Page 10 of Wild Tides
For him to pull an “I see you” out of thin air stunned me into silence.
“Full disclosure, I took a pain pill while you were upstairs.”
Great. He was loaded. Any thoughts I had of exploring his supposed attraction fizzled. He was in pain and medicating. I couldn’t hold Lee to anything he said tonight. But he’d stirred something up inside me. An old longing, long buried. For him to see me as more than a friend.
I grimaced, making it ugly on purpose. As if the quick contortion of my face could wipe away the memory of him telling me hesaw me. “Watch the movie, Murphy. No one wants your stoned confessions.”
Except I did. But it would be taking advantage. And I doubted I could trust them.
“How about my sober ones?”
I tossed a piece of popcorn at him, laughing when he caught it in his mouth with a pleased grin. His dark eyes twinkled. His hair flopped over his forehead, adding a boyishness I didn’t usually associate with him. But any claims of sincerity were overshadowed by his meds. It was best to shut this down.
“Knock it off, Murphy.”
“Whatever you say, Cupcake.”
The nickname landed with a quiet thud in my chest. Sweet, unexpected… dangerous.
Chapter 6 – Lee
Ishifted, holding back a groan. My ankle throbbed. But something else throbbed more.The smell of popcorn lingered, mixed with a soft floral scent. I had hazy recollections of the night before, flirting with Vi while we watched a movie. I must have drifted off, because I couldn’t remember the ending. I certainly didn’t remember gathering Vi close and snuggling in to sleep with her.
She lay stretched alongside me, one hand beneath her cheek, looking angelic in the combined glow of my desk lamp and the early morning sun filtering through my office window. Her dark lashes lay like shadows against her cheeks. She was flushed and rosy, her lips lush like Sleeping Beauty’s.
Her left hand twined with my right, nestled on the sheets between us. Like we couldn’t bear to part, even in sleep.
I released her like I’d been burned, scooting hastily back on the mattress. The sudden shift jostled my ankle, pain lancing up my leg, and I winced. Maybe that pang was my punishment forletting my thoughts stray where they shouldn’t. For flirting with my best friends’ little sister.
Gritting my teeth, I slipped from the bed, hobbling toward the bathroom. The light overbright to my sleep-roughened eyes, I washed my hands, avoiding my reflection. Guilt curled in my gut. Even though I hadn’t done anything unforgiveable, I hadn’t done the right thing either. Vi was gracious enough to help me out. Putting her life on hold to take care of me. She hadn’t signed up for me to blur the lines between us or take advantage of the situation. To teeter on the edge of something I had no business feeling.
Violet stirred as I fumbled my way back toward the pullout couch, her lashes fluttering. She yawned, stretching long. The move only emphasized the generous curves beneath her yoga pants and top as they slipped across the sheets.
“Good morning, sleepyhead.” My voice sounded gruffer than I intended, my throat dry.
Vi blinked, seeming uncertain about where she was. She pushed to her elbows. “Hey. How are you feeling today?” Her dark eyes shadowed with concern.
Last night was a little hazy. The pain pill hit me hard. Something about the indulgent turn to her mouth made me think I’d been a little loopier than I realized. More honest. More pathetically needy.
“Like an asshole if you spent the night down here instead of upstairs in a comfortable bed. You didn’t have to stay with me.”
She lifted one shoulder. “It wasn’t intentional.” She yawned, the movement somehow elegant. “Give me a sec, and I’ll brew some coffee.”
“Don’t.” My gruff denial landed harder than I meant it to. Half punishment, half a weak attempt to keep a boundary I wasn’t even sure I wanted. The flash of hurt that crossed her featureshit like a sucker punch. “I need space to work. You usually meet up with the girls on Saturdays, right?”
She gave a brittle smile. “Right. I’ll be out of your hair before you know it.”
She shuffled to the edge of the bed, leaving me to stare at the ceiling. I didn’t trust myself to say anything further.
A few minutes later, she returned with a mug of black-as-sin coffee in my “please don’t annoy me or I might have to kill you” mug. She didn’t say anything as she handed it over. Just turned and padded away.
I stared after her like a coward. “I don’t deserve you, Vi.”
She paused, one foot on the bottom step, and looked back over her shoulder. “You don’t. Keep remembering that, and we’ll do just fine. Any plans for the day?”
“Me and my laptop are going to spend some quality time together.”
“If you’re okay on your own, I promised Anya, Rae, and Lucy I’d pick them up for our Saturday hike at ten.”
