My Stepbrother's Dirty Little Secret novel Chapter 83

"Soft," she whispered, and reached out and grabbed a handful of the sheet, pulling it to her chest, "It smells like you."

I stood over her, my hands on my hips, watching her. She looked so small in the middle of my bed. She was curled up on her side, her knees tucked toward her chest. The bandages on her feet were white against the dark bedding.

I wanted to leave. I wanted to lock the door and sleep on the floor of the garage.

But I couldn't.

I walked over to the window and pulled the heavy curtains shut, blocking out the moonlight.

"Go to sleep, Gianna," I said.

"Stay," she breathed. She didn't open her eyes, but she reached out one hand, her fingers searching the empty air for me, "Stay here with me."

I sat in the armchair in the corner of my room. My body was still humming from the ride, my skin still felt like it was on fire where she had touched me. I reached for my laptop, flipping it open. The glow of the screen hit my face, making me squint in the dark.

"Raphael?" her voice floated from the bed.

"I said, go to sleep, Gianna," I snapped.

I didn't look at her. I started typing, my fingers flying over the keys. If any of the family tech guys looked at the logs tomorrow, they couldn't find a trace of her on my bike.

"Do you think fish get thirsty?" she asked.

I paused, my finger hovering over the 'delete' key. I closed my eyes for a second, letting out a long, tired breath. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

"I mean, they live in water," she murmured. I heard the sheets rustle as she rolled onto her side, "But do they drink it? Or is it like... breathing? If I were a fish, I think I’d want juice. Orange juice."

"You're high as a kite. Shut the hell up and close your eyes," I ordered.

I clicked through the files for the front gate. There. A ten-second clip of my Ducati rolling through. I highlighted the file and hit 'Wipe.' I did the same for the driveway, the private garage, and the back hallway. I scrubbed every frame that showed a hint of her brown hair or her pale legs.

"The stars are loud tonight," she whispered.

"Stars don't make noise, Gianna. They’re giant balls of gas millions of miles away. Go to sleep."

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