Page 55 of Rules in Love
“Please, Finn. I can’t rest knowing you’re down there. Look, I’ll put all the pillows between us like Victoria did. That way, we won’t have to touch at all.”
“You didn’t touch at all. Not even just a bit?”
“Nope.”
“That’s disappointing.”
“Finn. Come to bed.”
“Nope.”
“Finny, please. I’m cold and alone. I need you,” I begged in my softest, sexiest voice.
“Fucking hell, I’m weak as shit.” He huffed and climbed to his feet. “That’s not fair. Build the damn wall, woman, and build it high.”
Finn
“Before I get into bed, I’m just going to shower quickly.”A cold one in the hopes it will handle my erection issue,I thought to myself.I grabbed my bag, half the contents of which fell out as I held it in front of my boner, and then slipped into the bathroom.
Who am I kidding?Just knowing she was in bed…in the next room…with her ass in that nightie with its shortness and lace and frills…while I was there naked, wanting. It was getting painful. I was certain I was nearing the point of a medical emergency, and I wasnotgetting wheeled out of the shower naked after suffering a penile implosion. Handling it myself—if you get what I mean—was the only option. Resting my forehead against the wall, I bit my lip to keep from grunting her name, pictured laying her over my knee and smacking that ass, then sliding her onto her knees and watching as those plump lips replaced my fist. I exploded into my hand with embarrassing efficiency. It almost took longer to wash the evidence away with the shithouse water pressure than it did to create it. When physically, not morally, clean, I stepped from the shower to dry and dress.
Damn.My sweats must have fallen out of the bag, Shit. No briefs either.
It was a predicament. I was still dripping, hearing each and everyplopagainst the tile as I tried to decide what to do. It wasn’t like I was worried about Scarlett seeing me half naked, I took care of myself and had no issues there. Rather, I was worried how I would react toherreaction. As quietly as I could, I slunk back into the room and slipped my boxer briefs and sweats on beneath my towel—something I was very used to doing after years of surfing and changing in public. I was about to pull on my tee when I heard a breathy “whoa” behind me. Glancing up, I spotted Scarlett, one eye open, watching me in the mirror.
“I see you watching me, Miss Grant.”
Both eyes blinked shut…almost. There was some definite squinting going on. “I’m not watching you. I’m sound asleep.”
Running a hand through my wet hair, I made sure I flicked some drops of water in her direction and chuckled, “With one eye open?”
“Yes. I do that sometimes. It’s a terrible affliction, and I’ll thank you for sparing me your judgey judgment.”
“Sure. That sounds believable.” Not one to disappoint, I turned to face her, giving her the full view as I slipped the white cotton over my head. Even then, I still earned an extended boo and wet-sounding raspberry from the peanut gallery. “Red, come on.”
“What? Just one friend letting the other friend know she’s disappointed he covered his body.”
“Hmmm. You’re right. You are being very friendly. Why don’t we swap spots? I’ll lay in bed and, real good friend-like, watch you change out of your silly little nightie into something less frilly.”
“Well, that’s just ridiculous. No one wants to see me half-naked, and besides, I can’t change beneath a towel. Only guys can do that.”
I was flabbergasted—about the nakedness, not the under-towel action.
“What? I… No one wants to… Wha? Red, I dunno what trick mirrors you’re looking into, but I would kill to see you nak—uhh…I mean, I know heaps of guys that would kill to see you naked.”
“I said, half-naked. Not naked.”
“Half-naked, then.” Daring to edge closer, I slid my foot over the surprisingly clean maroon shag carpet. My knees hit the edge of the bed, and I almost accidentally fell on top of her.What a shame that would be.“Look, I don’t want to sound like a total creep or anything, but Red… You do know how hot you are, don’t you?”
“Pfftt.” She waved me off, wriggling in a fashion that had me needing another relieving cleanse and began playing with her hair. I couldn’t tell if she was appreciative of my compliment or if I was making her uncomfortable, so I changed the subject. Sort of. “Also, what you said about changing beneath a towel is nonsense. Shelby used to do it all the time.”Shit. My stomach flipped. I stepped back and pretended to look for some socks while Scarlett, who seemed to sense and share my unease, delved further underneath her sheets till her lovely face was only visible from nose up. Hidden, she watched me dig through my bag while I watched her in the mirror. Eventually, our eyes found each other in the reflection.
“Who’s Shelby? One of Evie’s friends back home?”
I dropped my gaze and unrolled a pair of socks. “Yes, well, she was Evie’s friend, twin sister of my best friend, Nate. My girlfriend and Iris’s mum.” Then I re-rolled them and looked back up.
“Oh. That’s nice. Shelby is a lovely name. I’ve never met a Shelby. Does she still live in Australia?”
“Umm.” Deciding my next move, I grabbed the spare blankets at the foot of the bed and began to fold. Just tell her.“No, Red. Shelby passed away when Iris was born.”
