Page 100 of Guarded Love

"Willow." Blaise catches my wrist gently, stopping me. "We don't have to figure it all out right now. But I need you to know I don't want this to end when we get on that plane."

"I don't want it to end either," I whisper.

Relief floods his features. "Good. That's...good."

"But I'm scared," I add, because honesty seems to be the theme of this conversation.

"Of what?"

Of everything,I want to say. Of my brother's reaction, of what this could do to the team dynamics, of the way you make me feel. Of what happens if you decide I'm not worth the complications.

Instead, I just say, "Of it not working out. Of making everything weird."

"Things are already weird," he points out with a small smile. "Good weird, but weird."

Before I can respond, Tyler appears beside us with two piraguas in hand. "Okay, you two have to settle a debate. Madison thinks the coconut is better, but I'm team mango. Here, try both."

He thrusts the shaved ice treats toward us, and I'm thankful for the interruption. Blaise and I each take a spoonful of each flavor, our fingers brushing as we pass the cups between us.

"Definitely coconut," I declare after tasting both.

"Mango," Blaise says at the same time.

Tyler throws his hands up in victory. "See? I told you mango was superior."

"You told me no such thing," Madison protests, appearing with her own coconut piragua. "You said, and I quote, 'I think maybe mango might be good.'"

"That's basically the same thing."

"That's not even close to the same thing."

I smirk as I watch them bicker, but part of my mind is still stuck on Blaise's words.I don't want this to end when we get on that plane.The problem is, I don't know how to want something this big without also being terrified of it.

After Blaise buys our piraguas and we start walking again, he falls into step beside me. His hand brushes against mine as we navigate through a crowd, and for just a moment, his fingers catch mine and squeeze. It's a small gesture that is more than likely not noticeable to anyone else, but it feels like a promise. Or maybe a question.

Either way, I squeeze back.

30

BLAISE

Ican’t believe this is our last night in Puerto Rico. The thought loops in my head as I nurse the same drink I’ve had for the past hour. It’s the only drink I’ve had since I sat down at the hotel bar and dining area to celebrate the end of our trip. Tyler’s telling some wild story about nearly capsizing the kayak he was in when we were exploring Bioluminescent Bay this afternoon and people are laughing at his antics.

I even throw in a grin here and there, just to stay part of the action. But every time I glance across the bar, my smile dies on arrival.

Willow has barely touched her drink. Not to mention she’s doing that thing where she looks at everything but me. I watch her fingers trace the rim of her glass and it reminds me of the way she traced patterns on my chest the morning after she spent the night in my hotel room. It drags everything about that morning back to the forefront of my mind.

Well that’s a lie because it never left.

My gaze drifts to her mouth, and I'm right back to the time we spent fucking in the mirror. The sounds she made. The way she dropped to her knees and?—

"Blaise, you listening?" Tyler's voice cuts through my thoughts.

"Yeah, man. Kayak. Nearly died. Hilarious." I take a long pull of my beer, hoping it'll cool me down, but of course it doesn’t.

But my eyes find her again. She's wearing an orangish sundress and it’s doing an excellent job of making her skin look golden in the bar lighting. The dress also brings out the gold aspects of her green eyes and I know this even though she's not looking my way. Instead, she's focused on Madison, nodding along to whatever she’s telling her.

Then something shifts, but I’m not exactly sure what. Madison leans closer to Willow and whispers something in her ear. Willow's eyes finally find mine across the room, and there's something different in her expression, but I can’t name it.

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