Embrace the Darkness (The Maura Quinn Series Book 1) - Ashley N. Rostek Page 0,24

days I’d been home, I hadn’t left my room. If it hadn't been a necessity to pee, I would have never gotten out of bed. No one bothered me, apart from the few times someone tried to call my room via the corded landline on my nightstand. I didn’t answer, they didn’t push more than that, and I was grateful. I needed time to work through my shit.

With my head buried under my pillows, I tried to will myself back to sleep. I had no plans of rejoining civilization today, but as I was about to drift off to La-La Land, someone banged on my door.

“Fuck off!” It was rude, I know, but I was almost asleep.

The loud banging was my first clue who was at my door. Stefan had never knocked—the man was too entitled—and Brody did a little tapping noise on the door before poking his head inside. My second clue was the boisterous hyena laugh coming from the other side of the door. Louie.

“Rise and shine, beautiful! It’s time to get up!” he cheerfully yelled as he barged in. I ignored him by burying my face further into the mattress. “You’ve been cooped up in here for days. It’s time to stop sulking and get that sexy ass out of bed.”

I mentally rolled my eyes.

“You can come get lunch with us.”

Us?

My curtains were thrown open at the same time my covers were ripped off my body. I was in nothing but black boy shorts which had ridden all the way up my ass and a very loose white tank I'd found in my closet. The arm holes were so gaping, the sides of my breasts and ribs were visible, and the thin material did nothing to hide my nipples. I was lying on my stomach, so my boobs weren’t on display, but Louie and I was assuming Jamie were both getting a nice view of the serious wedgie I was sporting.

“Damn, Maura. You have a fine ass,” Louie drawled as if enjoying the view. “Is that a tramp stamp?”

Oh, shit! I forgot!

Reaching behind me, I quickly pulled the back of my shirt down. Hands just as quickly wrapped around my legs and I was pulled toward the end of the bed. Before I knew it, Louie was straddling the back of my thighs.

“Louie!”

My hand was shoved away and the back of my shirt was pushed up. “It’s a fucking shamrock! Jameson, look at this shit!”

“I’m Irish. I was also nineteen and drunk!” I exclaimed. I swatted at him and missed. I tried bucking him off, but he barely moved. Asshole. Giving up, I folded my arms under my head and stared at Jamie. He was just standing there, watching us from the side of the bed. “Your boyfriend is being annoying,” I grumbled at him.

He shrugged. “Push him off.” The jerk was completely abandoning me.

“I can’t.”

“We both know you can.” He was right. Instead of tea parties and ballet lessons, Stefan had made sure my time was spent learning self-defense and shooting.

“If I try to push him off my boobs are going to fall out of my top. I’m not dressed to spar, Louie!”

Jamie’s eyes raked over my body, taking in my sparse clothing, as if just noticing. Strangely, I felt heated, hyper aware of the parts of me that were on display.

Um… no! Don’t go there, Maura.

Jamie and I were family. A relationship close to what I assumed a brother and sister had. Jamie was four years older than me. When we were kids, he'd treated me like an annoying kid sister he had to play with. As we'd gotten older, it had become apparent that our family was very different, and our bond had grown stronger, but it had never been more than friendship.

The way he looked at me now, though…maybe I was still half asleep, or maybe—

A strong hand came down on my right butt cheek. Slap!

I yelped.

“I don’t think your tits will offend anyone in this room,” Louie stated.

Alright, I’ve had enough of him.

I pushed up from the bed with all my strength. Catching Louie off guard, I was able to buck him off enough to pull a knee forward, gaining purchase. My back slammed hard against his chest, jolting him backward. Instinctively, his arms snaked around my stomach to save himself from falling off the bed. I quickly reached above me, my eyes locking with Jamie’s as I fisted my fingers around Louie’s soft blond locks. Jamie’s attention dropped to my chest,