Don't Need You - Lilian Monroe Page 0,13

doing the same thing to Robbie?

I get into the passenger seat, grateful I don’t have to sit next to her. As she slides in behind me, I catch a whiff of a sweet, delicate scent. I almost groan.

Robbie starts the car and glances at his sister in the back seat. “Ready?”

“Yeah. Hey, while you’re here, would you mind coming up to my apartment and helping me pack up some heavier things? I’m heading to the storage locker in the morning before going back to Mom’s place. Maybe we could do a run over there tonight, if you have time.”

Robbie nods and looks over at me. “Do you mind?”

“I can see you guys are related. You love springing favors on people when they can’t say no.”

I glance at the back seat. Serena throws me a dirty look, and I lap it up like a man starved. Robbie just laughs and puts the car in gear. I lean my head against the headrest, trying to control the banging of my heart. Even when I can’t see Serena, I can sense her. I can feel her breathing in the seat behind me. Her scent tickles the edge of my nose, and my body heats up a couple of degrees.

As much as I try to deny it, she’s not just my friend’s sister. She’s not just someone I’ll let crash at my place for a few weeks. She’s not an amorphous form or an asexual being.

Serena Russo is gorgeous, and she’s about to turn my life upside down.

When we get to a boxy, brown brick apartment building, Robbie stiffens beside me. I follow his gaze to see a man near the entrance. He’s wearing a hood, but he glances at us long enough for me to see dark hair and an ugly snarl.

“Take Serena upstairs,” he breathes, reaching for the door.

Before I can ask what’s going on, Robbie’s outside. The man at the door takes off at a sprint, shoes slapping on the pavement with every step. Robbie doesn’t hesitate. He chases after the man, his arms pumping as he bolts down the street.

I get out of the car, calling after them. “Hey! Robbie!”

A hand appears in the crook of my elbow, ice-cold and rippling with tension. I turn to see concern etched on Serena’s beautiful face. I don’t even notice the twigs or the grass stains, because there’s jet-black terror in her eyes.

“Let’s go inside,” she says, her voice small.

A protective instinct overwhelms me. It rises up without warning, engulfing me from head to toe. I put my hand on Serena’s lower back, guiding her up the few steps to the apartment lobby door. In the recesses of my mind, I register how good it feels to touch her. How right it feels to have her beside me.

Up front, though, screaming in my brain, is the need to protect her. As she unlocks the door, I glance over my shoulder. Both Robbie and the man have disappeared.

Serena trembles, dropping her keys on the concrete steps. I bend over to pick them up.

“Let me help you,” I say.

Her eyes drag up to mine. Her throat tightens as she gulps, and her big, brown eyes twinkle in the low light. She nods to the keys. “It’s the silver one.”

I find the right key and slide it into the lock, pulling the door open for Serena. When we’re inside, I make sure the door is closed before following Serena to the stairs and climbing up two flights. She’s still shaking, and all I want to do is wrap my arms around her.

Handing Serena’s keys back to her, our fingers brush. Heat sparks deep in my stomach, and I try to shake it away.

I can’t, though. Even when I know it’s inappropriate. When she’s scared. When being attracted to her is fifty shades of wrong, I can’t stop the way I feel.

Once we’re safe inside, Serena lets out a long breath. I stand by the door, watching as she combs her fingers through her hair, finding that little twig nestled in her thick curls. She pulls it out, dropping her shoulders as she stares at it.

Finally, I speak. “Who was that?”

Serena drags her eyes to meet mine. Her lips pinch, and she shakes her head. “Don’t worry about it. You want a drink? Water? Coffee?”

I don’t want to let her change the subject, but I know it’s not my place to pry. How can I explain that all I want to do is wrap my arms around