No Strings Attached: My Brother’s Best Friend

If i got burnt

LILA

Few minutes after my brother and Joan left, the silence that fell on the massive estate felt louder than Ronan's laughter that still echoed faintly at the back of my mind, his trust in Caden unwavering.

It made what I had just said felt heavier than it was supposed to. Caden has always been my choice, but for the very oddest of reasons, he was always out of reach.

He turned around, his dark, piercing blue eyes locking onto mine immediately. That intense gaze he wore so easily seemed to strip away the thin veil of composure I was trying to keep. I could feel my pulse quicken.

His eyebrows furrowed slightly as he moved toward me, his footsteps slow and deliberate, like a predator assessing its prey. "Do you know the implications of what you just said?" His voice was low, smooth, and far too calm for what I was feeling.

“Trust me, it is not as hard as it sounds.” I managed to say, trying to keep my eyes at his level.

His expression didn’t change. He remained still, waiting for me to continue, his face unreadable.

"It is just us you know," I said slowly, stepping closer to him, "no one has to find out." I repeated. My heart rammed hard against my f*****g chest, but I still managed to keep calm.

"Lila, no." His voice was firm, his tone definitive. "I can't do that to Ronan." He shook his head slightly, as if the mere suggestion of it was too much to process. "He’s my best friend, and I’ve already crossed a line by... by sleeping with you, which was a mistake"

I flinched at the way he said it—so clinical, so detached. But I kept my face neutral, unwilling to let him see how much his words stung. "It doesn’t have to be complicated," I said, stepping closer still, trying to make him understand. "No one has to know. It’s just between us, Caden."

He took a step back, his jaw tightening as his gaze darkened. "Lila, I’m already sorry enough for taking your virginity." His voice had dropped to a low, almost growling tone, and I could feel the frustration building in him. "It was wrong. I shouldn’t have done that to you. I shouldn’t have... taken that from you."

I blinked, feeling a sharp pang of hurt in my chest. "You didn’t take anything from me," I whispered, but I wasn’t sure if he heard me. He seemed too caught up in his own guilt.

He turned away from me, running a hand through his dark hair. God! He is drop dead gorgeous.

"You don’t understand, Lila. I’m not someone who gets attached. I don’t do love, I don’t do relationships, and I especially don’t get involved with... with someone like you." His eyes flicked back to mine, and I saw the conflict in them, a mixture of guilt, regret, and something else I couldn’t quite place. "You’re Ronan’s sister. That alone makes this impossible."

The sting of his words settled deep in my chest, but I forced myself to smile, pushing down the hurt that wanted to bubble up to the surface. "Who said anything about love?" I asked softly, my voice steady despite the turmoil swirling inside me. I took a step closer to him, moving slowly, deliberately. "No strings attached, I said."

Caden’s eyes darkened as I stopped in front of him, the heat of his body radiating toward me, making it harder to think straight. I tilted my head up, letting my lips hover near his ear, my breath warm against his skin. "We don’t have to make this complicated," I whispered, my voice low, seductive. "No one has to know. Just you and me... and whatever this is."

I felt him stiffen, the tension in his body radiating through the small space between us. For a moment, he didn’t move. He didn’t push me away, but he didn’t pull me closer either. He just stood there, his breath slightly ragged, his fists clenched at his sides.

Before he could respond, I took a step back, giving him a playful, knowing look. "Think about it," I said, throwing him a wink that I hoped masked the nerves bubbling inside me. I turned on my heel and walked away, heading toward the hallway that led to my room. I could feel his eyes on me as I left, the air between us charged with unspoken tension.

As soon as I closed the door behind me, I leaned against it, my heart racing, my hands trembling slightly. I closed my eyes and pressed a hand to my chest, trying to calm the wild beat of my heart. What the hell had I just done?

I had practically thrown myself at him, like some desperate girl trying to seduce the unattainable guy. And worse, I’d done it knowing full well that Caden was off-limits. That he was my brother’s best friend. That this was all a bad idea.

But as much as I tried to convince myself that it was wrong, I couldn’t deny the thrill that coursed through me at the thought of him. The way his hands felt on my skin, the way he made me feel alive in a way I hadn’t felt in so long. My body hummed with the memory of him, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t shake it. And most importantly, he was my perfect choice to father my kids.

I wanted his touch, his lips, the way he made me forget everything else when we were together. I wanted more of the passion that had ignited between us.

We both did not want love, that alone was enough to motivate us. But I don’t know why he was overly hesitant.

Sinking down onto the bed, I buried my face in my hands, letting out a frustrated groan. What was I doing? Why was I doing this to myself?

I was drawn to him like a moth to a flame, and I didn’t care if I got burned.