Page 57 of Wicked Duty
“I’ll go then.” I start to rise, but her words stop me again.
“No, I want you here.” Lucy’s eyes round, like she’s surprised herself. “No. That’s not…what I mean is…” She covers her face with a hand. “Sorry.”
“I thought I told you not to apologize to me.” The words come out too harsh. Fuck. I’m not angry with her. I’m just frustrated because I don’t know how to help. With no control over the situation, I feel powerless.
“I’m not used to anybody being…in my room with me at night.” Her soft voice trails off, an embarrassed glow adding color to her face. “That’s all I meant.”
“No sleepovers, huh?”
She shudders. “Don’t even joke about that.”
“Joke about what?”
“Never mind.” Her gaze drifts around the bedroom. Suddenly, she’s interested in everything except me.
In any other situation, the slight pout on her face would draw a laugh from me. Her expression reminds me so much of Deirdre. My sister used to be afraid of thunderstorms, but she’d never admit it. Even when she was terrified and wanted me tostay with her until she fell asleep, pride kept her from confessing her fears.
The warm nostalgia dripping through me vanishes when Lucy kicks off the covers, revealing her bare legs. I avert my gaze and redirect the errant path of my thoughts. “Well, if you can’t fall asleep on your own, do you want me to help you?”
Lucy’s eyes snap to mine. “Help me what?”
“Fall asleep.”
“How?”
I only know of one way to help someone sleepless get some rest. Okay, two, but I doubt Lucy will agree to me giving her an orgasm as a method of sleep induction.
She chooses that moment to nibble her lower lip, triggering memories of our kiss. Of how I nipped that enticing lip with my own teeth. I shift my weight, trying to prevent my dick from continuing to rise. Bad idea, picturing Lucy in the throes of pleasure. Time to shift gears.
What was I thinking about? Right. My sister and her sleep issues. This “other” method worked on my sister and me, so maybe it’ll work for Lucy too. But it would require her to trust me in an entirely new way.
Fuck it. “If you lay your head in my lap, I’ll rub your back and neck. Used to put my little sister to sleep in a matter of minutes.”
Her eyes round again. With the shadows from the lamp, I can’t quite discern her expression. I hope it’s not disgust.
She swallows. “Move over.”
A tight little ball forms somewhere behind my ribs.
How does she have that effect on me?
I scoot to my right, relaxing against the headboard.
After a moment or two of cautious maneuvering, Lucy lowers herself back down on the bed, using my left quad as a pillow.
The weight of her head, the intimacy of this instant, warms me from the inside out.
While I don’t regret this bright idea of mine, I’m terrified of how this one simple act of trust shudders through my entire being.
Such a simple gesture shouldn’t feel so monumental.
With Lucy’s neck curved around my thigh, it takes a huge amount of self-control not to bury my hand in her soft, purple-streaked hair. With my heart thundering, I mold my palm to her back and start rubbing in small, gentle circles.
This triggers memories. Like I told Lucy, I did this with Deirdre all the time when we were young. As her older brother, I was the brave one who calmed her after a bad dream. Our rooms were at the same end of the hall, opposite one another.
Start at the shoulders. Travel down either side of the spine. Slow motions. Nothing rushed. Just calming, repetitive, hypnotic motions.
At first, tension holds Lucy rigid against my leg. But soon enough, her muscles relax beneath my palm, my soothing movements leaving her pliant.
