Barely Breathing(31)

He shrugged. “I’m single. I don’t have to answer to anyone. Especially not my little sister.”

“Hey, *,” I said, poking him in the chest. “It’s not eight in the morning, it’s almost eleven. You smell like dirty ass and B.O. And where’s your stuff?”

He sighed and shook his head. “Not your concern, Viv.”

“Then I’ll leave and make it Mom’s concern before I’m even out of this building.”

“Jesus,” he muttered. “You’re gonna tell Mom on me? How old are we?”

“You don’t have any idea what you’re playing at.”

“What, Kane? Believe me, I do. That * gave me a bloody nose and a concussion. He almost broke one of my ribs. What the hell was he doing at your place? I can’t even contemplate you’d date him.”

“I can’t even contemplate you thinking that’s what I mean, you dumbass. Drugs, Grayson. You’re using drugs.”

His vacant eyes showed no reaction to my words. “What do you want, Viv?”

“I want you to come to your senses. Look at you. Look at this place. Obviously you sold your stuff to buy drugs.”

He glared at me, eyes narrowed. “I told you, I don’t answer to you or anyone else. Now if you don’t want anything, go away so I can get some sleep.”

Where was my clean-cut workaholic brother? He’d always taken pride in his place and now it looked like he was squatting here.

“This is crazy,” I mumbled.

He put a hand on my shoulder and steered me toward the door.

“Grayson, let me help,” I said as he opened the door.

“I asked for your help and you turned me down.”

“Not money. You need help. Rehab or—”

He put his hands on my back and shoved me so hard I stumbled into the hallway. The door slammed closed before I even had a chance to look up at him.

My hands shook as I buttoned my coat. Grayson had never treated me this way. I was more worried about him than ever, and torn over whether I should alert our parents or let him deal with the consequences of his actions himself.

He was thirty-one years old. I’d offered my help. Now I just had to wait and hope he took me up on the offer before it was too late.



I grabbed my phone and read Kane’s text again. He’d sent it four hours ago and I’d read it at least a dozen times. It still wasn’t old.

Kane: I’ll bring dinner tonight. Dress sexy for me.

Sexy. I’d gone through outfit after outfit trying for the right look. I wasn’t the type to open the door wearing nothing but a bra and panties, because my paranoia about it being one of my neighbors wanting to borrow a cup of sugar was too strong.

Every dress and skirt I’d tried on had been wrong. They reeked of trying too hard. I’d finally settled on dark jeans that fit just right and a silky black top that cut all the way down to the tiny freckle between my breasts. I wore a new lacy black bra and panties that made me feel super sexy. And ballet flats, since I was at home.

My hair was wavy and loose past my shoulders. I’d gone a little darker with my eye makeup. Getting dressed for the night had kept my mind occupied this afternoon when I’d been trying not to worry about Grayson.

The swirl of excitement in my belly wasn’t just from dressing sexy. I was dressed sexy for him. There was no one else in the world who mattered right now. I could put aside everything else and just escape into Kane tonight.

A knock sounded at my door and I dashed off a quick text to Cara as I went to answer it.

Me: He’s here!!! OMG I may finally get some!

I hadn’t slept with a man since before moving to New York, and every time I looked at Kane I grew more acutely aware of the drought.

When I opened the door, his gaze moved down my body, his eyes darkening with raw approval.

“Very nice, Viv,” he said in a low tone as he stepped inside and closed the door.

“Thank you.”

He wore his usual dark jeans, black t-shirt and leather jacket. The savory scents of steak and spices emanated from the paper bag he carried.

“Hungry?” he asked, his eyes fixed on me as he set the bag on a console table.

“Just for you,” I admitted.

The corners of his lips quirked up in a satisfied smile. “For me, huh? What would you like from me?”

“Everything.” The word spilled from my mouth before I even thought about it.

Kane’s dark eyes swirled with something I couldn’t place. He almost looked conflicted. But we were past all that. It had to be something else.

He put a hand on my hip, the warmth of it encircling me in a possessive way that made me shiver slightly. Eyes still locked with mine, he slipped his other hand into the low v of my shirt, his fingertips sliding past the edge of my bra. My lips parted and a small breath escaped me as he cupped my breast and ran his thumb over my nipple until it was hard.

I looked down at the thick erection straining the denim of his jeans. When I wrapped my fingers around it, his strangled groan made me bold.

“This is what I want,” I whispered.

His gaze grew predatory as he put his hands on my upper arms and moved them into the air. He pressed me back against the wall, pinning my wrists above my head with one of his large hands.

He dipped his face against my neck, his lips grazing over my jaw line. I let my head fall back against the wall as his free hand roamed beneath the bottom of my shirt, his touch on my bare skin making me break out in goosebumps.