Page 29 of Final Temptation
Whatever the reason may be for her escaping when we had only arrived a few minutes ago, it didn’t seem like a bad idea. I wished for a reason to get out of here just as much.
Moments like these—weekend nights spent at my brother’s house—were supposed to be laid back. A reset for the week ahead. While that’s what nights like these appeared to be for everyone else, they were a battlefield in my mind.
The cooler was right there; I could easily grab a drink and join in on the fun. Instead, I sat with my back to it.Out of sight, out of mind.
I couldn’t blame my brother, Paige, Chase, or even Sophie for grabbing a drink in front of me. They assumed everything was good where my sobriety was concerned because I didn’t open up to them about it. I saved all my crippling thoughts for my meetings—minus the briefindulgence in conversation with Sophie last night after she woke me up from my nightmare.
Moments passed by of the guys talking when Paige came back to join the party. She opted for Declan’s lap instead of her chair, giving me the perfect opportunity to excuse myself. “I’ll be back in a few,” I whispered to Chase, knowing my brother and his girl were distracted.
I jogged up the dirt path leading to the house, unsure what I’d say to Sophie when I got inside. Maybe it was all in my head, and she was fine. I had to admit, though, I wasn’t fine. A couple of thoughts lingered in my mind, her being one of them. I couldn’t get the thought of her out of my head. The game we played, her naked body this morning, her in my bed, comforting me when she didn’t need to, the way her body felt wrapped around mine. I slept a thousand times better with her next to me than I had in months. I’ve never had a girl stuck in my head like this before.
I pushed the front door open, listening for any sign of Sophie.
Did she really come up here to use the bathroom?
“Soph? You in here?” I called out, my eyes shifting from room to room.
“Hey.” Her presence startled me when I turned into the kitchen.
“Is everything alright? I thought you came up here to use the bathroom.”
“Just needed some fresh air is all.” It definitely wasn’t in my head. Something wasn’t right with her. Usually, she was upbeat; I knew my roommate and how she constantly danced around with her bubbly personality.
And that wasn’t what I was getting from her right now.
“So, you came inside? You know the mountain air outside is as fresh as it can get, right?” My eyebrows dipped,calling her bluff, walking closer to where she stood by the counter.
“Yeah, you’re right. Let’s get back out there and join our friends.” She side-stepped, giving it her best effort to skirt around me.
I reached out for her, my hand finding her arm. “Not so fast, Princess. We aren’t going anywhere, not until you tell me what’s up.”
“Nothing is up. I came in here to use the bathroom and just needed a second before I came back to join everyone.” When she refused to make eye contact with me, I knew she was fibbing her ass off. My hands gripped her hips, pushing her until her backside was pressed against the fridge.
Her breath hitched.
“Don’t lie to me, Soph. Your mood changed the second I mentioned Amanda. Admit it.” We were now positioned close enough that her perky tits grazed against my chest.
“You want the truth?” she questioned.
“I’ve told you before, and I’ll tell you again, when it comes to you, I want nothing but the truth.” Her hands moved from her sides, up to my chest. One hand snuck up toward my neck, all the way up to my jaw, landing on my lower lip. I took a deep breath, relishing the feel of her hands on me.
“I had a weak moment.” She pulled on my lip with her fingers, exposing my tattoo. Her gaze shifted from my eyes to my mouth.
“You’ve been having a lot of those lately, it seems,” I mumbled with her finger pressed against my lip.
“I know you’ve lived a different…romantic life than I have.” Her other hand crept up my chest, landing on my neck as she stroked her delicate fingers around the base. “But I found myself feeling envious of this Amanda girl. From the sounds of it, she’s had you in ways that I’ve only dreamed about.”
“Sophie, I’ve told you before, you can have me in those ways. The offer is still on the table,” I proposed, treasuring every moment we spent this close to one another.
What she said next shocked me the most.
“It’s tempting, Myles. You’re tempting. But what happens when I give up all my self-control and fall for you? What happens when it gets too serious for you, and you break my heart?” I didn’t have the ability to tell the future. I knew I wanted her now, that she was stuck in my head in ways other women never had been. The future was unknown, and I couldn’t put myself in that position right now when I needed to focus on the present, taking one day at a time.
“I can’t make you any promises. But what if you meet me halfway? Take this slow with me, and be here now? Live in the present.” I needed her lips on mine, but I refused to be the one to make that move. The ball was in her court, and I’d be waiting for her to take the shot.
Her fingers splayed around my neck, gripping it tighter as she pulled me closer. “I can work with slow, but we do this friends with benefits thing on my terms, or we don’t have a deal. Agreed?” I nodded in agreement at the same time she swiped her thumb across my tattooed lip.
“Kiss me right now, Myles,” she demanded.
