Page 15 of Playing for Keeps
She starts to turn, but I reach out, catching her hand. “Wait. Everything okay?” I ask, my voice low with concern.
She hesitates, her gaze briefly drifting back to my chest before settling on my face. “I… left my overnight bag in the car,” she says quickly. “But it’s fine. If you can lend me a shirt to sleepin, I’ll just grab it in the morning. I can’t deal with the elevator again tonight.”
Her words come out in a rush, and I can tell she’s flustered. I offer her a soft smile.
“I’ll go get your bag, Ivy.”
“Wyatt, seriously, it’s fine. You’re about to go to bed. I don’t want to be a pain.”
“You’re not. Just give me two minutes.”
I head back into my room, swapping my pants for a pair of sleep shorts. I figure the walk to the garage is easier than handing her one of my shirts. I’m not sure what would be harder to ignore. The image of her in my shirt or the fact that she’d be sleeping just a few feet away in it.
It only takes a few minutes to ride the elevator down to the garage and grab Ivy’s overnight bag. When I get back, she’s waiting in the kitchen.
“Thanks, Wyatt. I know it’s late, but do you mind if I have a shower? I’ll be quick. Then I swear I’ll let you sleep,” she says with an apologetic smile.
I chuckle. “It’s fine, and of course you can have a shower. See you in the morning.”
“Night, Wyatt.”
“Night, Ivy.”
After brushing my teeth, I crawl into bed and switch off the light. I’m just starting to drift off when there’s another knock at my door.
“I’m sorry,” Ivy calls before I even reach it.
Smiling, I push the comforter back and make my way to the door. When I open it, Ivy’s standing there in nothing but a towel, her hair piled on top of her head in a loose, messy bun.
My eyes betray me instantly, trailing over her before I can stop them. “I thought you were letting me sleep,” I say, my voice teasing, and a lazy grin tugging at my mouth.
A faint blush creeps up her neck. “I need help… with the shower.”
That wipes the grin off my face. “The shower?”
“It keeps beeping and won’t turn on. I think I broke it.”
I chuckle. “You didn’t. It’s got this stupid touch panel. Come on. I’ll fix it.”
She steps aside to let me past, and the soft scent of her skin hits me like a punch to the chest. It’s something warm and floral, like summer. I walk toward the guest bathroom, hyper-aware of her just behind me.
“I was going to leave it,” she says. “But then it wouldn’t stop making noises. I didn’t want to wake you up again. I’m sorry–”
“Hey,” I say over my shoulder. “Stop apologizing. It’s fine.”
Inside the bathroom, I step into the walk-in shower and tap the glowing panel to silence it.
“Here. I’ll show you how it works.”
She steps in beside me, and suddenly, the space feels smaller than I remember. I guide her in front of me, our bodies brushing, and reach around to point at the controls.
“This one turns it on,” I say, my voice lower now. “And this controls the temperature.” I catch her looking back at me, her face inches from mine. “Got it?” I ask.
She nods slowly. “Yeah. Got it.”
I stay where I am for a beat too long, then step back. “I’ll let you enjoy your non-threatening, non-beeping shower.”
“Thanks, Wyatt,” she says softly.
