Page 18 of Risk

Our eyes connect for a moment, and I feel my heart thump in my chest before he says, “Let me just get rid of this.”

He tosses the cloth into the trash can in the room, and then he flicks off the light, climbs onto the bed beside me, pulls me into his arms, and kisses the top of my head.

I rest my head against his hard but surprisingly comfortable chest, and without meaning to, I fall asleep to the sound of Kaden Scott’s heartbeat, feeling happier than I can ever remember feeling.

SIX

Iwake up, lying on my front, face pressed into the pillow. Slowly opening one eye, I squint as the sunlight filters in through the curtains. My body feels deliciously sore in only the way it can when you’ve been thoroughly fucked. And, boy, was I ever.

Fucked.

By Kaden Scott.

Oh my God.

Pressing my face into the pillow, I force away the smile on my face before I turn to look at him. Because I’m really not sure what the morning etiquette is after sleeping with your older brother’s best friend, the guy you’ve been crushing on.

I mean, I really want this to happen again. But not just this. I want to spend time with him. Date, I guess.

Yeah, I want to date him.

But what if he doesn’t want that? Maybe this was just a onetime thing for him.

But he did stay after sex. I hadn’t asked him to do that. He climbed into bed with me and pulled me into his arms, where I fell asleep, and so did he. That has to count for something, right?

I guess the only way to find out is to turn over and face him.

Though he’s probably still asleep. I haven’t felt him move at all.

And if he is? Then, I don’t know…I guess I’ll have to wait for him to wake up.

I turn over and…

The space beside me is empty.

And that happy feeling I woke up with disappears.

Don’t overreact. Maybe he’s in the bathroom.

I reach a hand over, and the space beside me is cold. He’s not been in the bed for long enough that the warmth has disappeared.

Just like the warmth inside of me has gone.

Holding the covers to my chest, I sit up, a sickly feeling washing over me.

Sliding out of bed, taking the covers with me, holding it to my body, I walk around to the end of the bed, where his clothes and shoes were.

And they’re gone.

I flick a glance at the closed bathroom door. It’s too quiet for him to be in there.

But with hope against hope, I go to the bathroom, grab the handle, and push open the door.

Empty.

He’s gone.

He left while I was sleeping.

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