Afterglow: A Brother's Best Friend Romance, page 4
“You’re compared to your brothers a lot, aren’t you?”
“I’m used to it.” It’s the truth. I am used to it, but I don’t love it.
Dax places a plate in front of me, and my mouth waters.
“Sorry it’s nothing special. I need to get groceries.”
“It’s perfect. It’s nice to have someone cooking for me for a change.”
“Leo was a dick,” he grumbles, pulling a laugh from me.
“I see that now. Honestly, I was fine with all our agreements while he was holding up his end.”
Dax hums in agreement. “I hate that he stopped holding up his end of the agreement. Good Doms don’t do that.”
“I know, which is why I also blame myself for staying too long. If I had left when I first saw the small red flags, none of this would have happened.”
“Please stop talking like that,” he pleads. “The only one to blame is Leo. It’s hard to leave a situation when you care about a person.”
A tear falls down my cheek at his kind words. Why the hell does he have to be so caring? I’m trying to prevent my stupid infatuation from coming back, but he’s making it rather challenging. I swipe the tear away, but I press too hard on my face and wince.
“Once you’re done eating, I’ll get you an ice pack, then you can rest for a bit.”
What the hell did I ever see in Leo? I mean, when we first got together, he was kind, caring, almost perfect, to be honest. I guess he was just a good actor.
If I ever get into a new relationship, I won’t stand for even the smallest red flags without having a conversation. Small things aren’t a reason to end it, but I’m not letting my needs slide again. I deserve to be cared for as much as I care for my Dom.
We finish eating, and Dax makes me lie down with an ice pack, not letting me help clean up. Normally, I would complain. I’m not a mooch, but I willingly follow his orders since I am recovering.
It doesn’t take long after my head hits the pillow for sleep to pull me under.
“Ready to give me the grand tour?” I ask Dax after my nap, another dose of pain meds, and a much-needed shower.
Although I’ll never admit it, the fact that Dax placed a stool in the shower for me in case I felt dizzy made my heart skip a beat. It was one of the sweetest things anyone has done for me, especially someone who isn’t my family.
I’m used to being spoiled by my brothers and parents, but this is something else. Dax isn’t my family, even if he thinks of me as a sister.
“Yup,” he says with the same smirk that always made me drool as a teenager. “So, obviously, you’ve seen the living room and kitchen.” He spins around with arms out wide, bringing a smile to my lips. “To the right is a formal dining area, but I never use it. To the left is a smaller living area with a fireplace. I guess it also doubles as my library, as that’s where I keep all my books.”
“You read?”
He chuckles and nods. “Don’t tell Riley that I love smut books, or I’ll never hear the end of it,” he says, and I giggle.
“Across the hall from your room is my office. My room is at the other end of the hall.”
“You suck at tours. You haven’t shown me anything,” I tease.
He laughs, shaking his head. “I’ll show you the rest, but we have to go upstairs.”
“Why do you have such a huge apartment?” I ask.
“A few different reasons,” he mutters vaguely. “How ’bout I tell you all about it later?”
I nod, following him like a lovesick puppy.
Ugh, this is going to be a long two weeks of recovery.
The second floor isn’t an open floor plan like I was expecting. When we get to the top of the stairs, it’s almost like a T intersection.
“That’s a spare bedroom.” Dax points down the short hall and leads me in the opposite direction.
He opens the first door, and I gasp.
“Here we’ve got the theater-entertainment room. It’s also why the living room downstairs is pretty bare. I spend more time up here.”
I take in the space and finally find personal items of his. This is what I was expecting in the living room, but it makes sense that he has it all up here.
“Are these your parents?” I inquire, noticing a picture of a happy couple and a much younger Dax.
He nods with a small smile.
“They’re part of the reason I bought this place. You know how much of an inheritance they left me when they passed.”
I nod, remembering the story he told my family when we first met him. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to lose both parents at only nineteen.
“Your mom is gorgeous,” I tell him, earning me a bigger smile.
“She really was. I wish they could see what I’ve accomplished with my life.”
Every nerve in my body is urging me to touch him, but I’m not sure I should. What if he isn’t a touchy person, and I end up annoying him? I may have offered to stay with Caidance, but I think I would actually like to stay here instead, even if I’ll continue to drool over a man who will never be mine.
At least I get to be close to him for a short time.
“They would be so proud of you. I know my parents are,” I assure him.
He presses his lip together, mulling over the words and tilting his head for me to follow him.
“The other room down this hall is the gym, but that’s not very exciting.” He winks and leads me down the other hall with a glass door at the end.
When he opens the door, my jaw drops as we step onto an extraordinary terrace.
“It’s breathtaking, isn’t it?” he whispers as I take in the view.
“I would spend all my time out here.”
He chuckles. “I do spend a good amount of time out here, which is why I invested in high-quality furniture.”
“You practically have a second kitchen out here.” I gawk at the outdoor cooking setup.
I move around the extravagant outdoor space, taking it all in when my eyes land on a Jacuzzi. My body aches to soak in it.
“I’m also pretty sure I would live in that Jacuzzi.” I sigh.
