“Yeah?” A smirk tugs at my lips. “For how long?”
Her cheeks flush, each shallow breath drawing my attention to her chest. She bites her thumbnail and slides her eyes to mine. “For as long as you want me.”
What is that look?
Our dynamic feels different somehow. I try not to fidget as the charge shifts in the air, but my dick misses the memo.I’m just a fucking horndog.Shit. Nothing’s changed, and now I’m a creep. Breaking our stare, I tap my phone, halted by several missed messages from Ashlie. “You, uh…texted mea lotyesterday…”
“Yeah, well, that was before I found out you were terrorizing the nurses in the hospital. You were stuck with your mom all week. I wanted to check on you.”
“Aww, you were worried about me?” I tease, smirking.
“Whew, yeah, don’t know what came over me…” She rolls her eyes, but I don’t miss the smile on her face. We sit in silence while I eat my breakfast, until a yawn slips out of my mouth. “I should go back downstairs and let you get more sleep.”
Don’t leave.
She pushes off the bed, and I lunge for her wrist. “Wait!” The sun illuminating her freckles makes me flounder for an excuse for her to stay. “We, um…could watch funny videos?” I say slowly, finally gesturing to the flat screen mounted on the wall. It’s the best I can come up with, but the smile spreading across her face is akin to striking gold.
“Yeah, okay. But if you get tired, you better tell me…”
“Just come over here.” I scoot as she sheds her jacket and climbs in. Electric currents buzz through me when she settles against my arm, the undeniable urge to intertwine our fingers almost too hard to resist. But we’re finally past everything that happened at the lodge. Making this friendly moment into something more will send her running for the hills faster than she ran from my room that morning. More than ever, I want her to stay.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
ASHLIE
Hunter
You’re gonna be late for your date…
Me
And you’re annoying.
Hunter
The club shuts down in 4 hours. You gonna be ready before then?
Me
Give me 10 minutes!
I’m nervous. A New Year’s Eve date with Trevor seemed like the best idea when he asked, but now the pressure of a potential kiss at midnight fills me with anxiety. It’s not that I don’t like Trevor. I do. We’ve been talking since our hiking date, and his flirting is top tier. He’s sweet, thoughtful—I have no complaints so far. Kissing him would probably be great, but the last person I kissed was Hunter. And I haven’t been able to move past it.
Hunter definitely has. When I brought breakfast to his room last week, his phone buzzed in my hand and I glanced at it. Ava and all her business were barely covered by the black lingerie. The reality check helped me box up the newly confessed feelings I shared with Willa. They’re currently bundled tight in the crypt of memories we don’t talk about. Hunter’s already on to his next thing. I’m the one who needs to get control of my feelings. But he really should turn his text previews off.
“You’re shiny.” Hunter looks me up and down, his face unreadable as I slide into the passenger seat. He’s in his standard black button down and jeans.
“Uh, duh…” I smooth a hand down the silver bodice of my mirror dress. “It’s New Year’s Eve.”
“Oh,thatexplains it.” He scowls as he pulls out of my parking lot, squinting as soon as we hit the first stoplight.
“You know, I can drive us if it’s too hard for you to see at night…oryou could just wear your?—”
“I don’t need my damn glasses. I’m fine.”
I chuff. “Are you going to be this much fun all night? What’s your problem?”
“Nothing,” he murmurs, staring straight ahead. The muscle in his jaw flutters as he clenches his teeth.
