Brothers of Paradise Series

I follow him with our glasses in hand. Despite myself, I’m nervous. When we’re just sitting and talking, it’s easy to forget that we’re two adults, a man and a woman, who had sex just a few days ago. It’s easy to slip back into the comfortable role of Hayden and Lily, childhood friends, and abandon the rest.

It’s not so easy when he’s walking in front of me, all shoulders and roughness and thick, silky hair.

Hayden holds the door open for me. “You got it?”

“Yes.”

We end up on the sofa, side by side, in his impeccably decorated living room. There’s nothing overly romantic about the situation-we’re old friends-but my body feels taut with anticipation. I remember the feeling of his mouth on mine, of his body driving into mine just days ago. Something tells me Hayden is remembering the same thing.

He clears his throat. “Do you want to watch something, Lils?”

“On the TV?”

Hayden’s low laugh feels sensual, rippling across my skin. “Yes.”

“Um, yeah. Sure.”

He turns it on and we scroll aimlessly through a streaming service. The room is dark, and it only adds to the hard beat of my heart.

“What do you feel like?”

Like you, I want to answer. I don’t, trying to focus on the options he flits through. Documentaries, movies, TV shows… It’s not long until my gaze snags on an old action film. It’s a classic, one my brothers watched with Hayden before I was allowed to.

I point at it. “Remember?”

“Yes. You made me re-watch it with you later, when your mom told you you could.”

“It was never as good as Henry and Rhys made it out to be.”

“Nothing ever could be. They just wanted to rile you up.”

“Let’s watch it,” I say, grabbing the blanket from off the side of the sofa.

“For old time’s sake?”

“Exactly. Are you cold?” I hold up the edge of the blanket. Hayden looks from it to me, amusement dancing in his eyes.

“Yes,” he says, voice serious. “Very.”

I blush. It’s obvious he isn’t cold, but he still settles close to me, the blanket draped over our legs.

The movie starts and I can barely focus on a word that’s being said. I’m too busy thinking about all the places we’re nearly touching.

“Remember this part?” Hayden says, voice amused. “Parker tried to recreate it for that talent show.”

“Yeah. And he forced Henry to make him a wooden sword.”

“Right.” He shakes his head, his profile achingly handsome. “And he made me fight with him on the lawn. Gave me a bruise too, smacked me right on the wrist.”

“I didn’t know that.”

“Don’t worry,” he says, shooting me a sideways grin. “I smacked him right back.”

I can’t help but smile. “You were thick as thieves.”

“Yeah, we were.” Hayden moves in closer and grabs my ankles, resting by his thigh. He pulls my legs across his lap so I can lie fully stretched out. “Okay like that?”

I nod, unsure of my voice. “Yeah. Thanks.”

Like old times, I feel like saying, the two of us watching something in the basement, hidden under blankets, kissing and stopping as soon as we heard footsteps.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

I try to focus on the movie but his hand on my leg is infuriatingly distracting. He keeps it there, warm and rough, just resting on my calf. His thumb smooths back once, twice, three times…

Heat rises through my body. I want to be closer-I want his hand higher-and my traitorous body is remembering the night in the greenhouse. I didn’t get enough of him then. I don’t think I ever will.

But his hand stays right there, just below my knee, softly stroking my skin.

We watch over half the movie before I gather the courage. It’s Hayden, I tell myself. It’s just Hayden, even if there’s ten years of distance between us. So I sit up.

He looks at me. “Everything all right?”

“Yes. Just switching around.” I grab a pillow and put it squarely on his lap. Then I turn around, lying so my head is there instead. I pull the blanket over me again.

Hayden lets out a dark chuckle. “This is familiar.”

It is, just like the times we pretended to watch a movie just to fool around instead. His hand is resting lightly on my hip, and I lift the blanket to pull his arm tighter around my waist. It’s warm and heavy, lying there, and I let my fingers trail up the muscular forearm.

He sighs, and it sounds like surrender, before he holds me more tightly. His hand is close to the underside of my breast, thumb caressing again through the fabric of my dress.

“Lils…”

“Yes?”

He bends, so close that I can breathe in the scent of him, of man and cologne and warm skin. I want him to kiss me. His dark hair tickles my cheek as his lips brush my ear. “I’m not going to take you to bed tonight.”

“Oh, damn it, Hayden.”

His husky laugh sends shivers down my arms. “Disappointed?”

I turn my face into his chest, hiding my expression. It doesn’t help. His chest is rock hard. I mumble something unintelligible against the warmth. I am disappointed-just a little bit.

“We’re not in a rush.” Hayden’s arm tightens around my waist. His fingers brush the underside of my breast. “I’m going to do this the right way.”

I wiggle closer, wanting to feel his mouth on mine. “We’ve already had sex again.”

“Yes, but that’s not going to happen again for a little while.”

I run my hand up his chest and curve it around his broad neck. “Why? The greenhouse was… explosive.”