Her Brother's Stolen Kiss

Bored out of my mind at home, I texted my bestie. "Tell your brother you're coming over to keep me company tonight?" Half an hour later, as the door pushed open, my breath caught in my throat.

I stared at the towering man who practically filled the entire doorframe, radiating an aggressive, raw masculinity.

He took a highly oppressive step forward, backing me into the shadows of the entryway.

His low, gravelly voice brushed against the shell of my ear. "When did you find out?" I blinked. "Huh?" He held my gaze. "When did you find out I have a thing for you?" Chapter 1 My parents went on vacation, leaving me home alone.

After rotting in bed for days, I was losing my mind from the boredom. I scrolled through my feed and noticed my best friend, Lexi, was back in the city.

I texted her immediately. "You're back in New York?" The moment she confirmed it, I bolted upright in bed like a resurrected corpse.

My thumbs flew across the screen. "Tell your brother and come sleep over tonight!" Lexi's older brother, Silas, was two years older than us.

But he policed her life harder than their parents ever did, forbidding her from sleeping over anywhere. I still remember the night we finished our finals.

I had sneaked Lexi out to an allnight karaoke joint, and halfway through our set, her brother showed up. Tall, built like a tank, and radiating big SWATteam energy.

He just gave me one light glance, and it nearly scared the life out of me. But I had been rotting alone in this house for ten days. I was going insane.

On my screen, the typing… bubble flashed on and off. Finally, a message popped up.

Lexi: "I don't know… is that really a good idea?" I sighed and went into full persuasion mode. "I know he's tough to deal with, but just talk to him.

He'll cave." "It's just one night. He can't be that much of a control freak.

I'm so incredibly lonely and cold over here…" Between my relentless nagging and pathetic begging, Lexi finally cracked. "Fine, let me go talk to him?" Me: "Go! Go!

Go!" I messed around on my phone while I waited. About twenty minutes later, she replied. Lexi: "He said yes." A whole twenty minutes.

Talking Silas into anything was a literal extreme sport.

I rubbed my hands together like a villain. "When are you getting here?" Lexi: "About half an hour." A second later, she sent another text. "Are you really this excited?" I didn't hesitate. "Duh!

I'm thrilled to death!" Lexi: "…I honestly couldn't tell before." Was she seriously doubting our rideordie bond?

I was just about to type out a fierce condemnation when she texted that her battery was dying and she needed to charge it.

Tossing my phone on the mattress, I got up, did a quick sweep of the living room, and even threw a fresh set of sheets and a duvet cover on my bed.

Tonight, I got to cuddle my soft, sweet bestie to sleep. Hell yeah. Dingdong— Dingdong— The doorbell cut through the sound of the TV.

I chucked the remote onto the couch and sprinted for the entryway.

Without a second of hesitation, I yanked the door wide open. "Lexi, I missed you so f—" The words died in my throat.

My smile froze in place, my teeth still bared in a grin I forgot how to reel back in. I stared blankly at the towering man standing on my porch.

He wore a tight black tactical jacket, his broad shoulders and the faint, hard outline of his pecs stretching the fabric taut.

His sharp, predatory eyes and rigid sixfoottwo frame radiated an alpha dominance that was impossible to ignore.

I took an involuntary step back, my voice coming out in a confused squeak. "SSilas?" Chapter 2 My brain went into overdrive. What the hell was he doing here?

Did he seriously not trust Lexi to make the trip alone, so he had to personally escort her? I instinctively craned my neck to peer around his massive frame. Where was she?

Hiding in the bushes? The porch was empty. Silas stared down at me. I stared up at him. The massive height difference suddenly made the air feel painfully thick.

I forced a stiff, awkward smile. "Silas. Hey.

What brings you over?" He studied me for a long beat, then lazily leaned against the doorjamb, popping a single brow. "Didn't you tell Lexi you were incredibly lonely and cold, and that you wanted me to come keep you company?" I froze.

A literal nuke went off inside my skull, obliterating my last two remaining brain cells. I forgot how to breathe, let alone form a coherent sentence. Bzzzt. Bzzzt.

My phone vibrated in my palm. My fingers actually trembled as I swiped the screen open. Lexi: "My brother should be there by now, right? Piper, is he there?" Slam.

I kept my face blank as I shoved the door shut right in his face. I stood there, staring at the wood, letting the silence ring for three agonizing seconds. And then, it clicked.

I knew exactly what happened. What the actual hell was going through Lexi's wildly delusional brain? I asked her to come over, and she translated that to… what, exactly?

I knew she was scatterbrained, but this was a whole new level of unhinged. But the one thing I couldn't wrap my head around?

