Page 18 of Hot and Bothered
Easier said than done.
How could I cut my family out of my life when I had relied on my parents for so much and for so long? Did I have what it took to stand up to them? Did I have what it took to strike out on my own?
I blinked back tears and cleared my throat.
I’d done well enough at working at the bar today, I reminded myself. Maybe it was a small baby step, but I wasn’t completely helpless.
I inhaled a breath through my mouth and let it out slowly through my nose, trying to calm myself. I drew my back up straight. Evan still had his hands around mine, but now it was my turn to squeeze his firmly.
“I think I’ll be okay,” I told him.
Evan brushed a strand of hair from my cheek and tucked it behind my ear. The softness of his gaze made something inside me flutter.
Evan continued staring at me silently, as if he was waiting for me to continue.
But my mind had gone blank the moment his fingers brushed my cheeks. I could feel the phantom touch on my skin.
I wanted more of it.
I wanted to feel his strong hands circling my waist.
I wanted to feel the hard muscles of his bare chest under my fingertips.
Evan’s eyes flared as I bit my lip. His gaze dropped to my mouth. My heart beat heavily in my chest.
His hands squeezed mine as he brought my hands to his chest. I was forced to take a step closer towards him. Our toes touched.
I parted my lips.
Evan’s phone rang.
The heat in his eyes quickly cooled. He dropped my hands and took a step back. Disappointment filled my chest. I felt bereft of his touch. I brought my hands to my sides and plucked at the hem of the dress Lizzy had lent me.
Evan turned away from me and reached into his pocket to pull out his phone, bringing it to his ear. He had another hushed conversation. His lips curled into a small smile, and he gave an unconscious nod before ending the conversation.
I pretended to pick a piece of lint off my dress when Evan turned back to me. I couldn’t meet his eyes.
I had been so caught up with his touch, so caught up in the moment, I had almost done something I knew I would regret.
“I forgot to tell you.” Evan gestured to the bag on the kitchen table. “I got you some new clothes. I took the shoe size from your wedding shoes but I had to guess at your dress size. Hopefully, I got it right.”
“Thank you,” I told him, trying not to let my voice sounded shaky. “I really appreciate it.”
“I’ll also make sure you get an advance on your salary,” he said. “That way you can go out and get anything else you need for yourself.”
Evan ran a hand through the short hair at the back of his head.He hadn’t looked me in the eyes this whole time.
“I’ve got some stuff I need to go do,” he said. “We’ll have to get those burritos next time. I’ve got some food in the fridge if you get hungry. Feel free to eat anything in there.”
“That’s very kind of you,” I said politely. I needed to bring us back to a respectful distance.
Evan grabbed his wallet from the table and shoved it in his jeans pocket. It was late in the evening, and I had to wonder where he was going at this hour. I wasn’t about to ask and pry into his personal business. Not after the moment we had just had.
I wasn’t going to screw up this roommate thing. Just because Evan was attractive, just because he made me feel things I hadn’t felt before, didn’t mean I had to act on them.
I still didn’t know what I was going to do long term, but as long as Evan was willing to let me stay with him, I wasn’t going to do anything to mess that up.
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