“Oh. Okay.”
Damon’s lips stretch into an uncertain grin before he steps back and closes the door. As soon as I’m alone again, I draw a deep, hearty breath. My head spins, my body temperature spiking as I realize what almost happened. What I so desperately wanted to happen.
6
CLARA
That evening, I’m back in my brother’s cabin. Matty is sound asleep in his room. He had a good day, and his blood pressure was good before I put him to bed, so chances are he’ll spend the entire night in dreamland.
I head to the kitchen, determined to bake a tray of his favorite cookies, though my mind is definitely not focused on baking. I keep going back to Carter, Damon, and Jace, thoughts of them making me dizzy.
I yearn for so much more.
A sudden knock on the front door startles me.
I make my way through the dimly lit hallway, briefly glancing at myself in the mirror. My copper-red hair is pulled up in a loose bun, a few locks dangling over my ears. By the time I open the door and see Carter and Damon standing on the wooden porch, I forget that all I have on underneath this plush robe is a short, satin nightgown.
“Hey,” I manage. “What are you doing here?”
“Checking in,” Carter replies.
“Checking in?”
“Making sure you’re okay,” he explains.
I nod, trying to formulate a coherent response, but I find it hard to focus. “I’m okay. I was just about to bake cookies for Matty,” I tell them.
“Where is the little man?” Damon asks.
“Asleep in his room.”
He responds by holding up a bottle of red wine. Judging by the label alone, it’s not the kind one finds at the liquor store around the corner. “Would you like to share this with us?”
I should say no. I should just say good night and shut the door. I know where this will lead and I know how it will end. It’s written all over their faces. I want it, too. Badly.
“You can join me in the kitchen,” I say, taking a step back to let them in.
“It would be our pleasure,” Carter replies.
Brushing past me, he touches my hip, ever so slightly, and it’s enough to get my pulse racing.
“Thank you,” Damon says. “You’re gonna love this. It’s an excellent vintage.”
“I could certainly use a drink,” I sigh.
He pauses and gives me a curious look while I shut the front door. The way he looks at me makes my skin sizzle all over. Few words are needed between us, even though we would have a lot to talk about, if I were willing to open up. It’s oddlycomforting, however, to know that I don’t have to say much. Not tonight, anyway.
Once we’re gathered in the kitchen, the air thickens. Carter takes a seat at the kitchen island, briefly studying my recipe book while Damon gets a corkscrew out of the drawer to open the wine bottle. I give him a surprised look. He notices and smiles.
“We took care of the place while you were gone,” Damon reminds me. “I know where everything is.”
“Thank you for that,” I say quietly, lowering my gaze.
He reaches out and rests a hand on the small of my back. Even through the robe’s plush layer, I can still feel his incandescent touch. “It was our pleasure, Clara. I’m glad you had a nice home to come back to.”
“How is Matty feeling?” Carter asks.
“Today was a good day,” I reply with a soft smile.
