Page 59 of Broken Roads
I'm about to suggest we take this to my bedroom, to continue what we've started properly, when a sound from the hallway freezes us both in place.
"Who's down here at this hour?" Ruthie's voice cuts through the post-orgasm haze like a bucket of ice water. Hailey freezes in my arms, her eyes wide with panic. My heart, which had just started to slow, kicks back into overdrive.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
Ruthie's distinctive shuffle-step sounds in the hallway. We have maybe ten seconds before she reaches the kitchen. My mind races through options at lightning speed. Dash for the back door? Too noisy. Hide behind the island? Too exposed. Pretend we're just getting water? With both of us looking disheveled and a wet spot on my pajamas? Not happening.
"Pantry," I mouth, grabbing her wrist. She nods frantically, allowing me to guide her across the kitchen in three quick strides. Yanking the door open, I wince at the slight creak of the hinges and pull her inside just as Ruthie's shadow appears in the doorway.
I close the door as silently as possible, leaving it open just a crack—a fully closed door would look suspicious if Ruthie happened to notice. The space is barely big enough for one person, let alone two, especially when one of those people is my size. Hailey's back is pressed against the shelves, my chest flush against hers, and our legs are tangled together in the confined space.
Her breath comes in shallow pants against my collarbone, her body still trembling slightly from our earlier activities. My own breathing isn't much better, adrenaline and lingering desire making it impossible to calm down.
"Hello?" Ruthie calls out, her voice closer now. "Is someone in here?"
Hailey's fingers dig into my biceps as we listen to Ruthie moving around the kitchen. The clink of a glass being taken from the cabinet. The sound of the tap running. The fridge opening and closing. Each noise amplified by our fear of discovery.
I look down at Hailey, still able to make out her features in the dim light filtering through the slats of the pantry door. Even in our predicament, I'm struck by how fucking beautiful she is. A smile tugs at my lips despite our situation, and I see an answering one flicker across her face.
From our hiding spot, I can just see Ruthie through the crack in the door as she settles at the table with her glass of water, opening a magazine she must have brought with her.
Fuck. She's staying.
Hailey's eyes widen as she reaches the same conclusion. Her hand finds mine in the darkness, our fingers interlacing in silent communication. I squeeze gently, trying to convey reassurance I don't entirely feel. If Ruthie catches us like this—me shirtless, her in those tiny sleep shorts, both of us disheveled—we'll never hear the end of it.
My legs are starting to cramp from holding still in such a confined space. A bead of sweat trickles down my spine, more from nervousness than heat. The irony of our situation isn't lost on me. Less than five minutes ago, I had her coming apart under my hands, making noises that would have woken the entire household if she hadn't been trying to stay quiet. Now we're hiding like teenagers caught sneaking out, barely daring to breathe.
Hailey shifts slightly, trying to find a more comfortable position, and her hip brushes against my groin. Despite our predicament, my body responds immediately, cock twitchingwith interest. Her eyes dart down, then back up to my face, a mixture of disbelief and amusement in her expression.
"Really?" she mouths silently.
I give a helpless shrug, earning an eye roll that somehow manages to be both exasperated and fond. To distract myself from the renewed desire coursing through my veins, I focus on Ruthie, visible through the crack in the door. She turns a page in her magazine, sips her water, and seems completely content to take her time.
An eternity passes. My left foot has gone completely numb. Hailey's breathing has slowed, but I can still feel the tension in her body where it presses against mine. Finally,finally, Ruthie stands, rinsing her glass in the sink and placing it on the drying rack.
We hold our breath as her footsteps retreat down the hallway, waiting until we hear the distinct sound of her bedroom door closing before exhaling in unison. Even then, I count to thirty in my head before daring to push the pantry door open.
Hailey steps out first, stretching her cramped muscles. I follow, my foot tingling painfully as blood flow returns. When I look at her, I can't help the laugh that bubbles up from my chest.
"What's so funny?" she whispers, though there's a smile playing at the corners of her mouth.
"Just..." I gesture between us, at the pantry we've just emerged from. "All of this. Hiding from Ruthie like we're sixteen and breaking curfew."
Her smile widens, a soft laugh escaping her. "Speak for yourself. I never did anything this exciting at sixteen."
I step closer, unable to keep my hands to myself now that we're free from our hiding place. Circling her waist, I pull her against me. "You make me feel like a teenager," I admit, the words coming easier than I expected. "Sneaking around, unable to keepmy hands off you, coming in my pants from just grinding against you."
Her cheeks flush at the reminder, but she doesn't look away. Instead, she rises on her tiptoes, pressing a soft, sweet kiss to my lips. "I like it," she murmurs against my mouth. "I like this side of you."
I kiss her again, deeper this time, pouring everything I can't yet say into the connection between us. When we break apart, I'm grinning like an idiot, feeling lighter than I have in years.
"Come on," I whisper, taking her hand. "Let's get back upstairs before Ruthie decides she needs a snack too."
She follows me willingly, our fingers intertwined as we navigate the moonlit hallway. Whatever this is between us—this magnetic pull, this uncontrollable desire, this growing tenderness—it's only just beginning. And for the first time in my life, I'm ready to see where it leads, no matter how terrifying the journey might be.
Chapter 25
Hailey
