Love Triangle Six Books of Torn Desire - Willow Winters Page 0,234

look in Jill’s direction, but she’s already out the door.

I don’t want to be alone with Brian right now. I want to be alone with Mark. I want to know what he meant by his words. A million questions cross my mind in the span of a few seconds.

Is he mad that I’m here with Brian? Does he even care? Does he think I’m some sort of slut for sleeping with him and moving right onto his brother? Was I just another Vail tail to him? Does he think I’m using his brother to get to him? Does he even know that I didn’t know they were related until I walked through the door marked 4701 tonight?

Is he hurt that I showed up tonight as Brian’s girlfriend?

Is it bad that I want him to feel hurt by that? If he did, then I’d know he had feelings for me—that he didn’t remember me as one fun night, that he feels more between us in the same way I do.

His words were confirmation that he remembered me, and the way he left the room after Brian came in tells me he doesn’t want Brian to know we shared that night.

So I’ll keep quiet for now, and I’ll hope and pray that I get Mark alone again—just to talk. And soon.

“What did he say to you?” Brian asks.

“Who? Mark?” My voice squeaks on his name, and I clear my throat as I try to regain control despite my still thumping heart and shaking hands.

Brian nods, and I feel again like he knows something happened between his brother and me.

I shrug. “Nothing.”

“Did he hit on you?”

I laugh. “No. Nothing like that.”

He gives me a long gaze, and then he nods as if he’s satisfied with my answer.

I’m not sure why I feel like I dodged a bullet.

Chapter Nineteen

For the first night since I met Brian, I stayed over at his place. Well, his brother’s place.

It’s strange waking up next to him somewhere other than my own bed, especially with the knowledge that Mark is sleeping in another room just on the other side of this condo. I didn’t sleep at all. Instead, I stared up at the ceiling, awake with my thoughts and the guilt that burns everywhere in me. I’m not sure if I feel guilty because I slept with his brother or if I feel guilty because I want to do it again.

I contemplate what to do. I could stay here and wait for Brian to wake up, wait for him to escort me out, and miss my chance at a conversation with Mark. Or I could quietly creep out of bed while Brian sleeps and hope that I run into Mark.

My heart twists as the thought of Mark with another woman crashes into me. Did he have another woman in his bed last night—is she there now? Did he rasp to her in the middle of the night? Did he tell her to come back to bed as she sat in the chair by the window and looked over the glowing lights of the Strip? Did he make love to her in that very chair with those very lights reflecting in her eyes? Did she wrap his cashmere blanket over her naked shoulders?

It’s not just my heart twisting. My stomach lurches violently, and I force those images out of my head.

I get up like I would any other morning. I don’t try to be extra quiet so I don’t have to deal with the guilt if Brian catches me sneaking around his brother’s condo. I head to the bathroom. I gaze at myself in the mirror. I look like a hot mess. Dark circles from the bleeding eyeliner that I didn’t bother to wash off last night shadow my eyes, and my hair is a stringy mess. I dig through my purse and find a hair tie so at least I can get one mess under control, and then I splash some cool water on my face and wipe at the smeared make-up with a towel.

I never expected to see you here. Least of all with my brother.

I can’t get his words out of my head.

They play on repeat, and I dissect every single one as I attempt to make myself look presentable.

I never expected to see you here.

Is that because he wanted us to be one and done? Was that all it was to him?

Least of all with my brother.

Was he upset I was with his brother because it