I was about to climb out of bed when he whispered, “Don’t go.”
“You’re awake,” I said for nothing more than to shake off my nerves. “How long?”
He smirked. “Long enough to feel you.”
I playfully swatted at his chest. “I’m sorry. I just woke up and found?—”
“Your hand on my erection,” he finished for me.
My cheeks burned. “And I’m not wearing a bra.” I didn’t have a change of clothes with me or one of the T-shirts I usually slept in, and I hated wearing a bra to bed.
“I’m well aware,” he said in a gravelly voice, sounding as sexy as hell.
“I should go. It’s six, and I—” I stopped myself. It was Friday, and I had to think for a second if I had to work, but I didn’t until tomorrow night.
“Stay and have breakfast with Fran and me,” he said, rubbing my back.
I briefly closed my eyes, relishing in the soothing feeling until I dug my hands into his chest and sat up.
His gaze instantly dropped to my bare breasts. “What’s wrong? If you’re embarrassed about your scars, don’t be.”
I covered my chest with my hands. “I am. Very few people have seen them, and each one freaked out.”
His eyes met mine. “I’m not your brothers. Do you see me reacting?”
“That’s because you’re more interested in my breasts.” There was a lightness in my tone.
A boyish smirk plastered his face. “They are beautiful, but don’t put words into my mouth. Every inch of you is beautiful, baby girl, scars and all.”
I grabbed a pillow and used it to cover my chest. I couldn’t talk to him while I was naked.
“I thought you wanted to take me to dinner, not bed.”
“You had a night terror. I called Dillon, and he told me to lie next to you, that it would help. Do you remember?”
“No. Please tell me I didn’t do something like sleepwalk.” I hugged the pillow, although I would rather have my arms around Brian, feeling safe and protected. But that would only lead to sex, and while that excited me and terrified me at the same time, I wanted to hear what he’d seen.
He sat up and rested against the headboard. “Come here.” He opened his arm.
“I would prefer not to. Tell me,” I said. Andie had witnessed the brunt of my night terrors, and Dillon and Maggie had as well.
“I got you, baby girl. No judgement.”
I licked my lips. “I’m good where I am.”
“Duke once told me about your nightmares but never night terrors. What triggers them?”
I shuddered. “Dillon and Maggie didn’t share everything with Duke, and you probably can imagine why.”
“Because he would lose it,” Brian said.
“Anyway, sometimes the terrors come out of nowhere, and other times they’re a result of…” I couldn’t bring myself to tell him.
I really didn’t want to have this conversation either. Except for my brief panic attack last night, I’d had a great time at the banquet, and I wanted to leave it on that note.
“You don’t have to talk about it. It has to be difficult to forget your past. I tried to forget mine before I met your brother, but sometimes it haunts me, especially in my dreams.”
Curiosity stung me. “I’m listening.”
