“Hey,” Evie whispered, breaking the kiss. “Where’d you go?”
He frowned.
“You suddenly seem a bit distracted. Did I do something wrong?”
Was she kidding him right now?
“Evie, if you did anything more right, I’d go up in flames,” he said gruffly. Awkwardly, he reached up and caressed her cheek. “I just had a moment of…”
“What are we doing?” she finished for him. “I know. Me too.”
“Really?” Bracing himself up on his forearms, he studied her beautifully flushed face. “I don’t want there to be any regrets. Once everyone gets back tomorrow…”
“I know. I knew that going into this, Slater. You and I were never going to be…well…you and I. And I’d never push you into something when I clearly know you’re against it. All I know is that I want this and I’m tired of pretending that I don’t. I’ve wanted you since the day we first met.”
That was a surprise.
“I had no idea.”
She shrugged. “That’s because I valued the friendship we were building. Besides, I’m used to most guys not seeing me as…you know…sexy or desirable. I’m almost always put in the friend zone, so…”
“Most guys are assholes then, Evie. Because you are incredibly sexy and desirable, and I’ve had a hard time keeping my hands to myself for the last week. Even before we kissed yesterday. That just clinched it for me.”
A soft gasp and wide eyes were her only response before she whispered, “Really?”
“Yeah. Really.” Leaning down, he placed a light kiss on her forehead before he forced himself to say the things he really didn’t want to. “But if this is going to ruin things…”
“Never,” she interrupted. “We’re both adults, and we know what we’re doing. And risking. And some things are worth the risk, right?”
All he could do was nod because it was safer that way.
Evie smoothed one hand up over his abs, chest, and shoulder before raking through his hair. “This is worth it, Slater. Let me have this one night so I know what it feels like to have someone want me. Really want me.”
“Whatever you want, sweetheart. It’s yours.”
Then she pulled him back down so there wasn’t even a breath of space between them. “I just want you.”
“I’m yours,” he murmured before sealing it with a kiss.
The sun was just starting to creep in through the curtains, and Slater cursed the fact that the night was over. Morning had shown up uninvited, and he was more than a little disgruntled about the whole thing. He was typically a morning person: up at dawn and ready to tackle the day.
But not today.
They’d barely slept. He was exhausted and felt like he ran a marathon. Which they kind of did. A sex marathon, or maybe it was a sexy marathon. Either way, it was clear they were trying to do as much as they could since it was only going to be one night.
Carefully, he stretched but quickly realized he could barely move. Evie had somehow claimed nearly the entire bed.
One leg flung diagonally across the mattress. One arm stretched over his pillow. The blankets twisted around her like she’d wrestled them into submission sometime around three in the morning.
Slater lay on his side, half-covered, half-exiled, and completely awake.
His little bed hog.
A faint smile tugged at his mouth.
She looked impossibly peaceful. Hair everywhere. Lips slightly parted. Completely unguarded. Like she trusted the world not to shift while she slept.
Like she trusted him.