Why would Silas ever agree to such a wildly absurd request?

Taking a deep breath to steady my racing pulse, I cracked the door open again, fully prepared to explain the massive misunderstanding and send this intimidating god of war packing.

But the door didn't swing open. Silas's massive palm flatout shoved against the wood, the thick veins in his heavily muscled forearm popping from the sheer force.

He casually used his thumb to wipe away a stark streak of blood from his sharp jawline.

His pitchblack eyes locked onto mine. "Trying to murder your future husband?" My stomach dropped as realization hit, and my entire body locked up. Did… did I do that with the door?

I immediately stepped aside, clearing the way. "Silas, get inside and wash that off." "I am so, so sorry.

I just remembered I didn't tidy up, and I panicked when I slammed it." While Silas was in the bathroom, I collapsed onto the couch, staring blankly at the wall.

That little bloodspattering incident wiped my carefully prepared explanation right out of my head. The sound of running water echoed from down the hall, cutting off a minute later.

I turned my head just as Silas stepped out of the bathroom, and my brain shortcircuited. He walked out shirtless.

Beads of water clung to the sharply defined ridges of his eightpack and the deep V of his Apollo's belt, sliding down the tight, fluid lines of his muscles before disappearing into the dangerously lowhanging waistband of his sweatpants.

His brutally powerful physique radiated the raw, steaming heat of a fresh shower, delivering a visual assault.

Staring directly at that much unapologetic, hard muscle, a blistering heat rushed straight to my cheeks. Fine. I admit it. I was a little bit distracted.

In the span of a few seconds, I had once again forgotten every single word I was supposed to say. Silas dropped onto the armchair opposite me, unfazed.

He swiped a stray drop of water from his face and locked his gaze on me. His jaw parted like he was about to speak, but for the first time ever, he actually seemed to hesitate.

Watching this towering, lethal man suddenly look conflicted, my curiosity spiked. "Silas?

What is it?" He went quiet for a beat, his thick lashes lowering slightly as he broke eye contact. "Nothing major.

Just wanted to ask you one thing." My stomach tied itself into a vicious knot.

If he asked me why I specifically requested him to come keep me company, how the hell was I supposed to explain that? Throw Lexi under the bus?

That felt like a massive betrayal to the girl code. I dug my fingernails into my palms and braced myself. "Shoot." Chapter 3 He didn't answer right away.

A few agonizing seconds ticked by before his dark eyes flicked up to meet mine. "When did you find out?" I let out a brilliant, articulate, "Huh?" He held my gaze deadon. "When did you figure out I have a thing for you?" I stared at him, my brain turning into absolute mush.

Who liked who? Why couldn't I process basic English anymore? Silas watched me for a few seconds before standing up.

As he walked past, his large hand reached out and roughly ruffled my hair. "You really are exactly like Lexi said.

Too easy to tease." He walked away so fast I couldn't even catch the expression on his face. But that wasn't the point.

The point was, underneath that terrifying SWATteam exterior, Silas was an absolute menace!

By the time Silas came back from taking a call out on the balcony, I had already rolled myself up in a fleece blanket like a human burrito, lying stiff as a board on the couch.

I had made up my mind. Rather than confessing the truth and making all three of us die of awkwardness, I was just going to ride this massive misunderstanding out.

Silas stopped by the couch, looking down at me. "You…" I stuck a finger out of my blanket cocoon and pointed toward the hallway. "Silas, you're sleeping in that room tonight." Silas went dead silent.

A muscle feathered along his sharp jawline. A moment later, he stepped right up to the edge of the couch. "Go sleep in your bed.

I'll take the couch." I aggressively shook my head. "No, no, it's fine.

I like the couch." Silas sighed. "You should just—" I cut him off, shaking my head so hard I got dizzy. "It's decided! Glad we had this talk." Silas stared down at me.

I squeezed my eyes shut and played dead.

I heard his low voice rumble through the quiet room. "You're really not getting up?" I shook my head, keeping my eyes clamped tight. "Nope." The second the word left my mouth, a massive shadow fell over me.

Silas's thick, corded arms effortlessly scooped me up into the air, blanket and all.

I crashed instantly against the rockhard wall of his chest, my senses hijacked by the aggressive, intoxicating scent of fresh body wash mixed with pure, raw masculinity.

My eyes flew open in pure panic. Silas carried me into my bedroom, his face blank, and deposited me firmly in the center of the mattress. "Your mattress is too soft.

I'm not used to it," he stated flatly. I buried my face deep into the blanket, leaving only my eyes peeking out to stare at him.

