Page 43 of Unbearable
“Yes.”
Truth’s out now. Can’t deny it.
His voice lowers, taking my air with his proximity as he leans in and kisses my forehead tenderly. “Then come back to my place tonight.”
An uncomfortable knot forms in my chest, my hand shaking as I reach out to touch his shoulder. “Do you think that’s a good idea?”
Stepping back, he’s still close but distanced. The soft heat of his breath tickles my nose, his lips near enough to brush my own, but they don’t. It’s like he’s teasing me. For a moment, our stare locked in unspoken questions.
“I think it’s a good idea,” he murmurs, still watching me.
He closes the distance between us, my body pressed against the wall. It’s then the hard length of his cock is against my hip. “Once wasn’t enough?”
Tyler makes a sound deep in his throat. It’s one I want to record because of what it does to my insides. “It’s never enoughwith you.”
It’s never enough with you.
“WHERE DID YOU go?” Red asks me, his gaze darting from me to Tyler, whose cheeks are flushed. I can’t even imagine what mine look like. It’s clear as fucking day what we were doing.
“I stained my shirt with cranberries. Had to change it.” My words are snotty, because I know why Red is asking. He’s only asking because he’s being a dick and wants to be mad.
“Bullshit,” he mutters, sitting back on the couch and glaring at Tyler.
Tyler shakes his head and sits down on the couch, away from Red and near me, our fingers touching in the process.
I blow out a controlled breath, not caring if he knows those words affected me like they did. Repeating the words in my head, they make my head buzz. I can’t concentrate with him this close and my family in the room. Our eyes lock and his breathing falters, as though he can’t either and he might turn his head and brush his lips to mine regardless of who’s watching.
A languid smile stretches across his mouth when he knows he has an effect on me even now.
Nova choses then to jump on Tyler’s lap. “Uncle Ty, can I spend the night with you tonight?”
He looks at her curiously and it’s obvious he doesn’t want that but he’s not going to tell her no. “Why would you want to stay with me? I don’t have any toys or anything for you.”
“My dad won’t let me sleep in his bed anymore.” She eyes Red from across the room. “Can I sleep in yours?”
“No,” Tyler says immediately. “Girls don’t sleep in my bed.” His comment is suggestive because really, I certainly haven’t done a lot of sleeping in his bed either.
I snort. “How about you stay with Grammy,” I suggest and Mom beams from her place beside Uncle Hendrix where they’re drinking wine and talking about my dad and their memories.
“I’d love for you to stay, Nova.”
Nova seems happy with that and slides off Tyler’s lap, bypassing Red who’s trying to tickle her, and jumps up like the little lap whore she is and sits on Mom’s lap. “Okay. I’ll sleep with you, in your bed.”
Mom hugs her tightly. “I love sleepovers with my little lady.”
I’m not entirely sure but Red seems bothered by Nova’s distance to him the last month. She was so happy for him to come home from the hospital and to have Lenny move in. I don’t think she realized what it would mean with her daddy having a live-in girlfriend. She adores Lenny; it’s Red who she’s taking her anger out on.
We all knew it was coming with her eventually. You can’t experience what Nova’s been through at such a young age and not be affected by it in some way.
Tyler gets up a few minutes later and grabs two beers from the kitchen during the fourth quarter of the game.
Lenny takes the opportunity to sneak over to me and sits where Tyler was. “Were you in the bathroom with him?” she whispers.
I nod, making sure Red doesn’t see. He’s not paying any attention to us; instead, he’s now arguing with Rawley, who’s telling him he won’t be at work tomorrow because he’s playing in Portland tomorrow night again.
“I don’t even know why you fucking work there, Rawley. It’s not like you show up for five days in a row.” The sour tone to Red’s voice draws Mom’s attention.
“Red, don’t,” she warns, scowling at him but keeping Nova cuddled between her and Hendrix. “Not today.”
