I glance around, then whisper, “There’s a trail behind Zane and Autumn’s place. We took a side-by-side to stargaze.”
“And?” she whispers, growing giddy with each passing second.
I lower my voice, leaning closer to her so no one overhears this conversation.
“Magical. Until drunk teenagers guzzled our champagne, stole my lingerie, then burned our clothes!”
She gasps. “Bastards! Did you recognize them?”
“No! But I swear, if Ieversee them again, I’m telling their mothers! They have my panties and bra! I had to ride to the cabin with nothing more than a blanket wrapped around me!”
Blaire shakes with laughter. “Wait. Why were your clothes off?”
I shake my head. “We were skinny-dipping.”
“Oh? Oh.Oh!”
“Before you say anything, we’re just having fun and helping each other with relationship stuff,” I say.
Blaire gives me a look. “Jules?—”
“I’m just enjoying my time with him for now without stipulations and expectations. It’s been nice. It is what it is right now, and I’m okay with that,” I admit.
“You aresoentirely screwed.”
“Nah. It’s not like that with us. It’s different.”
“Yeah, it sounds like it,” she says, looking past me. “The real deal.”
The bell chimes, and when I turn to look at the door, I see Nick carrying pink roses and a white box with a ribbon. His hair is messy from being blown in the breeze, and his button-up is rolled to his elbows, showing his delicious forearms. I breathe in, actually happy to see him.
“It’s like you summoned him,” Blaire says loud enough for everyone to hear, even Nick, who looks pleased.
The women in the dining room turn their heads toward him as he stalks across the room toward me. It’s like they’ve been waiting for him to arrive too. The air in the room evaporates, and my stomach does that flutter thing when our eyes meet. My entire body heats like he set me on fire.
“Wow,” Blaire whispers. “I’d die if a man ever looked at me like that.”
“Morning, beautiful,” Nick says so naturally, leaning across the counter.
I think he’s going to kiss my cheek, but instead, our lips touch. Iwant to melt into him, but let it be quick, considering everyone is watching us.
“Hi,” I say. “I was just thinking about you.”
“What a coincidence. I was thinking about you too,” he admits, his voice low and sexy.
Blaire scoffs. “He’s not real.”
Nick hands the fancy box across the counter to me. “For you. Open it later. When you’re alone,” he says with a wink.
Blaire is speechless and shocked. Nick moves to the register and pulls his wallet from his pocket.
“If you hurt my best friend, I’ll chop off your dick,” Blaire warns under her breath.
“Good,” he says. “I’d deserve it.”
He leans in and orders his drink.
A minute later, I glance down and smirk when an order for a pumpkin spice latte prints.
