Page 18 of Too Safe

His eyes soften, and he loops his arms around me, pulling me into his still-shirtless chest. He’s so fucking solid. The comfort of his skin against my cheek pisses me off even more.

Pulling back, he cups my jaw, then he dips in for a slow, tender kiss.

“I’m nowhere near done with you,” he murmurs against my lips, kissing me again and igniting another round of sparks between us.

A sharp knock on the door jolts us out of it.

“To be continued,” he promises on a sigh.

I’m dizzy with lust while simultaneously all sorts of cranky from being cock blocked by Decker Crusade.

Locke wraps his hand around mine and pulls me toward the door. But I take one extra second to swipe my arm along the counter, sending more almonds flying along the floor.

Take that, Nut Cap.

Chapter 8

Josephine

Irolloverinbed, pulling the quilt tighter around me and reveling in the sense of calm. My room is mostly dark thanks to the blackout curtains. Dark and deliciously chilly. The window A/C unit hums constantly. Even though it’s September, North Carolina humidity is no joke.

Cozy. Rested.Safe.

A drawn-out, lazy yawn escapes as I squeeze my eyes shut tighter. I haven’t felt this good in a really,reallylong time.

I should spend some time reading for class today, but the idea of a lazy Sunday is tempting. Or maybe I’ll use the fancy gym on campus. But not until I appease my rumbling stomach.

The kitchen is stocked with a carton of eggs and a fresh loaf of bread, if I’m not mistaken. So first things first—if Sam’s up, I’ll make breakfast for the both of us.

I roll out of bed and throw on a crewneck over my tank top, then twist my hair into a messy bun. Snagging my phone from the charger, I hastily make my bed and creep into the hallway.

My uncle’s voice carries down the hall from the front office, confirming he’s awake and already at work. Until I moved in, I had no idea how much goes into running a salvage yard. The man works from morning ’til night when he’s in town. Then there are the overnights and multi-day trips. I don’t think he has any hobbies; he simply doesn’t have the time.

Pulling the eggs and milk from the fridge, I set to work on breakfast.

As the frying pan heats, I pull my phone from my back pocket and check my messages. There are several from Hunter—a mix of memes and pictures from last night, along with a text from an hour ago.

Hunter: Girl. Last night was so fucking fun! And you hooked up with Locke! Gah! Let’s do lunch tomorrow after class. Love you.

Butter sizzles and pops in the pan as I type out my response.

The next text has me grinning just as wide. The time stamp shows it came through in the middle of the night—a few hours after Hunter and I left the party.

Emo Boy: My cock’s been rock-hard just from the memory of you on your knees. I need to see you again ASAP.

He can name the time and place, and I’ll be there. I intend to take full advantage of our mutual attraction. Like he said to me last night: I’m nowhere near done with him, either.

I add the eggs to the pan and start scrambling, then shoot off more texts to both Hunter and Locke.

“Someone’s in a good mood this morning,” my uncle quips as he plops down onto the couch across the room.

“Are you hungry?” I ask over my shoulder. “I’m making eggs.”

He holds my gaze and regards me for a moment before nodding. “Sure. I won’t ever turn down a homecooked meal.” He smiles wider. “Did you have fun last night?”

Sam made it clear when I moved in that he had no intention of keeping tabs on me or playing the role of overly concerned guardian. I even have my own entrance in the back, so I can come and go as I please. But I’m still not used to the care he shows or the interest he has in my life and happiness. It’s kind of… nice… to not feel so alone or invisible.

“I did,” I confirm. “I hung out with my friend Hunter all day, then we went to a party.”

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