“I can wear whatever I like, thank you very much.”
The two argued back and forth as I downed the contents of my water bottle, hoping neither noticed my reaction a few seconds prior.
When it seemed like neither party was ready to cave, I chimed in and let them know I needed to relieve their mother of the twins in about an hour. The girls were hesitant to spend the night with Andrew’s mom, Marisol. In truth, I wasn’t quite ready for that either, but we were slowly working our way up to it.
Agreeing to head back to the bar, I hung back with Alex for a moment while Andrew ventured down the stairs first. I stretched the truth and explained I wasn’t certain the rusty metal would hold us all at once, but I really just wanted one more moment alone with Alex.
Grasping her hand in mine as we stood at the door, I squeezed her fingers to get her attention. “You look beautiful, just as you had earlier.”
The smile she graced me with was enough to energize me for the rest of the night. I could live off it alone and never tire of seeing it.
“Thank you,” she responded in a way I knew I’d do whatever I could to make her smile again.
I wanted to say something more, explain that even though it was wrong, I wanted more time with her. But that all fell away as Andrew called up to us. Alex descended the stairs first, then I slowly followed.
As a trio, we entered the bar, where there was no sign of the guys or Stephen. Either Andrew handled it while I was upstairs handling his sister, or they left on their own. I was convinced it was the former.
“Oh, look! Sadie’s here!” Alex bellowed as she focused on the tall brunette I recognized as Colton’s younger half-sister.
Alex skirted away once Andrew and I secured a booth. We ordered some beers from the server, but I couldn’t taste the hoppy liquid. My eyes too focused on Alex and the way her hand rested on the arm of the man she was speaking with. They were familiar with each other, and I hated it.
Doesn’t he know she’s mine?
I shook my head, knowing I had no claim on Alex, and I hoped my friend hadn’t caught me staring at his sister. When I looked over at him, he was too busy staring at Sadie and the other guy who had his arm wrapped around her waist. The vein above his right temple pulsated as he watched the flirtatious display.
Thankfully, neither woman took the bait those guys were tossing. A few minutes later, they both skipped toward our booth. Alex settled in next to me, stole my bottle of beer, and took a hearty sip. I rested my arm along the upper portion of the booth, twisting my body slightly to face her.
Around me, the bar patrons continued to mill about, but for me, everything froze in place as I waited for Andrew’s reaction. The move wasn’t something people who barely knew each other would have made. It was intimate, familiar.
I expected Andrew to lash out, to condemn both me and Alex for the display. And I knew without a second thought that I’d do my best to protect her from that onslaught. But just as surprising as her sipping my beer until the server returned, Andrew’s face relaxed, and he began chatting with Sadie about her recent job interview.
The coast seemed to be clear for now, but Alex and I were standing on the edge of rocky terrain. The waves were going to reach us soon, and I wasn’t sure if either of us would be able to withstand the impact. Whatever we had was going to have to stay in the history books for now. We both had other things we needed to focus on.
But as her thigh innocently brushed against mine, I knew it was going to be hell to stay away from her.
I could do it though.
Right?
Chapter Nine – Alex
I threw my headphones toward the foot of the bed as I toed off my sneakers. The run had been just what I needed this morning to let off some steam. Earlier this week, I had done the best I could at ignoring Nate. But ever since the bar incident Wednesday, it seemed we switched places. I feared he’d grown tired of me already, even though nothing could come of our attraction. It was silly, but I couldn’t control how I processed his actions, regardless of me doing the same to him.
He was gone early in the morning before I even woke up. Which really wasn’t all that early, since I tended to go to bed late and sleep in, but it was still well before 8:00 a.m. Then Nate would come in for lunch and dinner and return for good just as night fell across the Ashfield sky. The girls were spending their days with my mom, which she absolutely loved. But I was getting worried about their dad.
For two days in a row, he came to dinner looking more and more harried. The man who wore a suit to the farmer’s market when he arrived now donned dirty white shirts covered in grease stains and shorts that had more tears and rips in them than they did belt loops. He looked more like the mechanic in town than the billionaire who graced the pages of magazines.
I didn’t mind the dirt and grime. It gave him a blue-collar appeal I found enticing. What I found myself agonizing over were the growing bags under his eyes. It was clear whatever he was doing in the workshop behind the bed-and-breakfast was adding a layer of stress the man didn’t need.
I had many ideas on how to help him relieve that stress—only a few of them sexual in nature. Those were things I wasn’t sure he would bite at. But I’d have to see him first.
Which was why I was standing outside the workshop in the midst of an East Coast heatwave. There wasn’t much shade in this part of the yard. If it weren’t for the subtle breeze that rustled the tips of my hair, I’d be concerned about Nate overheating in the shed. But I had nothing to worry about. He ran a few extension cords into the space and set up a couple of oversized fans.
Hunched over a workbench, Nate’s back glistened beneath a large flood lamp. Droplets of sweat raced downward from his neck to the two dimples just above the shorts resting low on his hips. His body was a masterpiece.
I watched in silence as his arms flexed while adjusting something with the tool. I’d been worried about Nate overheating, but as my mouth grew drier with each passing second, maybe I should’ve been more worried for myself.
Is it hot out here, or is it just Nate fucking Sullivan?