“Oh yeah. Nothing like coming up for a soak after a long day at work. Guess I’ll have to wear trunks while you’re here,” he teases.
Dirty thoughts pop into my head. I should not be thinking like that.
“Don’t change your life for my sake,” I joke with a wink. “But would you mind if I go get my swimsuit and come up for a soak?”
He shakes his head. “Not at all. This is your home for a tiny bit, so make yourself comfortable. I have to make a couple of calls. Maybe I’ll join you after.”
The idea of being in a Jacuzzi with him brings more dirty images to the forefront of my mind.
Shit, I need to stop these thoughts now!
We make our way back inside and downstairs.
“Wait here,” Dax says and goes to his room.
I don’t know what to do, but I listen. A few moments later, he returns with a giant fluffy robe.
“There are towels in the cupboard by the Jacuzzi, but I always find this is comfortable to wrap in on the walk up and down.”
My mouth goes dry, and I whisper, “Thanks” before heading to my room.
Did Leo treat me so shitty in our short time living together that the smallest gestures are making my heart squeeze? Honestly, I’m starting to rethink my entire relationship with him.
I change into a bikini and put on the softest robe known to man. I also grab my phone, wanting to chat with Caidance while I relax.
In some ways, this feels like a vacation, but like they always do, this will end soon. I can’t go getting attached to this way of life.
I’ll have to figure my shit out sooner or later.
Chapter 6
Dax
It worked out well that I already had today off. Unfortunately, even on days off, I usually still work in some way or another. Thank goodness I only have two calls I have to make today. Although I’ll admit, I would be working more if Izzy wasn’t here. Everyone is aware I’m a bit of a workaholic.
Once I finish the calls, I press my hand to my lower back, trying to relieve some of the pain. I never do well sitting at a desk for long periods. I usually pace during the calls to keep my body moving, but I didn’t today for some reason. At least I know Izzy is relaxing in the Jacuzzi and not doing anything stupid.
I change into dark blue trunks and grab my robe, which matches the one I gave Izzy.
I’m not sure why I’m rushing to get to her. I should be enjoying the space between us, yet here I am, taking the stairs two at a time.
I’m expecting to come across Izzy relaxing, maybe laughing at her phone. What I’m not expecting is to find her curled up on the sofa beside the Jacuzzi, bawling her eyes out.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, rushing to her side.
She shoves her phone into my hand while sobs wreak havoc on her body. Clearly, she can’t speak right now. Once I realize what is on her phone screen, my vision turns red, reading the name of her asshat of an ex.
“He called?”
She nods, taking in a deep, shaky breath. “He left voicemails and sent multiple text messages,” she whimpers through the tears.
“Can I look at them?” I coax gently, not wanting to invade her privacy.
She nods again.
My jaw hurts from how hard I’m clenching my teeth. This fucker is worse than I thought. There is message after message on her phone.
Leo: Where the hell are you?
Leo: Don’t think you get to walk away from me.
Leo: If you tell anyone what happened, you’re not going to like the consequences.
Leo: You’re still mine whether you think it or not.
Each message gets worse and more threatening, and my blood boils.
“The voicemails are the same?”
Izzy nods. “Maybe I should go to the police,” she laments. “What if he comes here? I don’t want you to get hurt.”
The fact she’s more concerned about me getting hurt than the threat toward her says so much about her.
“He’ll never be able to get you here. Security is tight in this building,” I assure her. “But if you want to go to the police, I’ll support you. I’m sure you have more than enough evidence to get a restraining order. I’m also assuming they’ll arrest him. But even with all of the texts, voicemails, and pictures of your face, I don’t know how harsh of a sentence he’ll get. He has the money for expensive lawyers, and our system is flawed.”
“That’s why I didn’t want to deal with all of this.” She sniffles and wipes away her tears. “That, and if this goes to court, I’ll have to testify. I’m positive Leo will bring up our dynamic, trying to swing it like this is what I’m into. So many people don’t know enough about the kink community. He could easily sway them. Then my family will find out what I do behind closed doors. I’m not ashamed of it. I just don’t think they are going to react well. Why can’t my personal life stay personal?”
I rub her back, the soft material of the robe creating the perfect barrier.
“If you really don’t want to go to the cops, don’t. I promise you’ll be safe here. I can even hire a bodyguard if you need me to. Whatever you choose, I’ll stand behind the decision,” I assure her.
“Why are you doing this for me?”
I don’t actually know the answer. Would I do this for just anyone?
“Because I care about you” is the answer I finally give, which is all I have for now.
She bites her lower lip and nods, accepting the answer.
“I hate this so much.”
I wrap my arm around her in a side hug, needing to touch and console her in any way I can. I can’t bear to see her like this anymore.
After a moment, she turns and wraps her arms around my neck, burying her face in my chest.
I hold her while she cries, letting her get out all her emotions, and this weird feeling of rightness washes over me. Why does she feel so good in my arms? I shouldn’t be thinking like that, but it won’t go away. I push it aside, not wanting to fester on these emotions any longer. Izzy needs my full attention on her, not on new and unusual thoughts.
