My fingers twitched with the need to reach up, grip the back of his neck and pull him down to kiss me.
Derek lifted one of his hands off my wrist and slowly moved it toward my face. I felt my stomach clench and…
Nope.
I shifted, using my freed hand to gently push his hip to move him off me, looking away to snap the tension between us.
“Okay, well, this is the swimming hole.” I muttered. “Just remember to not bring any tourist chicks out here.”
“You okay?” I could hear the confusion in Derek’s voice as I stood to make my way back toward the walkways.
“Fine.” I responded, trying to sound more level-headed and calm than I felt.
“Are you sure?”
“I said I’m fine.” My voice was more clipped than I wanted, but it was the best I could do without giving away how rapidly my heart was beating in my chest.
“We should head back, it’s getting late.” I called over my shoulder, still trying to avoid eye contact.
“Colton?” His voice sounded so small and unsure, and I couldn’t help glancing back.
His brows were furrowed together, the corners of his eyes pinched making it obvious I’d hurt him. Biting back my desire to go over and comfort him, I plastered a customer service smile on my face. It was the best I could do at the moment.
“We should go.” I reiterated.
“Yeah… Okay,” He mumbled after a moment before wading through the pool to join me on the walkway to collect our things.
We walked back in silence, our clothes mostly dry by the time we reached the truck. I didn’t know what to say to him for the first time since we met. I may not have known him long, but the heaviness between us felt so foreign. But, how did you explain to someone you just needed a moment to not kiss the fuck out of them? You didn’t. The whole way home, Icouldn’t stop thinking about what had nearly happened and chiding myself over getting too caught up in the moment.
Friend zone, I reminded myself. That was a hard line.
I gritted my teeth as another rush of adrenaline hit me at the reminder of his damn seductive lips and his wet shirt that clung to every well-defined muscle in his upper body.
It’d just been a while since I’d been with someone, that was all. All I needed to do was go out and get laid. This was just misplaced sexual frustration.
I was not getting a hard-on for my very straight roommate.
I wasn’t.
CHAPTER 7
Colton
Things had only continuedto be strained between Derek and I after what happened at Darby’s Wish, which was entirely on me. He had been his wonderfully snarky self, trying to banter and crack jokes with me but… I just couldn’t. It was hard to maintain the same level of physical closeness we’d shared before without feeling like I was right back at the swimming hole again.
I couldn’t look at him without seeing an image of him all perfect with his clumped lashes, flushed face, and sexy plump lips above me. If I had let him touch me, what would have happened? Would he have brushed hair off my face? Or had he been feeling the crackling tension in the air too?
I groaned and scrubbed a hand down my face.
Every small touch from Derek since that day had sent shivers of awareness down my spine. I felt like a teenager all over again, freaked that I would pop a boner at random times. I had to do something about it.
And by doing something about it, I meant going out, finding someone else to lose myself in, and helping me get over whatever these feelings were. Derek was my roommate. Mystraightroommate, who I’d been getting on well with until this sexual tension cropped up.
But that would all be remedied after tonight.
I stared at myself in my bathroom mirror, looking for anything more I needed to do before leaving. My hair was gelled and styled exactly how I liked, swept over to one side and long enough to fall artfully across my brow. The top was thick and voluminous which made my jawline pop and drew the eye to the line of my neck.
I decided I’d wear a thin line of eyeliner along my upper lashes. Nothing too dramatic. Just a hint, but enough to call attention to my eyes.
