“Is that a trick question?” I teased, sliding her shorts back on.
“Seriously. I didn’t know…” She swallowed. “Damn.”
I winked. “You said that already.”
“Because it bears repeating.” I pulled her up by her arms to put her shirt on too. “What are you doing?”
“Getting you dressed.”
“Why?”
I smiled at the dazed look in her eyes. Honestly, I didn’t know why exactly. I just knew that tonight wasn’t the right time for us to take it further. And I always tried to follow my gut.No matter how hard my dick is.
“Dex?”
“Yes?”
“You don’t have to leave.”
“I’m not leaving.” I covered her up with the blanket and returned to my spot next to her. “Not until you fall asleep.”
The room descended into silence again. As Charlye drifted off to sleep, I thought about everything that had happened that night. I was sure I’d done the right thing by stopping this before it went too far. Because despite whatshe’dsaid, Charlye wasn’t ready. I believed in slow and steady, though, and I’d perfected the art of waiting my turn. And I felt, in my gut, that my turn was coming.
* * *
“‘Bout timey’all asses got here.” Duke shook his head. “You were on your way forty-five minutes ago, Dex.”
“What the hell happened to y’all?” Asa asked. “You should’ve been here first.”
I pointed at my sisters. “Ask them. I’m just the driver.”
“I had to pee,” Dallas grumbled, making a beeline straight to the food. “It’s the baby.”
That wasn’t the only reason we were late, though. Paityn had to give Bishop a kiss, and Blake couldn’t find her earring.Sisters.
“Oh my God, Duke.” Dallas bit into a piece of bacon. “So good. You have a way with bacon. What do you do?”
“Fry it?” Duke quipped. “You’re just greedy.”
Dallas punched Duke. “Shut up. I’m eating for two.”
Duke lifted a brow. “Sure it’s not three or four?”
Blake gave Duke a high five. “Good one.”
“All of y’all get on my damn nerves,” Dallas said. “What time did Mom and Dad say they were coming? It’s not like them to be late. And I’m hungry.”
Duke poured me a cup of black coffee. “You might need this,” he mumbled, low enough so that I could only hear him. ‘Cause you look like you were doing something you shouldn’t have been doing last night.”
My decision to give my brother the extra key to my suite had come back to haunt me when I’d left Charlye late as hell only to find Duke had taken over my room and my bed in my absence. “Thanks,” I grumbled. “You know what I was doing?”
“I could take a guess.CharandLee?”
“I was minding my own business. Mind yours.”
Duke barked out a laugh. “Thanks for answering my question, but not really.”
Paityn squeezed between us. “What are y’all talking about?”
