“Do you always sleep naked?” she asks, her voice traveling from the other room.
When I get up, I hit the nightstand with the bottom of my fist like it offended my family’s name. “Are you taking notes or just curious?” I hear a scoff that makes me laugh as I spy my suitcase through the door. Shit. I walk to the door. I’m not shy about my body. I work hard enough on it, but I’m not looking to make this more awkward than it already is. “My clothes are in there with you.”
“I’ll turn around.”
I stroll out of the bedroom to see her twisting a tray to crack free the ice. Bending down, I grab a clean pair of boxer briefs and slip them on. “All good,” I announce. She didn’t seem too bothered to see my bare body, but it’s best if the entertainment ends the show on a high note.
She slowly turns around with her hands over her eyes. I can see the brown of her eyes as she peeks through the cracks of her fingers. And then she releases a heavy breath as relief washes through her, and a smile graces her face. “Hi.”
“Hi,” I say, stepping closer to the peninsula of a counter separating us.
“I wasn’t expecting someone to break in and enter tonight.”
“No one ever does.”
Her lips tighten as she looks down at a sandwich bag of ice. Wrapping a dish towel around it, she says, “I don’t have food here, like peas or steak, to keep the swelling down. Only ice.” She reaches over the counter to rest it gently on my head. “It’s going to get cold.”
“I can handle it.” I cover her hand with mine, thinking I’m replacing it, but she doesn’t pull away.
Her eyes fall to mine again, and I see the momentsomething snaps her to reality, causing her to blink twice. She pulls her hand back as she shakes her head. “I should get you ibuprofen.”
She’s gone before I can argue otherwise. When she dips to dig through her bag on the floor, the shirt rides up just slightly. I’m an asshole so I more than check out the smooth curve of her ass. There’s more than a handful to nip if we ever happen to find ourselves in a compromising position. Not that we would . . .It’s Lauralee.
And I know she wants nothing to do with me, or we would have made the move back at that reception. I bend my neck to the side but straighten my spine when she stands. Rattling the bottle in her hands, she grins. “Found them.” Seemingly pleased with herself, she sets the small bottle in front of me, then swings around the counter into the kitchen again.
“Thanks.”
“I think you should take two.” She gets me a glass of water and sets it down for me. I pop the bottle open and toss two pills in my mouth before chasing them with water. She hands me the ice pack again in a silent command. “How are you feeling?”
Chuckling, I reply, “I’ve been better.” I return the ice to my head again. “You don’t have to take care of me. It’s late, and I’m sure you’re tired.”
“It is late.” She leans against the counter and tilts her head. “I’m not even sure what time it is, but I kind of do need to play nurse since I’m responsible for this mess.”The images that evoke . . .
“You were released from blame when I broke into the place.” She laughs. It’s sweet but a bit shy as she looks down. I lower my voice. “Hey.” When she looks up again, I say, “I’msorry for scaring you. I didn’t think you’d be here. Christine didn’t know you’d be here.”
“I haven’t told her I’ve been staying here.”
I lower the ice again. “Sounds like there’s a story to tell.”
She gives a quick shrug before coming around the island again. “Not tonight, there’s not. I have to get up in three hours.” She glances toward the window where the lightning is fighting outside to get in. “The storm sounds worse than ever. You can’t drive in that.” Heading for the bedroom, she stops in the doorway and looks back. “So you can sleep on the couch out here or take half the bed for yourself. What will it be?”
I’m not one to pass up an invitation from a beautiful woman, even if she is my sister’s friend and a former annoying kid to my friends and me. I set the ice bag in the sink before hightailing it to follow her back to the bedroom. “The bed. Definitely the bed.” But when she turns, the halt of her forward steps has me running into the back of her and grabbing her waist before I can run her over. “What?” I look over her shoulder and into the room to see something pink on the bed.
I’m not sure why a wry grin slides over my face. I guess this is the first time I’ve allowed myself to consider that Lauralee is not that annoying little kid anymore. And now, she’s definitely making me feel things I shouldn’t consider. But if she wants to have some fun on her own, I’m all for it.
She slips from my grip, diving for the mattress. With the breeze of her escape pushing past me, I look up. She is, in fact, not wearing anything under her T-shirt.
Fuck me.
She’s definitely not the same girl I once knew . . .Nope. Lauralee Knot is all grown up and more gorgeous than I have a right to notice.
CHAPTER 2
Lauralee Knot
“Don’t look, okay?”I request in a panic. Besides the plastic painfully burrowing into my stomach, the cool air of the room blows over my ass, causing goose bumps to populate across my skin. I reach around my back and lower the hem of my T-shirt down to cover my bare butt. I don’t think he can see anything else, but I have a feeling I’ll never live this down.
“I’m not looking, Lauralee.” Baylor Greene is back—in town, in my bed mostly naked, and now probably ogling my ass.
