Page 65 of Enemies Don't

Seeing Nelson.

Kissing Collin.

Actually, I can’t in good conscience describe the kiss as a disaster, because it was actually nothing short of amazing. Like, that’s the kind of kiss you dream of your whole life.

But the circumstances surrounding it…disaster.

I practically ambushed Collin. He played his part well, thank goodness. But I’m mortified. And freaked out. And I really don’t want to face him right now.

Especially since I didn’t bring any clothes with me into the bathroom. The last thing I want to do is put on the black dress I wore to the bar. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great dress, but I’ve got to be in the mood to wear it.

I was in the mood before. I felt gorgeous. I was having fun.

Then Nelson showed up.

Now I feel the like the bottom of a grungy dumpster in New York City.

I’m hoping that I was in the bathroom long enough that when I go into our bedroom—because of course we’re sharing a room now—Collin will be gone. Or at least sound asleep.

I tuck my towel around my chest and secure it under my left arm.

Quiet as a mouse, I open the bathroom door and peer out into our bedroom.

The lamp on the nightstand is on, casting a dim glow over the rest of the room. It’s silent. I pan from one end to the other, and Collin is nowhere to be found. Maybe he went back into the living room. Maybe he went back out to the bar.

Good. That’s good. Wherever he is. It’s good he’s not here. With me. I don’t want to see him. Not like this.

I shift my weight from leg to leg, my bare feet sinking into the plush carpet.

I don’t know why there’s a little twinge in my chest. Like the feeling of being let down. He doesn’t owe me anything. That’s for sure. And again, I don’t want to talk to him, so this is a good thing.

“Good,” I say out loud and let out a sigh—of relief, of course. I step out of the bathroom, and the door snicks shut behind me.

“Hey.”

I scream and dive down on my side of the bed, dropping my towel in the process.

“Noli?” Collin is at my side in a second. “Are you oka—oh, shoot. Not looking.Not looking!”

Something crashes, and I open my eyes to see Collin’s arms pin-wheeling as he stumbles over the corner of the bed. In his effort to get away from me and my naked body, he took out the vase that was sitting on the dresser opposite the foot of the bed. It had these decorative wooden ball things in it, and now they’re bouncing all over the floor. He’s scrambling to try to collect them as if he’s a kid under a piñata.

One rolls in my direction, and he starts to go after it.

“Collin!”

“Sorry. Sorry!” He pinches his eyes closed and backtracks, but since he’s now crawling across the floor blind, he crawls straightinto the edge of the dresser. His head connects with the solid wood of the furniture, and I feel thethunkthrough the floor.

I’m breathing heavily as I scramble to reach my towel and yank it over my lady bits. “Are you okay?”

“Fine. Totally fine.” Collin looks toward me, but he still has his eyes clamped shut, so his head is facing about forty-five degrees in the wrong direction. An egg is forming where he rammed into the dresser. Maybe he’s concussed.

I’ll worry about that later. First things first. I need to get covered up. “Keep your eyes closed,” I bark.

“Roger.”

I glance around the room. My bag is on the chair in the far corner. I’m going to have to go past where Collin is currently splayed on the ground with his hand plastered over his eyes.

I narrow my gaze at him. “Are you peeking?”

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