Page 47 of Tempt Me

His eyes narrow into slits. But one blink later, his expression shifts to an open smile. “Can you do me a favor?”

“Uh, sure.” I shuffle from foot to foot. Xavier has never asked me for a favor, but he’s gone out of his way to help me when I needed it. It would be rude to not return the favor. “What do you need?”

“Come inside. I need you to get something for me.”

I follow behind him. Xavier is wearing last year’s state football championship T-shirt and shorts. As he strides toward the front door, the muscles in his back shift with his movements. Why didn’t I fall for him? It would’ve been easier.

Once we’re in the kitchen, Xavier gnaws on his bottom lip. “One second.” He grabs his phone and a set of keys. “Hold tight.” He rushes out of sight as his feet pad up the stairs.

What in the fuck? They say girls are cryptic.

Moments later, he stops in front of me and gives me a sheepish look. “Can you grab Dom’s championship hat from his closet and take it to the football field?”

“What?” I wrinkle my nose. That makes no sense. He was just upstairs. Why didn’t he grab it, and why do I need to take it to him?

“Grab Dom’s hat and take it to him.” His gaze shifts to the wall behind me as if he’s preoccupied with something. “He had to drop Levi off at the field.” He lifts his shoulder in a shrug. “He forgot his hat, and he’s getting a headache. You know, it’s sunny out today. Anyway, I can’t leave yet, and it’s on your way. Don’t make this into a big deal.” He meets my gaze and arches his eyebrows while crossing his arms over his chest. “Unless it’s a big deal?”

“No.” Whatever. I’ve got to see him anyway. “I’ll get it and take it to him.”

“Perfect.” The corners of Xavier’s mouth rise into a grin, but then, as if he remembered something, his expression shifts to a frown. “I appreciate it.”

What in the fuck is wrong with him? I growl under my breath as I jog up the stairs. My heart bangs in my chest as I pull open the door. It smells like him. My head spins as desire curls low in my belly. His room is clean. Neat and tidy. Bed made. The clothes he wore last night dropped carelessly on the floor.

I haven’t been in Dominic’s room for years. Not since the day they moved in. It feels wicked and forbidden. After I snap the door shut, I trace my hand over the blue comforter. Why can’t life be easy? Why can’t he feel the same stumbling of heartbeats and fluttering of butterflies whenever he sees me?

You’re here for a reason. Stop drooling in his room. Get the hat. And get out of here.

I stomp to the closet and yank open the door. A gasp escapes my lips. The closet is a walk-in style design, but instead of being stuffed with clothes, it’s filled with painting supplies, tripods, and canvases.

Everywhere in the room are paintings and drawings. And more than a few of them are of me.

My hand shakes as I approach the closest one and run my fingertip along the top frame. He had to have drawn this one last night. It’s me in all my naked glory on my parents’ sofa.

I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s stunning. The intimacy. The details. The lust in my eyes. Jesus. I shudder from head to toe. This is crazy. I bite my lips together and clutch my chest as I spin, taking in the rest of the drawings.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Dominic

When did I turn into a taxi service? First, I had to take Levi to the football field. Now, I must drive back and pick Xavier up for the game. It’s like everyone’s vehicles have gone on the fritz at the same time.

As I drive past Mrs. Thompson’s house, she sets down her watering can and waves. Both her wave and her grin are over the top. Fuck. This isn’t good. I respond but with less enthusiasm. I like our neighborhood, but the small-town vibe can be a bit much sometimes. It didn’t matter what we did as kids, our parents knew before we got home, and it’s no different now.

I glance back at Mrs. Thompson as I drive past. It's as if the entire town knows I had sex with Bella last night. She pulls her phone out of her pocket and smashes it to her ear while watching my vehicle.

If everyone knows, how exactly are we going to live this down? It’s not like Bella wanted our business broadcast all over town. We should’ve stayed in Kansas City. Better yet, we shouldn’t have done it in the first place.

Damn it. I groan in frustration and flip the blinker as everything comes rushing back, and every nerve in my body is on full alert, screaming for a repeat.

Her car is still parked outside of our house. She’s still here. Shit. My heart hammers in my chest as the blood rushes to my head. Thump. Thump. Thump. My hands shake as I place mypickup into park, giving her access to leave. I’ve already boxed her into this mess. The least I can do is give her a path to get away from me.

After shutting the door, I climb the steps and walk into the living room. She needs to know that half the town somehow knows we were together, and we need to make a gameplan plan to survive the fallout.

Xavier pops his head out of the kitchen. “Hey, Dom, can you grab my Carhartt pullover sweatshirt? The one I let you borrow last year. I need it back.”

What in the fuck? The dude hasn’t missed it in twelve months. Why now? More importantly, where’s Bella?

I glance around the first floor but don’t sense her presence. Maybe she rode to the game with Sam or Ben. That makes sense. I rotate my neck to ease the building tension. The thought of telling her in front of a crowd is as unappealing as knowing her brothers are going to beat the shit out of me when they hear the news.

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