Page 27 of Hard To Stay

Chapter Nine

Lexi

Travelingwith a cop certainly had its perks. We managed to make it to the Cape in just under three hours. You could smell the ocean water as we turned into the driveway of a very impressive three-story Victorian home. The wraparound porch faced the Atlantic Ocean and the sandy beaches of Cape May. I smiled when I noticed the white wooden rocking chairs on the deck that were practically calling my name. Everything was perfect, from the clear blue skies to the luscious landscaping that lined the front of the house. I couldn’t think of a better way to unwind after a long stressful week.

While stepping out of the car I couldn’t stop myself from checking Brad out. His hair was gleaming from the sun, and I felt my insides grow hot the second my feet hit the pavement. He was perfect eye candy. HIs dark blue t-shirt hugged his muscles so tight; I had to resist the urge to fan myself. The aviators he wore only made it worse, but I silently prayed that I could peel them off of him so I could see those twinkling brown eyes that I loved to stare into.

It worried me that I might be in over my head but yet I’d never felt more comfortable in my own skin than when I was with him. Brad Morgan was everything I could ever want in a man, everything I could ever need. It was as though he was made and put onto this planet just for me. It should have made me anxious about how deep of a situation I was allowing myself to get into. Instead, I felt content and happier than I’d been in a long time. If ever.

“Nice place.” I said, glancing around trying to ignore the flock of butterflies in my stomach.

“It belongs to Sawyer’s family. He has three brothers and they all get one weekend a month during the summer.” Brad replied as we made our way around the back of the car. He picked up both our bags with his one hand and reached out with his free hand to take mine. I tried not to read too much into the small little gesture.

“I can carry my bag.” I said, holding out my arm to take it from him.

“So can I.” He ignored my arm and started walking towards the house. Don’t read too much into this, my brain chanted over and over.

The front door swung open. Sawyer stood there wearing nothing other than a pair of board shorts. It took me a minute to admire him. He was toned and in perfect shape, but his body didn’t hold a candle to Brad’s.

He greeted me with a smile. “Hey, glad you could make it. Faith will be psyched to see you.”

I walked through the threshold, letting go of Brad’s hand so I could take a look around. “Thanks for the invite. What a nice place you have here.”

The entire house was meticulously decorated in soft peaches and coral blues. It was an older home but the white wainscoting and grey walls gave it a modern feel. The bookcases and tables were filled with pictures of Sawyer and his brothers growing up over the years. I could almost hear the laughter of family gatherings flowing through the house.

I grew up having nice things, but that didn’t equal happiness and warm memories. This home reminded me of everything I’d dreamt about but convinced myself I would never have.

The sound of footsteps running down the stairs echoed in the family room. “You guys finally made it.” Faith shrieked, bouncing into the living room. Her hair was a tangled mess and her lips looked red and swollen. I glanced at Sawyer who had a sheepish look on his face, then turned to Brad who was doing a pathetic job of fighting back his smile.

“Yeah, we did.” Brad grinned, “but I’m guessing you guys wouldn’t have minded if we were about 20 minutes later.”

I elbowed him in the side. “Ouch… what the hell was that for?” He groaned looking at me.

“Haven’t you ever heard of the word discreet?” I whispered, glaring at him.

Faith laughed as she walked up to Sawyer and wrapped her arms around his waist. “That’s okay, Lexi, we’re all adults here. Everybody knows we like to have sex.”

Sawyer laughed out loud, pulling her into him for a quick, wet kiss. I shook my head and glanced over to Brad who was trying to hide his amusement.

“Okay, I’m glad we cleared that up.” Brad said. “Which guest room is Lexi in?” He asked, while picking up my bag as he made his way towards the stairs.

“About that…” Sawyer called out. “You guys have to share a room. I completely forget but my mother had the hardwood floors refinished upstairs this week which means we can’t use the third floor bedrooms until the finish is completely dry.”

Brad stopped and looked at me, pausing for a moment. He turned to Sawyer and glanced around the room. “Okay, then the couch it is.”

“Dude, I know it doesn’t look like it but that couch is as comfortable as a bed of nails.”

“Not worried about it.” Brad informed him, holding his hand up to eliminate any further discussion. He turned to walk up the stairs leaving me with no choice but to follow him.

Once I reached the doorway, he shuffled through his overnight bag lying on the floor. His head popped up, sensing me behind him. “Do you mind if I keep my stuff in here?”

I glanced around the room noticing the queen-sized mattress. It certainly looked big enough for two people but the bigger question was would we be able to control ourselves sleeping in the same bed together?

Before I gave my brain a chance to process our current situation and mull over our sleeping conditions, I found myself saying, “We can sleep together.”

Brad’s whole body stilled, while holding his electric razor in his hands. I suddenly realized that my reply came out all wrong.

“I mean we can share the bed.” I corrected myself, hating the way my brain always short-circuited when he was around.

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