Page 61 of Feels Like Love
I rolled my eyes.Of course.
I pushed out of bed, needing a cold drink—something. I opened the door and padded down the hall, when I noticed a light was on in the kitchen. I peeked around the corner and spotted Wren with her back to me.
She was hunched, shoulders curled over something. What was she doing? Besides driving me crazy with those damn pajamas. The silk shorts rose higher on her thighs, almost high enough to reveal the bottom of her ass cheeks to me.
I considered turning away, going back to my room. Maybe jerking off while I thought about her. But instead, I found myself whispering her name.
“Jesus, Bennett!” She whirled, pastry box in hand. “Were you trying to scare the shit out of me?” she hissed.
“No.” I stepped closer, careful to keep my voice low. “Sorry. I just needed some water.” I held up my empty bottle and shook it.
She stood there a moment as if dazed, her lips parting as she scanned my body. I glanced down, remembering that I wasn’t wearing a shirt. Just a pair of gray athletic shorts that hung low on my hips. The way she was looking at me, I felt as if I might as well be naked. And then I started imagining her naked.Usnaked.
I swallowed hard and turned to the fridge, needing to put some distance between us. As I filled my bottle with water, I asked, “What were you doing?”
“What does it look like?” she scoffed. “Eating my feelings instead of dealing with the issue head on.” She pushed herself up on the counter and sat. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have pressured you to coach me. And I definitely shouldn’t have suggested what I did earlier. But all your tips have been so helpful. It’s really improved my confidence when it comes to dating. And, well, I don’t want to suck.”
“Look, Wren, I get it. You’re nervous. And you’re not used to being bad at anything.”
She scoffed, running a hand through her hair. It was messy, and her face was devoid of makeup. She was stunning.And…I was staring.
“Oh yes, I am. I’m terrible at lots of things.”
I narrowed my eyes at her as I screwed the lid back on my bottle. “Like what?”
“Um…have I mentioned that I’m terrible at dating? Science homework. I’m already dreading when River goes to high school. Meal planning. I always get excited when I plan, then I waste a lot of the food. I’m a disaster—”
“Wren, you’renota disaster. And those flaws…they only make you human. Everyone has things they aren’t great at.”
“Really?” Her brow raised in a sexy little show of defiance. “And what are you bad at, Dr. Perfect?”
I sighed.Lying. Sticking to my rules when it comes to you.
“I hate trimming dogs’ toenails. God, pugs are the worst. The sounds they make are so dramatic.”
“Seriously?” She tilted her head and smiled.
I nodded. “They hate having it done, and it’s something the owners could do themselves.”
“Yeah, but you probably aren’t bad at it. You just dislike it.”
“Okay.” I crossed my arms. “I’m terrible at telling people their pet needs to lose weight. It’s the most awkward conversation.”
She hid her laugh behind her hand. “Does that happen a lot?”
I nodded. “Probably more than you’d think.”
“I see your point, Bennett, but…”
“But what?”
“But that’s all at work. This is different. Personal. And I’m nervous.”
“It’s okay to be nervous, Wren. You haven’t dated much.”
“Much?” She blew out a breath. “I haven’t really dated at all. I got pregnant when I was eighteen. And then between running a business and being a mom and…other stuff, I didn’t have the time, energy, or desire. Now, I finally have this opportunity, and I like Arlo. He’s fun and nice. But I’m afraid to say yes to another date.”
I clenched my fists, remembering the odd way she’d been acting earlier. The more I thought about it, the more my stomach filled with dread. “Did he do something? Try something?”
