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19
Who would have thought that a weekend that started with a man bleeding out at my feet would end with the best days of my life? We spent the weekend in the house, just the two of us. Us in the bedroom, us in the living room, us in the kitchen, on the couch, in the shower. Us everywhere. Saturday morning, he prepared me a bath, bubbles and everything, and Sunday night, I poured him a scotch in bed while we were watching Dirty Dancing, which Hugo hated. It felt good; it felt…conjugal.
We did have a long discussion about Gino, and no matter how much I loved my brother – and I did, a lot – I was tired of him getting between Hugo and I. We wouldn’t tell him. We just wouldn’t tell Gino about what was going on between us until he was ready to accept that I was all grown up and able to choose who I loved. And I loved Hugo.
It had to be that simple, right? It had to because life without Hugo was not a damn option.
On Monday, the first day of the holiday break, I woke up alone and stretched like a cat to shake off the soreness from the three rounds of fucking – love making – of last night. After minutes of laying in my bed, preparing myself for a new day of blissful, erotic exploration, I got up and went into the bathroom, only to find a post it on my mirror. The note said simply `hungry` in hectic capital letters, and it made me roll my eyes and frown. I wasn’t expecting a poem or anything, but this man needed to open up, or at least give me more than one word at a time.
Already plotting my revenge, I showered, washed my face and brushed my teeth and went on a hunt for my man with just the towel wrapped around me. I took the stairs so the elevator wouldn’t ruin my surprise and went to the second floor looking for him. The halls were empty, but I heard the sound of dishes clinking on the kitchen counter and smiled, thinking about how he was going to choke on his food when I walked in there and dropped my towel. I stopped for a second behind the double doors of the kitchen and put on a serious face before stepping inside and opening the towel to reveal my naked front.
“Catherinelle, what the hell are you doing?!” The bark made me freeze in my tracks.
My brother – my brother! – looked away from me, frowning straight into the sink drain, and when my brain registered the information that he was really right there, my jaw dropped. I covered myself so tight, I felt like a burrito.
“W-what are you doing home so soon?” I was dizzy from the all the blood that rushed to my cheeks, making me turn into a tomato.
Muse, who was standing next to Gino, came to me in a hurry and handed over her wool cardigan so I would have something more substantial hiding my body. Jesus, this was embarrassing.
“Hello, Cat,” she said with an understanding smile on her face. “We cut the trip a few days short because Gino was called back with business. He was also eager to check on you, but it seems you were having a blast on your own.”
I was. I really, really was before Gino bulldozed in here. I guessed he had every right, since it was his house, but still. There would be no more nights falling asleep in the big arms of my Monster or waking up with him between my legs, making my toes curl. Fucking damn it to hell!
Finally, my brother turned around when he was sure I was tucked away from his view.
“This is what you do when I’m not home, Cat? Dance around naked?”
Actually, no, brother…I’d been riding Hugo naked.
“No! I was just coming down to have some breakfast. Umm…where’s Hugo?”
One of Gino’s eyebrows crooked with suspicion.
“Were you expecting him to be here when you walked in?”
An alarm bell started to ring in my head, reminding me that this wasn’t only my brother I was talking to. He was one of the smartest, most dangerous men on the East Coast. Gino was like a K-9; all he needed was a faint scent to follow, and I’d better not give him one before I was sure he wouldn’t take his gun out and start capping people.
“What are you talking about? I just wanted to know if the Ogre was out now that you are home. Seriously, Gino, I’m getting tired of having the doomed one following me around.”
Muse laughed and gave me a quick hug.
“Looks like nothing changed when we were gone, Gino.”
“I can see. Well, Cat, since school is out for you until after New Year’s, you’ll see a lot less of Hugo.”
The knot formed in my throat so fast it almost chocked me.
“I…you’re releasing him from guard duty?”
Gino chuckled and shook his head.
“Let’s compromise. If you behave for the holidays, I’ll let you off the hook. You’ll still have a guard, but it won’t be Hugo, and they’ll stay a few steps away at all times.” He came and placed a kiss on my forehead. “I’m not a bad man, Cat, not to you. You’re finishing high school; you just want to have a little bit of fun before life starts to happen. I get that, but I still need you to be careful.”
And he picked now to realize that? Now, when I needed him to be the crazy, protective, irrational big brother and put Hugo on my case twenty-four hours a day?
“Ok.” It was all I was able to say.
“No nightclubs, no drugs, no hormonal boys chasing after you. You have to give me your word.”
