Page 53 of Love to Hate You

Could she do that? Could she be enemies with bennies and then go back to the real world, where one of them would likely lose their dream in order for the other to capture theirs? She wasn’t sure.

And the lack of clarity scared her.

Chapter 17

quiet moments

Fact. She wasn’t wearing a bra.

All she had on beneath the [BOOK-TRO-VERT]* NOUN: A PERSON WHO PREFERS FICTIONAL CHARACTERS TO REAL PEOPLET-shirt, which hung down to her thighs, was possibly a thong. Possibly.

Since he couldn’t prove it one way or the other, he’d go withcompletely nakedbeneath the soft cotton.

Her hair was in a towel, her face was fresh from makeup, and those silky legs were on delicious display. Then there was the way her breasts moved slightly back and forth seductively, attracting his gaze, as she made her way into the bedroom.

She hadn’t spotted him yet. So he allowed himself to really look at her in this unguarded moment, and what he saw took his breath away. How could he be so damn drawn to the woman who picked a fight with him every step of the way?

She didn’t pick a fight this morning,he reminded himself. When Randy had so easily identified himself as part of the Russo family, it had been an unexpected hit to the gut. The emotion caused by the sucker punch had been part a sense of loss and part jealousy. He understood the loss. Here he was trying to solidify a relationship with his brother and Randy was already jumping ship. But the jealousy?

Once upon a time, Wes had craved a family. He’d squashed that desire years ago. Then why was he envious of the idea of Randy spending holidays, birthdays, and summer vacations at the beach house with the Russos? Sure, Wes might get an invite here or there, but it would always be as Randy’s plus-one. And that gave him heartburn.

Jesus. He ran a hand down his face. One kiss. One talk with her dad. A few days of summer fun. And here he was wishing for things he couldn’t have. When this week came to an end, and they went back to their regularly scheduled lives, he wouldn’t even be a blip on their family radar. Unless he could change Summer’s mind, he’d also go back to being her enemy.

But there had been a shift between them this morning. A gentle coming-together when they were both hurting that had felt surprisingly good. As a rule, Wes didn’t rely on the comfort of others because he never knew when it was going to be yanked out from under him. But Summer somehow had this effect on him that he couldn’t explain. It wasn’t weakness so much as a rightness. He knew she felt it too.

Hell, she’d initiated it. He’d nearly sighed aloud when her toe had nudged his. Then she’d rested her foot side by side with his, showing him support. Validating his feelings without him even understanding what he was feeling.

Like right now, he didn’t know what he was feeling. Lust? Like? Both? Certainly not indifferent. Which was why when she took her towel off her head and went to bend over to retie it, he made his presence known.

“Once again I am overdressed,” he said amusedly, and she squeaked. “Or is it that you can’t keep your clothes on around me?”

Her hands went straight to her bum, and she tugged the hem of her shirt down to her knees. Which only made her tits stand out more.

“What are you doing here?”

“It’s bedtime.” He patted the mattress next to him and she rolled her eyes. “Just waiting for you to finish up in the loo.”

“You could have announced yourself. What kind of knight in shining armor are you?”

“Of course you believe in knights in shining armor. Why am I even surprised. What is it called in that love guide of yours?” He grinned at the idea that she’d call it a guide. As if finding love were as easy as following a few simple steps. “An imperfectly perfect meet-cute?”

“It’s not enough for you that I’m physically vulnerable, you have to make me emotionally vulnerable? And this is not a meet-cute. This is the opposite. This is a meet-ugly.”

He looked around the room and then back to her. “I don’t know. The moon is full, the night alive with the sound of water gently rushing over river rock, and we’ve just had a chance encounter where the hero finds the heroine fresh from the shower, in nothing but an old shirt. Sounds like a meet-cute to me.”

“What do you even know about meet-cutes?”

“According to theCupid’s Guide to Love, we’ve shared several meet-cutes.”

“You’ve read my guide? That’s personal!”

“Then you might not want to leave it open on the bedside table.”

“I would say a gentleman wouldn’t snoop, but then again a gentleman also wouldn’t steal a woman’s bed.”

“I’m not stealing. You have a whole half to yourself.” He gave it another pat.

“Nope, tonight I’m sleeping on the top bunk.”

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