There was zero chance I was letting him see the aggressive blush setting my face on fire. It was way too humiliating. Silas took a few steps toward the hall, then stopped.

He leaned his massive frame against the doorjamb. "I can only stay the night.

I have to report back to the firehouse first thing in the morning." He was a firefighter, on a rare twoday leave.

The sudden realization that I was eating up his precious time off hit me with a massive wave of guilt. I nodded furiously from inside my cocoon.

He watched me for a second. "You can have Lexi come keep you company tomorrow." My eyes lit up at the suggestion.

Silas reached over, flicked off the light switch, and pulled the door shut behind him.

Right before the latch clicked, I caught the faintest, gravelly whisper. "Goodnight." The room plunged into darkness. The air suddenly felt painfully quiet.

I shoved the blanket off my face and let out a long, shaky breath. Silas was acting weird today. Dangerously weird.

But somewhere deep down, I couldn't shake the feeling that maybe… I was acting a little weird today, too. … By the time I dragged myself out of bed the next morning, Silas was already gone.

The blanket on the couch was folded into perfect, militarystyle squares, and the living room was spotless. I stared at the breakfast left waiting for me on the dining table.

Was this really how Lexi lived every day? Having a giant, terrifying older brother who doubled as a magical domestic fairy was honestly the best thing ever.

Chapter 4 In the coffee shop, Lexi nearly did a spittake with her latte. "Who?

Did you just say who?" Her eyes went wide as saucers. "My brother has never lifted a finger to do a single chore at home!" I blinked. "You do everything at your house?" Lexi curled her lip. "No, we just clean up our own messes." She thought about it for a second. "Don't stress over it." "He probably just doesn't know you that well, so… okay, honestly, I have no idea what goes on in his head.

He's weird. Just don't overthink it." She reached into her bag and pulled out a small box. "Anyway, look what I brought you!" … Silas was quickly shoved to the back of my mind.

After a full day of retail therapy with Lexi, my soul was healed. That night, she crashed at my place. We sprawled out on my bed, talking about everything under the sun.

From celebrity drama to campus gossip, the vibe was perfect. Out of nowhere, a thought hit me.

I turned to look at her. "Your brother is twentyseven this year, right?" Lexi nodded. "Twentyeight in three months." I frowned slightly. "Has he never brought a girlfriend home?" Lexi gave me a look of pure, unadulterated disgust. "How is a brick wall like him supposed to find a girlfriend?

The only thing he has going for him is that face and body." She paused, slowly turning her head to give me a highly suspicious squint. "Piper.

Please don't tell me you have a crush on him." My stomach did a weird little flip. Before I could even open my mouth, she grabbed my shoulders and shook me. "Piper! Snap out of it!

Silas is as romantic as a cinderblock." "Do not let that face brainwash you!" My brain was rattling against my skull. "I… got it…" I managed to stutter out.

Not long after, Lexi passed out from exhaustion right next to me. I lay there in the dark, staring up at the ceiling, her words echoing in my head. As romantic as a cinderblock?

But tracing back to the very first time I met Silas, I distinctly remembered him not being quite so stiff. Back then, he actually whistled at me… Summer of 2009.

I had just started high school and met Lexi. Our personalities clicked instantly. We never ran out of things to talk about and basically spent every weekend hanging out.

After days of running wild around the city, our luck ran out. A few bleachedblonde punks cornered us in a narrow alley. "Hey, little girls.

You two must be pretty loaded." The lead guy smirked. "Three days in a row, eating out, catching movies." "How about you lend us some cash so we can have some fun, too?" Lexi was terrified.

Her trembling hand immediately went for her purse. I grabbed her arm and yanked her behind me. "Don't.

You pay them once, they'll come back a second time, a third time!" I whispered fiercely. "They won't ever leave you alone!" Seeing his easy payday slipping away, the leader stalked toward us, his face twisting with rage. "What did you just say, you little bitch?" He raised his hand to strike.

I instinctively threw my arms over my head and dropped into a crouch. A sharp, tearing sound ripped through the air right past my ear. A bloodcurdling scream erupted.

The punk dropped to his knees, clutching his wildly bleeding hand. A jagged rock the size of a fist slammed into the concrete right at my feet.

Lexi gasped. "Silas?" I followed her line of sight and spotted a figure perched on top of the brick wall.

He casually tossed another jagged rock in his palm, staring down at the group of thugs.

He tilted his chin up, his face dripping with wild, unapologetic arrogance. "You really have the guts to rob my sister?" Chapter 5 The thugs' faces fell.

They exchanged nervous glances before backing away, grumbling under their breath, "Shit luck. Why did it have to be him?" That was the first time I ever laid eyes on Silas.

