Page 22 of Waiting For Ever
Nodding, he leans forward and rests his forearms on his thighs and says, “That’s a lot of pressure on a guy. At least one who gives a shit. And, Ever, I give a shit, okay? More than you know.”
I can’t help the smile that spreads across my face. Book boyfriend energy for sure.
When I don’t speak, he adds, “And it’s been a hot minute since I gave a shit. But also, how is it that you’ve never . . . That no guy has ever tried to . . . I just . . . Look, I was taken aback that I was the first . . . anything.” He holds up his hands, as if to surrender. “Not in the way that sounded. I’m just surprised, and I guess I wanted to protect you or shelter you or . . . hide you from the shit of this world. I didn’t mean to overstep.”
A lone tear slips out and rolls down my cheek.How do I have any tears left?
“Thank you, Julie.” I swipe the dampness off my cheek with the back of my hand, place my palms on my knees and lean my face forward toward his. “And to answer your question, no one’s ever made me want to kiss them before. Until now. So maybe we should get out of here and go to work before it gets any hotter. Or before I want to kiss you again.” Then I wink just like he did earlier.
Chuckling and shaking his head, he stands and holds out his hand to me as he says, “Where the hell did you come from, Everly Davis, and what in the world am I gonna do with you?” I open my mouth, intending some pithy comeback, but he snatches the hand I reach out to him, pulls me to his chest and cuts me off, tapping his other index finger on the tip of my nose, dragging it softly down my lips and chin. “Don’t. Let’s just go get dressed before the cougars show up.”
“Wait, you call them cougars too?”
“That’s a conversation for another day.” He’s not giving dismissive vibes because he smirks as he says it. It’s more like self-deprecation, which is cute for this smoking specimen.
In less than five minutes we’re heading out the door, with Julian clasping my hand in his, intertwining our fingers. As he opens the door, letting me precede him, Sylvie Dixon, arguably the hottest cougar of the group, comes around the corner, almost bumping into me as she looks down while digging through her bag. Julian drops my hand before she even looks up.
She lifts her head, and her automatic smile of greeting disintegrates as she swings her eyes from me to Julian.
“Julian.” She doesn’t bother to greet me but plasters the lipsticked smile back on her face as she gives him her full attention, followed by an exaggerated pout. “We’ve been missing you at kickboxing and of course our personal sessions. Cheryl is doing okay running the classes, but we all miss youuuu.” Her voice is whiny while trying to sound seductive. And she’s perfectly coiffed from head to toe, including a full face of makeup. Her pink-nailed hand reaches out to rub his arm as she says the last part.
I keep walking toward the Jeep, slowly hoping Julian will catch up so I’m not standing there waiting. I don’t hear his reply or her pouty response, just their voices. But he does catch up to me right as I reach out for the door handle, and he puts his hand over mine and opens it for me. On the short drive back to Allie’s, he doesn’t bring up the cougar sighting, so neither do I.
We work all day at Brew with everyone pitching in wherever it’s needed to get ready for the season. Seeing things from this side gives me an even greater appreciation for Allie and all she brings to Blue Lake. It feels good to contribute to it. At the end of the day, my body is sweaty, dirty and sore, but the good kind. The labor-intensive work cleared my head as much as, if not more than, the workout did that morning. But I’m exhausted, physically and mentally.
Julian drops me at Allie’s when we finish, saying he needs to catch up on some stuff at his house and he’d be back later. I shower, eat and decide to read in bed. I awake sometime later, my room now dark, my book open beside me on the bed. I sit up trying to figure out what woke me.Julian. It sounds like he’s talking in his room. I can make out the low rumble of his voice but not the words he’s saying. His voice gets louder, then he’s clearly shoutingnoover and over.
Springing from my bed, I rush through the bathroom into his room and stop short. The room is dark except for a dim moonlight glow from the slider. My eyes zero in on the outline of Julian in his bed, tossing back and forth, the sheet falling off his torso, hugging his hips and tangling in his legs. I approach the bed silently and see his fists clenching the bottom sheet. I reach out to touch his flexed arm. His skin is hot and clammy. I open my mouth to say his name, to wake him from his turmoil.
When my hand meets his skin, he grabs it with his other hand and his voice, raspy, says, “Tay, don’t go, please. Stay with me.” He puts my hand to his face and kisses my palm.
My stomach drops. I can’t let him think I’m someone else. “Julian,” I whisper-shout.
He moves my hand from his lips and presses it to his cheek. His eyelids flutter open as his eyes try to focus in the dark. “Ever.” He sighs my name and my heart speeds up, thumps so loud I think he’ll hear it. “Stay with me.” He tugs on my hand now, pulling me down, and I let him.
I sink to the edge of the mattress.
He wraps his arms around my torso as he backs up to make room and drags me down to lie beside him, drawing my back to his chest. He laces his fingers with mine, his palm covering the back of my hand. His other arm is tucked under the pillow we’re now sharing as he nuzzles my ear with his nose, inhales and sighs. “Ever. Mmmm.” He’s instantly asleep again.
Chapter 21
Julian
Sunshine. Her shampoo smells like sunshine and breaks through my consciousness. My body responds to her presence before my brain realizes she’s there. My raging hard-on grinds into her sweet ass before I can stop myself, which wakes me up completely. How am I lucky enough to find this treasure in my bed, her body touching mine from neck to toes? I inhale deeply. I can tell she’s awake by her breathing, even though she doesn’t turn or even stir. My hand goes to her hip, and I control the urge to press into her again. But she backs herself into me and reaches her hand up to cup my neck, stretching hers to invite access. I gladly accommodate. I can’t help myself, especially when she's all but asking. I nuzzle into her perfect neck and kiss the soft spot behind her ear.
“Hi, Ever,” I whisper into her ear.
“Hi, Julie,” she breathes.
I roll her onto her back and straddle her, planking my arms on either side of her head. “And what did I do to deserve waking up to you in my bed?”
She lowers her lashes shyly and I’m quickly reminded of how innocent she is.
That splash of reality drowns the moment. I roll off her and lie on my side watching her, my palm resting on the flat of her stomach. “Bad dream?” I ask, hoping maybe she needed me in the middle of night, and in my sleep, I obliged.
“I guess. I woke up to you calling out in your sleep, so I came to check on you,” she replies softly.
“Wait. I did?” My chest tightens.
