Kings of Linwood Academy - The Complete Box Set: A Dark High School Romance Series by Callie Rose (sight word books .TXT) 📕

Those are promises he can’t make, can’t guarantee he’ll keep. But I believe him anyway, and the knot of tension in my stomach unwinds a little.

He kisses me hard, the way he does when he’s trying to claim a piece of me before letting go, and I press my lips to his with the same bruising intensity.

River tugs me into his arms and gives me one long, slow, deep kiss before stepping back. Then the two boys turn and head for the door.

As soon as they’re gone, all the adrenaline and forced energy that was keeping me going drains from my body, and I practically wilt. Chase lets out a low chuckle and slings an arm around my waist, leading me back out into the entry foyer and up one of two sets of staircases leading to the second floor.

“Come on, sleeping beauty. Let’s get you horizontal before you pass out.”

The twins’ rooms are on the second floor, and they’re both massive. They each have attached bathrooms, and I rally enough to request a shower. My hair is tangled with little bits of matted blood, and my shoes and pants got damp from tromping around in the snow. A hot shower and warm, dry clothes sound like fucking heaven right about now.

“Yeah, of course. Come on.” Dax opens the door to his bedroom and ushers me and Chase inside.

He shows me where the towels are in the bathroom, then leaves me to it.

I haven’t even asked where I’ll be staying, and if they offer me a guest room, I won’t say no. But to be honest, after the fucked-up day I’ve had, I hate the idea of sleeping alone.

Warm water sluices down over me as I tilt my face up toward the spray, letting it wash away the last remnants of the day. I expect the hot water and steam to make me sleepier, but they actually refresh me, making me feel more clear-headed and human than I have since the accident.

I turn off the tap before I get totally pruney and wrap a towel around myself. Then I step back out into the bedroom.

Chase and Dax are both still in the room. Dax is sitting on the bed, and Chase is leaning against a large dresser nearby. They’re talking in low voices, so quiet I can’t make the words out, and the sight of them makes my heart squeeze.

I’m envious of the bond these two boys share. I don’t think most people in the world have that kind of connection to another human being—not to their parents or siblings or lovers. This is something beyond closeness, beyond brotherly affection. It’s like they’re two sides of a coin, each boy a whole, unique individual while at the same time a part of something bigger than himself.

They look up as they notice the bathroom door swing open, and their gazes catch on me—on the soft towel wrapped around my body, and the expanse of bare shoulder and strands of wet hair above it.

Dax clears his throat and gestures to the bed beside him, where I notice a pair of men’s athletic shorts and a t-shirt are laid out. “We got you some clothes.”

“Thanks.”

I step forward to collect them, and as I grab the two items, something occurs to me. I’ve seen the t-shirt on Chase before, but I’m pretty sure the shorts belong to Dax. Lifting a brow, I glance up at the two of them.

“Are these… from both of you?”

Chase’s grin is a little bashful. “Well, we each wanted to contribute something to the cause, so to speak.”

A smile tugs at the corner of my mouth even as a flush of warmth spreads through my body. I grab the t-shirt and shorts and return to the bathroom, hanging up the towel before slipping them on. They’re both huge on me. I probably could’ve gotten away with just the shirt, since it hangs down past my ass, but I like the way the clothes surround me with Dax’s sweet clove scent and Chase’s bergamot aroma. They make me feel cozy and safe.

Wiping the steam from the mirror, I glance at my reflection. The bruise on the side of my head is a real whopper, deep purple and blue. It hurts when I poke at it, but the throbbing headache has receded. I comb my fingers through my damp hair, separating the dark strands, then head back into the bedroom.

This time, Dax and Chase are both sitting on the bed, and my heart gives a little flutter when I see them. They stand up as I pad over, and Dax pulls back the covers for me without a word. They changed while I was in the shower and are now dressed in clothes similar to mine. We could be a matching trio, except for the fact that what I’m wearing barely fits. I had to roll the waistband of the shorts a couple times to make them stay up.

I glance at the two boys but don’t hesitate, crawling into the middle of the bed and letting my head fall back on the pillows. The twins share a look, then slide onto the mattress on either side of me.

Dax flips a switch on the wall near the headboard, and the lights go out, plunging us into near-darkness.

Two large, firm bodies settle in next to me, encasing my body from either side. I lie on my back, gazing up at the shadowy ceiling as Dax’s hand rests on my stomach and Chase’s palm rests on my hip.

I could probably fall asleep right now—in fact, I can feel my body tugging me toward unconsciousness—but I suddenly find that I don’t want to.

I’m acutely aware of every inch of my body, of every place Dax or Chase brushes up against me, of the feel of their breath and the heat of their skin. It takes effort to keep my own breath from speeding up