Page 18 of The Cabin-A Reverse Harem Romance
Elise stepped back from Chase and wiped her eyes. She turned to me, and there was a small smile that touched the corners of her mouth.
“Thank you,” she said.
“No need to thank us,” I said. “We’d do anything for you, you should know that by now.”
Her eyes widened slightly, and her mouth opened but no sound came out. She was surprised by my admission. Not that she should have been. We’d proven that we would be there for her over and over again, but we’d never put it into words. We were family, and yet at the same time, we were much more.
Finally, when she spoke, she said, “I know Aaron asked you guys to take care of me, but –”
“It’s not about Aaron. Not fully,” I said.
Elise reached out and gently put her hand on me, smoothing my shirt down over my chest. Just that slightest touch sent shockwaves through my body, and very nearly stole my breath away. It felt like a grenade had one off inside of me, and I stared down at her small, manicured hand as it moved over my shirt. It was such a simple gesture, but it meant so much to me. I wondered if it meant as much to her, or if it was just an empty gesture that meant nothing.
I met her gaze again, and there was something in those eyes. She licked her lips, and it took everything in me not to close the distance and kiss her. Had Chase not been standing there, I might have done it. It wasn’t right, but it was what I wanted – and for the first time, a very surprised part of me suspected she’d wanted it too.
“We should all get to bed,” Chase said. His voice told me he had picked up on the heat between us.
“Yes, we should,” I said, moving my gaze away from Elise.
It was hard to take my eyes off of her, but I had to do it. I couldn’t think about her like that. None of us could. She was Aaron’s little sister for God’s sake.
Elise sat down at the foot of the bed, then crawled into the middle of it. She wrapped herself in the down comforter and nearly disappeared. The way she was wrapped up, left only hear head sticking out of it. She was so small and child-like in that moment, and I kicked myself for having had the impure thoughts I’d had about her in the first place. Chase walked over to the right side of the bed and laid down, not going under the covers himself. I took the left side and did the same. It felt less intimate this way. We might be cold for the next few hours, but it felt right. Elise looked up at Chase and smiled.
“I won’t bite, you know,” she said.
“What do you mean?” he asked.
“Meaning you can lay closer. It might be nice, actually. Warmer too.”
Chase looked at me, and I shrugged. She was asking us to get closer to her. Elise wiggled her butt, which rubbed against my leg, setting off a nuclear blast of lust and desire within me.
“Come on, Nolan. After everything I’ve been through, I really just need to be held,” she said. “I think I earned it.”
She was laughing, and playing it off like a joke, but there was a glint in her eyes and a pleading in her voice that couldn’t be missed – and I couldn’t deny it. I wanted to touch her. I so desperately wanted to feel her body against me, that I scooted closer to her, spooning against her. I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her tighter to me. It was a little stiff and awkward at first, but then it felt natural. She relaxed into me with a sigh.
Chase was still on the far end of the bed.
“Come closer,” she said.
She reached out and pulled on his shirt. Chase no longer hesitated, closing the distance between them, and wrapped himself around the front of her. He held onto her, as did I. It was a little awkward at first, and none of us said anything for a while. The blood rushed through my body, heading straight down to my groin, and I shifted uncomfortably, hoping she didn’t feel the erection growing in my pants. Elise moved with me, pressing herself right back against me. I groaned, softly, at the feel of her ass rubbing my erection.
If she’d noticed, she had the decency and good graces not say anything about it. Chase, on the other hand, gave me the stink eye over the top of Elise’s head. He’d heard me. He must have known what happened, or at least suspected it. Not that I could help it. My body reacted to hers, and I had no control over it. It was a natural, goddamn, physical reaction.
