Page 23 of North
I rolled my lips between my teeth and bit down hard to stop the moans piling up behind my tongue. I know I shouldn’t have but I pressed against him again. It sent thick waves of pleasure pulsing through me. My thighs throbbed and my skin was dewy with sweat from restraining myself.
You’re so fucking sick, North.
You just came all over your hand while snuggled up against your dear old dad.
I squeezed my eyes shut and pulled my hand from between my legs. It glistened in the moonlight filling the dark room. I was slippery and slick and it was all for Kane. All for a man I couldn’t have. He controlled my body without even knowing.
I had to stop feeding into delusions. Even if those delusions felt good and made me come harder than I ever had in my life. I slid out of Kane’s grasp and crept back to my room.
If I stayed there, shame would keep me awake all night and then I’d wake him up. I couldn’t look at him after what happened. I knew I couldn’t sleep beside him anymore either. If I did, I’d open up a box of worms we both decided to put behind us.
I wasn’t willing to risk the new relationship blooming between us for unrequited…
Love?
Lust?
Whatever the fuck it was, it needed to stay buried.
…
CHAPTER 8
I woke up without North beside me but I knew she wouldn’t come back after the way she bolted from the room last night. I should have said something when I felt her wiggling against me but after a while, it didn’t matter. My dick spoke for me. It said so many things I couldn’t.
It said I was sick and wanted something forbidden. It said North sparked things that should’ve stayed hidden in the dark. It said I still wasn’t over that kiss.
I got out of bed and got ready for work. I figured North was gone for the day and I was right. The house was empty. She seemed to like Telluride and up until last night, things hadn’t been weird between us.
One moment took all the peace and changed it into avoidance. I was certain awkward silence would follow. I hated how unsure I felt.
I made my way to the gallery and found Elijah there changing the window display. “Shit, am I late?” I chuckled.
“Nah. I’m early.” He paused with a string of lights in his hand and glanced at me. I saw questions waiting in his dark brown eyes. I tried to ignore his quizzical stare by busying myself with checking the website and printing shipping labels.
“How’s North after yesterday?”
“She’s fine. Left out of the house before I could talk to her this morning.”
“Ya’ll seem pretty close. I thought you said she hated you.”
“She did when she first got here. A couple of weeks seems to have softened her up. We’ve been talking a lot. Trying to work through some things.”
Elijah nodded his head and went back to hanging the lights framing one of my new pieces. “I noticed she’s not calling you Dad anymore. When did that start?”
“We agreed on it. So much shit has changed in the last year. Her calling me Dad doesn’t feel right anymore. Feels like she’s outgrown it.”
“She’s outgrown it oryou’veoutgrown it?” His back was turned to me so he didn’t see the glare I aimed at him.
“We both have.” I set aside the online orders to be packed and shipped later then moved on to placing an order for new frames.
“Listen, I’m going to be real with you. North was looking at you like you hung the fucking moon yesterday, man. You’re going to have to gently put her in her place before she crosses a line.”
“Before she crosses a line?” I laughed the words out into the air and I knew it seemed like I thought Elijah’s concern was trivial. That wasn’t it. I laughed because he didn’t have to worry about her crossing a line as much as he should’ve worried about me crossing one.
North was quiet and she held everything close to her chest. I, on the other hand, was becoming unhinged after hearing her touch herself last night while I held her. I didn’t know if I could go back to pretending once I smelled her desire in the air. I knew she was soaking wet between her legs and it took every ounce of muscle and restraint I had not to pin her to the bed and lick her slippery fingers clean.
I was supposed to be her guardian. Not a ravenous beast. Not the savage brooding inside telling me to test the waters and see how far I could float.
