Page 21 of Triple Play
I catch her wrist. Stop her before she makes contact because if she touches me I’m done.
“It always means something,” I say.
Her pulse races under my fingers.
I drop her wrist. Step back. Put distance between us because if I don’t, I’m going to do something stupid like kiss her. Touch her. Find out if she tastes as good as she sounds.
I take a breath, regroup. “This is a bad idea.”
“Why?”
“Because Grant will lose his shit. Because Jordie’s already halfway in love with you. Because you’re going to have three guys losing their minds over you and this house is going to implode.”
She blinks. “Three?”
Fuck.
“Two,” I correct. “Grant and Jordie.”
“But not you.”
“Not me.”
“Liar.”
The word lands soft. Knowing.
I am lying. We both know it.
“Go to bed, Elise.”
“Why?”
“Because if you don’t, I’m going to do something we’ll both regret.”
“Like what?”
“Like kiss you.” The words come out rough. Raw. “Like push you against that counter and find out if you taste as good as you sound. Like making you come on my fingers instead of that toy you were using.”
Her breath stutters. “Maybe I want that.”
“You don’t.”
“Stop telling me what I want.”
We’re staring at each other now. Two feet apart. The air between us crackling.
“Why do you keep all the lights on?” she asks suddenly.
The subject change throws me. “What?”
“In your room. Every light. All the time.” Her voice is softer now. Curious instead of challenging. “Why?”
I could lie. Deflect. Tell her to mind her business.
Instead I hear myself say, “I can’t sleep in the dark.”
“Why not?”
