Page 17 of Wicked Love

“And if she wakes up and sees you sleeping out here, she won’t?”

I pause. “Good point.”

“Come on. We’re adults and I’m so sleepy, I couldn’t be naughty tonight even if I wanted to.”

“Naughty?” I echo.

She smirks.

Part of me is disappointed that she wouldn’t want to be naughty with me, but the rest of me relaxes.

“You’re right. The bed is big. Stay on your side,” I tell her.

She makes a derisive sound. “Get over yourself. You stay on your side.”

I nod. This is better. I can tolerate her irritation with me far easier than the slightly swoony eyes she was giving me all night. Although that was a helluva lot of fun while it was happening.

I shut off my thoughts and stalk to the bedroom.

“What time does Becca get up?”

“Around seven usually, but she might sleep longer after the night she had.”

“Okay, I’ll be out of here before then. I can go to the gym or walk around town until I meet everyone for breakfast.”

“Oh, you’re going to that too?” Damn, she’s getting tight with my friends in a short amount of time. Is there a fucking conspiracy to set me up with this woman?

She nods.

“You could also take your time and leave after we do.Becca will get up and watch TV for a little bit and Mrs. McGregor will be up with her. She won’t come in here and if she’s asking for me, I’ll go out there. No need to not sleep in.”

“Okay. Thank you.”

I hold out my hand, pointing out the bathroom and she goes in there with her bag and shuts the door. I put on the T-shirt and pajama pants I brought and wait for her to come out so I can use the restroom and brush my teeth. When almost ten minutes pass, I wonder if she’s okay in there.

“Uh, Bowie?” she says.

“Yeah?”

“Can you turn out the light? I thought I was staying in a room by myself and didn’t bring the right things.”

“Uh, sure,” I say.

I turn out the lights and yet I still catch a glimpse of her fitted, thin-strapped tank top, erect nipples, and pretty underwear when she walks out. Her legs are long and shapely, and my eyes wander back to her tits. She’s fuckingbeautiful.

Nope. Can’t do this. I hurry past her into the bathroom, as fast as I can with how hard I am, and brush my teeth as I try to think of everything but that woman getting in my bed right now.

But then I think of the last couple of women I’ve slept with. It’s been so long that I’m not even positive about the timeframe. There was a friend from college who came through Silver Hills a couple of years ago. She’d been friends with Adriane and me and was sympathetic about how I’d been mercilessly dumped. We talked and commiserated over her recent breakup and ended up spending a night together.

This is why I don’t do friends. Too many lines get crossed.

And then last year, I had too much to drink after we wonthe Super Bowl and ended up in bed with that actress from the heist movie I really liked.

This is why I rarely drink. Too many lines, yada yada.

Tonight, I’ve gotten a little too close to the friend lineandI’ve had alcohol.

Fucking hell.

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