Page 77 of Stuck with Me

When I’m standing in only my bra and underwear before him, the chill in the air causes a shiver to race down my spine. He licks his lips and takes his sweet time gazing at me like I’m about to be his next meal.

And the more he stares at me like that, the more turned on I get. And the more impatient I become.

“Why do you have to be so fucking beautiful? It’s cruel, ya know that?”

I huff out a laugh. “I’m finding it hard to see where the problem is.”

“Because I can’t touch you. Do you know how unfair that is? While you’re standing there, looking like that. Looking like you want me to lay you down on that kitchen island and eat you out like you’re the most delicious meal I’ve ever had.”

I swallow. A tingling sensation starts in my chest and wriggles down to my core. Stepping closer, I lean into him and graze his ear with my lips while I whisper, “What’s stopping you?”

He exhales a throaty groan that grates against my skin and turns me inside out with lust.

But before either of us have a chance to make a move, the lights flicker on. The brightness is blinding in the dimly lit space of the cabin. While I should be relieved the power is back on, disappointment slides through me.

We step back from one another. And just like that, our moment is over. It’s honestly probably for the best. Things between us have changed since last night when we slept together.

Nico clears his throat. “Fucking finally,” he says with a groan.

“Yeah, finally,” I repeat, my voice cracking as I drag a shaky hand through my hair.

“We should probably charge our phones,” he mumbles.

His suggestion makes complete sense. Even if it’s the last thing on my mind. I want to forget the outside world, forget anyone else exists, forget my problems exist.

But the reality is, that Cammie and Maverick will be here soon. And then everything that Nico and I have shared in this cabin for the past three days will become nonexistent. We will go back to hating each other. Or at the very least, only coexisting in a shared space.

Trying and failing to not allow the awkwardness to consume me as I stand in a fully lit living room wearing only my bra and undies, I quickly gather my clothes and rush to the bathroom. No way are my undies dry after that hot and flirty foreplay session.

CHAPTER21

Nico

The power coming back on exactly when it did was a cruel twist of fate. Or maybe it was the answer to a prayer I never prayed but should’ve.

While Rosie retreats to the bathroom, I go into the bedroom and dress in more layers. I don’t want to be inside the cabin when her friends arrive. So while she does, whatever she’s doing in the bathroom, I plug my phone into the charger and stuff my feet inside my boots and brave the cold outside.

Even though the snow is deep enough to reach the tops of my boots, I take a walk through the thickness. It’s late afternoon and the sun is sitting low in the sky. The icy air feels as if it freezes the inside of my nostrils as I inhale through my nose. While it’s beautiful, with all the trees topped with snow and everything covered in the white stuff as far as my eyes can see, I still can’t understand why anyone would choose to live here.

The thoughts in my mind jumble around. Thisthingbetween Rosie and I is intense and has me all kinds of messed up. In the short amount of time we’ve been together, we’ve shared more than any two people have. Learning our grandparents’ relationship wasn’t just a fling but was love, dropped a bomb of emotions I wasn’t ready for.

They both stayed with their spouses because they made a commitment. While I can appreciate the loyalty, I can’t help but feel sad over it. And then the fact that they reunited again so many years later. It should make me happy for them. But again, all I feel is sadness. Based on what Rosie and I learned, the two of them only had about a year together before Rosie’s grandma passed away from a heart attack. And then a month later, complications from the stroke took my grandad.

I want to tell Amelia. Tell her everything.

But it’s a good thing my phone is dead. Because I need time to process everything myself first. I’m not sure she will be able to handle it. I know for a fact my mother won’t.

To not get lost, I stay straight as I continue my journey through the fluffy snow. I dodge a tree here and there, but I stay heading south. If I remember correctly on my ride up to the cabin with Designated Dean, the road runs north.

It’s so cold, that my strained breath puffs into the chilly afternoon air. And I’m positive my legs are numb by now. But I keep going. Keep wrestling with memories of the past. Granddad and Gigi. Memories of the present. Rosie. Fucking Rosie.

The smart-mouthed asshole.

Winner of best B.J.

The remedy for panic attacks.

Myremedy.

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