it.”

The room was quiet as Archer talked.

Saint laughed, but I could hear the strain in it. Almost pained. “Trust me, getting laid was the last thing on my mind last night. I got plenty of that on this trip as well.”

Archer was probably apologizing for cockblocking him last night by sticking him with me. And Saint’s answer didn’t do anything to soothe the budding feelings inside me.

Pain. This was painful. Achingly so. We weren’t standing far from each other, but already I saw a chasm expanding between us.

“Yeah, I’ll see you for lunch when I get back.”

They exchanged goodbyes and hung up.

Saint braced his hand with the phone on the window, resting his head on his forearm. I moved toward him, seeing the pinched expression on his face. His thinned lips and tightly shut eyes.

The sight hurt most of all. Did he regret it?

I could handle a night with Saint if that was all life was going to give me, but I couldn’t handle Saint regretting it.

That would be the only thing to make what we did shameful.

“Saint.” I reached out to touch his back when he spun around and grabbed my arms, crashing his lips to mine in a violent need.

Saint hauled me to his chest, not allowing a speck of space between us. It was unlike any other kiss we had exchanged.

This one was almost cruel. Loathing mixed with selfish need. A tangle of bites and teeth and warring tongues.

Almost like he didn’t want to kiss me, but had to…one last time.

I clung to him, giving him everything he hadn’t already taken.

Saint pulled me closer, bringing me to the tips of my toes. His fingers slipped into my hair, tipping my head back for a deeper angle. My toes curled with it. But all too soon he was pulling away, stepping back.

“I have to get back to my hotel room, pack my things before leaving for the airport.”

Distance, more than physical, expanded between us.

“Right.” I crossed my arms to do something with them. “Safe travels.”

In unison, we moved toward the door.

“Thanks.” He fidgeted with his watch. Saint wasn’t one to fidget.

“I’ll see you when I get back to the States?” I meant it as a throwaway statement, something to fill the dead air between us, but it came out as an insecure question. I wanted to crawl into myself.

Saint stopped walking, sparing me a glance before playing with his cufflinks. “Of course.”

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