On shaking legs, I make my way to the living room, and when Evan sees the room I exit, he raises an eyebrow in silent question. Quickly, I shake my head.
Would I like to be balls deep in Des? Damn straight. However, there is so much more between us than my carnal desires. She pushes me and pulls me at the same time.
As I watch them interact, I want to punch Evan in the face. Brother or not, I can’t help my need to make him choke on his teeth, especially as he hugs her, all while eying me for a reaction. I will give him one, too. One wrong move, baby brother, and I’m going to have you eating through a straw.
With my energy depleted, I settle on one couch as Evan sits on the other.
Desirae walks in and glares at me in challenge. “You have to slowly rebuild, Ethan. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither was your hip.”
I smirk. “Technically, they rebuilt my hip in a matter of hours, all while I was sound asleep.”
She leans over, putting a hand on either side of my head and caging me in. Her breathing deepens as her eyes darken. She licks her lips, and I feel like I’m going to blow a load in my pants.
“Well, smartass, after last night’s exertion and your stubbornness this morning, I’m gonna have to adjust your therapy to accommodate for muscle rest so we don’t strain or pull anything.” She leans in closer, her breath hot on my neck. “You know we don’t want you to hurt anything you might wanna use later.”
Before I can adjust from the heat coursing through my body, before I can react or give her some sort of come back, she shoves off and goes back to the kitchen.
Evan sits back, laughing, while I can only think to myself, She’s gonna bust my balls all right, but not in the way she’s thinking.
“I’m going for a short walk to get some fresh air,” Desirae calls out as she puts on shoes and grabs the burner phone off the counter.
Ricca’s men shouldn’t know she is down here, so a stroll around the complex’s lake won’t hurt her.
“Twenty minutes,” I bark as she hits the door.
“Who’s the drill sergeant now?” She laughs as she walks out the door without looking back.
My brother immediately leans forward, eyeing me suspiciously. “Tell me … Tell me you did not fuck her!”
I laugh. “No, but I damn sure would be happy to.”
“All the barflies and biker bunnies available to you and you have to go after your physical therapist? What are you up to, big brother? Are you trying to scare the woman away? You think Ice won’t saddle you with someone else if you make her run out of here?”
I scowl at Ethan. “Hell no, I’m not trying to scare Desirae away. It’s the other way around, dipshit. I’m trying to get a woman to stay for once.”
My little brother blinks, as if he doesn’t understand a word I just said, and then he blinks again. Then I realize the words that just came out of my mouth.
I don’t try to take them back. For the first time in my life, I am trying to get someone to stay. For the first time since our father died, I’m not trying to run away from my life.
I left for the Army to provide but also to avoid. Not being home meant I didn’t have to face everything we had lost. Staying busy from one mission to the next allowed my mind to avoid dwelling on anything back home. I only had to worry about work.
For the first time, I don’t want to drown my problems with another mission. I want to make shit work. I’m just as surprised at myself as he is, but I damn sure don’t want it to change.
Finally, he asks, “You? Ethan? The guy who’s always hammering broads till they can’t walk anymore and then kicking them out before they wanna cuddle? Mr. McCoy is telling me he is actually trying to get a woman to stay with him? As in, she doesn’t want anything to do with you, and you’re trying, anyway?”
I might be able to walk a bit now, but I’m not sure if I could jump off the couch and punch my little brother before he could get away. And if I managed to hurt myself trying, that would only set me back in my plans for Des. That doesn’t mean I can’t shoot my little brother a killer glare, warning him he is in danger of getting an ass whooping. Then it occurs to me that I can beat Ethan at his own game.
“Watch it, fuck-head. If you’re not nice to me, I’ll call Mom and tell her you’re trying to scare off my woman. She’s so desperate for grandchildren she would drive here to bitch-slap you or torture you by moving into your place for a while, ruining your chances of bringing home pussy. Either way, I win.”