Page 42 of Falling For My Best Friend's Brother

It was exhilarating and crazy and entirely stupid of me. The worst part? I’d begun to wonder if he was falling for me, too. Which was even more stupid because I knew that never in a million years would that happen.

Knox had made it extra clear that his interest in me was only sexual. And as much as I hated to admit it, it made sense. He was an attractive man. I was a beautiful woman, and we were living together. With our hormones and desires clashing, something was bound to give.

The knowledge did not stop me from hoping, though. When we lay in bed at night and he whispered sweet nothings in my ear, I wished deep down that he meant them. When he held me as though I was a thousand-year-old, shiny artifact worth billions of dollars, I wished to God that he actually saw me as something other than a piece of ass to sink his dick into.

And then there was Lindsay.

I knew my best friend wanted the best for me, but at the end of the day, Knox was her brother. And I was an ambitionless, messy girl from a rich home. It went without saying that she would never be okay with it. Even I wouldn’t want my brother to date me.

Plus, our friendship meant too much to me to lose it over some intense crush on a man, no matter who he was.

I was fighting a losing battle.

The next morning when I opened my eyes, Knox was sitting on the edge of his bed, staring at me. There was a soft smile on his face and a quick glance down his frame told me he was already dressed for work. Crisp sky-blue shirt and black slacks. His suitcase was on the floor next to his leg.

“Good morning, princess,” he said, still smiling.

I sat upright, stretching to fight the blush that was slowly creeping up my neck. As much as I liked it when Knox looked at me, it was still unsettling sometimes.

“Good morning, you. It’s always nice as a woman to wake up to see some creep staring at you while you sleep.”

He chortled, reaching for me—a kiss on my forehead and on my lips. “How can I not stare? You’re gorgeous even with drool dripping down your face.”

Alright. The blush wins. Damn it.

“Ready for work?” I asked, gesturing to his suitcase.

He nodded. “Do you want to have breakfast together? I made toast.”

A smile almost split my lips in two. “Yay!”

Jumping off his body, I bolted for the door, pushing past it and running to the kitchen. The smell of toast and scrambled eggs filled the air. My stomach grumbled. This was the best thing about having a roommate who knew their way around a kitchen—good food all day long.

“Jesus,” Knox commented once he stepped into the kitchen. “One would think you haven't eaten in two years.”

I shrugged. “It’s toast thatyoumade. I’m allowed to be happy.” Settling on a barstool, I waited for him to sit next to me.

He grabbed one plate—oh, this was another one of our routines, eating together. The food didn’t quite taste as good unless I was eating from Knox’s plate. He dished a mountain of toasted bread on it, then added a heap of scrambled eggs and five strips of bacon.

He pushed the plate in front of me along with a cup of steaming hot coffee and I think I fell in love a little. Knox might appear strict and mean, but he was an actual sweetheart. And he took great care of me.

“Thank you,” I said, helping myself to a slice of toast. “Although, this isn’t ideal if you think about it.Ishould be the one makingyoubreakfast. You have more important things to worry about.”

He chuckled, drinking his coffee. “Staying alive is one of them.”

Slapping his shoulder gently, I tried to look hurt, but my lips wouldn’t stop smiling. “I’ll have you know that—”

“It’s the thought that counts, yes. But that won’t matter if I’m no longer in the land of the living.”

“You’re so mean to me.” I was laughing so loudly, and it took me a second to recover, grinning from ear-to-ear. “Hey, didn’t I make you pasta the other day? You said it was good.”

He shook his head, biting into a crisp slice of bread. “No, I said it was edible.”

“What’s the difference?” I asked, then held up a hand abruptly. “Never mind. Don’t answer that.”

Knox burst out laughing, and I couldn’t help thinking that I wouldn’t mind doing this. Being here with him like this for the rest of my life. Waiting for him to go to work every day, and then anticipating his return at night. I was going off the deep end.

“What’s the plan for today?” Knox asked after his chuckling subsided. “More painting?”

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