Craving The Wrong Brother (Sloane and Knox) novel Chapter 188

Chapter 188

Chapter 188

I bury my face in Luke’s shoulder, heat rushing to my cheeks.

“Seriously, Grandpa?” Luke groans, still holding me. “Don’t you have somewhere else to be?”

“I was sitting here, minding my own business. I had no idea you’d be… well, carrying on like that.”

Luke shakes his head. “You should be sleeping, you know. It’s barely even six o’clock.”

“I’m in a wheelchair, not on life support,” Javier shoots back. “I still have a social life. And in case you hadn’t noticed, I like keeping an eye on things. Don’t mind me. I was just about to roll myself to the kitchen. By all means, carry on.”

At that, I can’t help but peek out from Luke’s shoulder. Javier meets my gaze with a wink that has me cringing and fighting a smile all at once.

Luke scoffs and shakes his head, moving to lift me up before I can react. My feet leave the ground, and I instinctively grab his shoulders as he sweeps me into his arms, turning toward the stairs.

“Is something wrong with her legs?” Javier calls after us.

Over Luke’s shoulder, I say, “Just a little overexerted. Must’ve stretched too much.”

Javier nods. “Don’t break his heart,” he mouths.

Those silent words hang in the air, a gentle warning. I turn back to Luke, pressing my face into his shirt to hide the unexpected ache those words leave behind. Luke glances down at me, raising a brow.

“What did he say?”

“Nothing.” I shake my head, not wanting to share. “Just more Javier stuff.”

He doesn’t press, just keeps carrying me up the stairs, his grip warm and steady. After a short while, I ask, “How long has he been here, anyway?”

He sighs. “Since last spring. After Grandma died, I brought him here from Colombia, thought I’d put him in a group home, you know, so he’d be around people his own age.”

“Oh? And that didn’t work?”

“Well, he stayed a couple of nights, maybe. But then he figured out some way to sneak out. Escaped the place in his wheelchair, if you can believe it.”

I burst out laughing, clutching his shoulder. “He escaped? How?”

“I have no clue. And now he’s made it his life mission to haunt my house, and apparently my every romantic interaction too.”

He reaches the door to my room, nudging it open with his foot before carrying me inside and setting me gently on the bed.

I settle back against the pillows, smiling up at him as he sinks down to sit at the edge.

“You know, I imagine it can’t be easy having him around, especially when you’re dating.”

Luke chuckles. “Honestly, it’s tempting to blame him, but it’s not all his fault.” He sighs, running a hand through his hair as he looks away. “Maybe it’s a me problem.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know,” he says, staring down at his hands. “It’s just… I haven’t really felt anything with anyone in a long time. No sparks, no excitement.”

A playful grin spreads across my face as I raise a brow. “Want me to grab a defibrillator? Shock some feelings back into you?”

He laughs, the sound warm and genuine, and for a moment, his gaze softens, fixing on me in a way that’s too intense, too vulnerable. “No need. I think I’m good. Actually, I think I’m healed.” He tilts his head, smiling down at me. “I’ve been feeling all kinds of sparks lately.”

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