“I didn’t even get to enjoy the Jacuzzi.” She pouts.
“Well, we should change that now.” I stand and offer her my hand.
She takes it with a small upturn of her lips and lets me help her to her feet.
“We can hang our robes here,” I announce, pointing to hooks on the wall before untying my robe and pulling back the cover on the Jacuzzi.
My eyes are drawn to Izzy, and I take all of her in. She hangs her robe next to mine, and I almost groan. The sight of Izzy in a bikini is something I’ve seen a bunch of times, yet this is different. Maybe it’s because I’m not seeing my best friend’s little sister right now but a super sexy woman. Shit. This should not be happening.
I force myself to look away and climb into the water.
Once we are both submerged, we let out contented sighs.
“Damn, this is good,” Izzy moans and tilts her head back, making my cock stir the smallest amount.
“Did you get to talk to Caidance yet?” I choke out.
Izzy doesn’t seem to notice the effect she has on me, and I’m thankful for that.
“No,” she huffs in response. “Leo, the fuck face, stole all my attention. I’m not sure why I listened to every voicemail. Maybe I’m more of a masochist than I thought.”
“You need to block his number so he can’t bother you more,” I say. It came out as more of a command, and I wince at my tone.
She is not mine to boss around. I need to make sure I do a better job at controlling my inner Dom ways.
“I already did,” she assures me, not acting put off by my tone. “I was thinking about deleting the messages too, but then I figured it was best to keep some evidence.”
“Good idea. You don’t have to share the texts if you don’t want to, but you should make a report to Afterglow. They need to revoke his membership,” I suggest.
“Yeah, I was going to send an email tonight. I don’t want Leo to do this to anyone else.”
“Do you know how fucking strong you are?” I ask her.
Her eyes go wide. “How am I strong?”
“Last night, a man beat you. Yet here you are, not only alive but putting others before yourself. You wanted to make sure he wouldn’t hurt me. You didn’t mention yourself. Now you want to make sure he doesn’t hurt any other sub. You have every right to be selfish right now, but you’re not. You’re not letting him hold you down. You’re not putting your life on hold. You’re still moving forward. That makes you so fucking strong.”
“You really need to stop,” she murmurs, turning her eyes to the darkening sky.
“Stop what?” I blink, her words confusing me.
“Being so nice to me. You’re making me realize Leo was never the greatest guy. I think I was just enamored by his charm. I’ve spent not two days with you, and you’ve treated me better than Leo ever did. Even before we moved in together when I thought he was so good to me. How is it that a guy who has absolutely no feelings for me can treat me so much better than someone who was supposed to love me?”
“Leo’s a dick. We’ve already figured that out,” I start. “I’m sorry he made you feel like that… at least now you know how you deserve to be treated.”
“Too bad you couldn’t want me like that,” she adds so quietly I almost miss it.
I’m about to respond when her phone rings.
“That’s Caidance.” She hops out of the Jacuzzi to grab her phone.
As she’s talking, I can’t take my eyes off her. Kind of like earlier. Has she always had such gorgeous tits? Before I can stare at her chest too long, she wraps a towel around herself, completely unaware of my gawking. After she’s mostly dry, she puts on the robe and heads inside.
How the hell was I supposed to respond to her statement?
Do I try to ignore the fact that she said it? Or do we talk about it later? If we talk about it, what do I say? Do I want her? Fuck, I don’t know. I’ve never thought about her this way because she’s Riley’s little sister. I shouldn’t be thinking about her in any way other than that. But now it’s like a dirty little bug has been planted in my brain, and all these what-ifs are popping up.
I need a fucking drink.
No longer wanting to be in the Jacuzzi alone, I step out, wrap a towel around my waist, and put the cover back on. Once the area is cleaned to my standards, I grab my robe, make my way downstairs, and stop by Izzy’s door. For what reason? I’m not sure, but when I hear her still on the phone with Caidance, I decide not to bother her.
Space is probably a good thing right now. I don’t need to be doing anything stupid tonight.
Like opening the door to something happening with my best friend’s little sister.
Chapter 7
Izzy
“Sorry I didn’t call sooner,” Caidance says.
I had sent her a text to call me before I started going through the massive number of texts and voicemail messages from Leo. If it hadn’t been for Dax, I’m not sure what state I would be in right now. It was almost as if being in his presence helped calm me. Obviously, the hug helped a lot as well. I was spiraling before he found me. It felt like I would drown in the sadness, but Dax was my life raft.
Relaxing in the Jacuzzi with him was fucking perfect, but of course, I had to run my mouth, admitting secrets out loud like the idiot I am. I was hoping the words came out quiet enough that he wouldn’t hear them, but the look on his face told me he did. Caidance called at the perfect time.
“It’s okay,” I assure her, walking to my room.
Shit. I shouldn’t think of it as my room. It’s Dax’s spare bedroom. Nothing more.
“What’s wrong?” Caidance asks immediately.
She’s always been so in tune with me. It doesn’t surprise me she’s jumping right to the heart of the matter.
