Until You (Off-Limits)

Aria moans and pulls me closer, her legs wrapping around me as she leans back on the kitchen counter. “I miss you already,” she whispers.

I pull away to look at her. “Nyx… we should tell him straight away.”

She shakes her head and wraps her arms around my neck. “I don’t want to, Gray. I haven’t seen my brother in months, and I know he’s not going to like this. I don’t want his entire time here to be spent arguing. Let’s tell him on his last day here. That way, he’ll have plenty of time to be angry… at home. By the time we see him again he’ll have gotten over it.”

What she’s saying makes sense, but it doesn’t feel right. I’ve never kept anything from Noah… or, well… I’ve never kept much from him. The only thing I’ve ever kept to myself was Nyx, and I ended up telling him about her in the end too.

“Baby, he’s your brother, so I’ll do whatever you want me to do, but I don’t think you’re making the right call.” She pulls me in for a kiss and I pull her closer, my dick pressing up against her. “We share a bedroom now, Nyx. How do you explain that?”

“Gray,” she whispers. Her tone tells me I’m not going to like what she’s about to say. “I’m moving back into the guest bedroom while Noah is here.”

I frown, and she raises her hand to my face, smoothing out my scrunched-up brows. “I can’t stay in your bedroom, Gray.”

I drop my forehead to hers and inhale deeply. “Babe, I don’t like this one bit.”

“I know,” she whispers. “But Noah will be worried about me, as it is. He never liked Brad, and he’ll just think I’m rushing into another relationship.”

I look into her eyes and brush her hair out of her face gently. “Is that what you think? Is this just a rebound to you?”

The thought of that fucking destroys me. I don’t even want her thinking of that asshole. The fact she even uttered his name pisses me off. I should’ve put him in the hospital when I had the chance.

Aria shakes her head, her eyes blazing with sincerity. “It’s not, Gray. You know it’s not.”

Except I don’t. I don’t know that. Things have been great between us, and the sex is fantastic… but she keeps her distance at work, and even at home she doesn’t cling to me the way I’ve seen her cling to Brad. It’s not until we get to bed that it feels like she’s mine.

I push away from her and smile tightly. “Well, Noah is going to be here any minute now. Make the call Aria. When are we telling him? Or are we not telling him at all?”

She looks down at her feet and sighs. “Let’s tell him halfway through his stay here. How about that?”

I nod. I don’t like it, but I’ll respect her decision. Noah might be my best friend, but he’s her family.

My doorbell rings just as I take a step away from Aria, and I smile wryly. I’ve always been happy to see Noah, and I hate that today I’m not. I knew that getting involved with his sister would fuck shit up, but I underestimated the guilt I’d feel. He trusted me when he asked me to take care of her, and I betrayed him. I did it knowingly, and the worst thing is I don’t even regret it. I’d do it all over again if it means I get to have Aria.

I open the door with far less enthusiasm than usual, and I’m oddly nervous when Noah smiles at me.

“Sup, buddy?” he says, throwing his arm around me. I freeze, and he notices. “You okay, Gray?”

I nod again and take a step back. “Yes, of course. It’s great to see you,” I say, my voice monotone even to my own ears.

Aria walks up to us, and Noah opens his arms wide. “Smurf!” he shouts, earning him a glare.

“Asshole!” she shouts back as she walks into his embrace. I never did understand siblings, and every time I see Aria and Noah together, I wonder what it’d be like. They insult each other, but they clearly love each other. It makes little sense to me.

Aria leads Noah into my home, and I love how comfortable she feels here. Noah chuckles when he walks into the living room and looks at me. “Nice pillows,” he says, grinning.

Aria elbows him. “They’re cushions, you dimwit.”

“You’ve ruined Gray,” he says. “He was a great guy before you torpedoed into his life, and now look at this place… there are orange cushions and candles in an otherwise perfect bachelor pad.”

“I quite like it,” I say honestly. My home had no character before Aria moved in with me. I like that she put her own touch on what I’ve come to think of as our home.

Noah sits down on the sofa and extends his legs, crossing his ankles on the table. “So, how have you been?” he asks Aria. “How is the job? Has Gray been taking good care of you?”

If only he knew how well I’ve been taking care of her… I had her begging for mercy at least three times last night.

I stand back as Aria and Noah catch up. She looks so happy to have him here, and I have to admit she was right. If we told him about us right now, it’d ruin his entire trip.

Hell… it might still ruin our friendship.

I turn to look at Aria. Even if somehow things don’t end up working out between us, even if she someday decides she can do better… I still don’t think I’d regret us. But would she?