Broadshouldered, impossibly long legs, sporting a sharp military buzz cut. His skin was tanned dark from the sun, giving him this rugged, untamed badboy edge.

Silas looked down at me from his perch and let out a sharp, teasing whistle. "What are you staring at?" My pulse jumped, and I immediately snapped my gaze away.

Later, Lexi filled in the blanks. He was the wild, unruly older brother she always complained about.

Only, how did that arrogant, unbridled teenage boy turn into such a rigid brick wall? A question for another day. My thoughts slowly drifted, heavy exhaustion pulling me under.

I rolled over, wrapping my arms around my soft, sweetsmelling bestie, and fell straight to sleep. The next morning, my apartment ceased to exist.

Apparently, the crew renovating the unit downstairs accidentally knocked out a loadbearing wall, turning our entire building into a condemned hazard zone overnight.

When property management knocked on my door, Lexi and I had just woken up. We stood there with bedhead, staring at the guy in blank shock.

It took me a full minute to find my voice. "So, my apartment is unlivable now?" The guy gave an awkward nod.

I stared at him. "Which street corner do you recommend I sleep on tonight?" The guy went dead silent.

I called my parents, then spent the rest of the day following the other tenants around, filling out endless stacks of paperwork. The hours evaporated.

Lexi dragged herself around right beside me, drained. By the time the sun set, we collapsed into a booth at the noodle shop across the street.

Lexi let out a massive burp and patted her stomach. "Let's go." I blinked. "Go where?" Lexi grabbed my arm and hauled me up. "My place, obviously.

You can figure the rest out when your parents get back." She dragged me toward the door.

I scrambled to keep up. "But I didn't pack anything!" Lexi didn't miss a beat. "I've got everything you need!" Half an hour later, I stood outside her front door.

Lexi went to pull me inside, but I slammed my hand against the doorframe, gripping it tight. "Wait." I locked eyes with her. "Is your brother home?" Lexi patted my arm. "Relax.

He's not here." I didn't come over to Lexi's very often. Part of it was my lingering intimidation of Silas, but the main reason was the little Corgi they kept.

I was severely allergic to dog hair.

Lexi stared at the visible tumbleweeds of dog fur drifting across her hardwood floor, then turned to me with a guilty wince. "Piper, why don't you just sleep in my brother's room tonight?" I stared at her, my mouth twitching into a flat line. "Hard pass." I snatched a clean fleece blanket from her hands and marched straight toward the living room. "I'll make do on the couch." Lexi knew she couldn't win this fight and gave in.

After a quick washup, I collapsed onto the cushions. My bones ached from the chaotic day, and within minutes, the heavy pull of sleep dragged me under.

The suffocating, pitchblack silence of the apartment suddenly fractured. A faint, metallic scrape echoed from the hallway. My eyes snapped open.

I fumbled blindly for my phone, the harsh glare stinging my retinas. 3:00 AM. Click. The deadbolt slid back. The sound was deafening. My exhaustion vanished.

I held my breath, my chest tightening so hard my ribs ached. My wide eyes locked onto the entryway, my pulse hammering wildly in my ears.

A massive, towering silhouette pushed the door open and stepped into the dark. Chapter 6 I let out a massive breath. It was Silas. But wasn't he supposed to be on shift tonight?

I stayed perfectly still, my brain frantically running through a list of ways to say hello that wouldn't make me want to immediately fake my own death.

Before I could settle on one, he bypassed the light switch completely and stalked straight toward the couch in the pitch dark. Wait. What?

He carelessly tossed his heavy tactical duffel onto the cushions. Perfect aim. It landed dead center on my stomach.

I bit the inside of my cheek so hard I tasted copper, forcing back the startled yelp that threatened to tear out of my throat so I wouldn't spook him.

I was just about to speak up, but in the next second, he shucked off his jacket and collapsed heavily right next to me. His heavy, boilinghot body pressed flush against my back.

That thick, corded arm locked around my waist like an iron band, crushing me seamlessly against his chest.

Three seconds later, the deep, even rhythm of his breathing filled the air. I lay there, paralyzed. Just how totally drained was this guy to pass out in three flat seconds?!

I didn't dare twitch a single muscle. The plan was to wait until he was in a deep sleep, then slip away. This position was way too compromising.

Ten agonizing minutes later, I took a shallow breath and painstakingly reached down to lift his arm off me.

I swear I was handling him with the exact same precision required to defuse a live landmine. Three. Two. One. The second I applied upward pressure, the owner of the arm shifted.

Silas rolled over, and the arm banded around my waist simply hauled me with him. The world spun