Page 1 of Crossing the Line

Chapter One: Kelsie

Hangover headaches were a serious pain in the ass. I hadn’t even opened my eyes yet, and the pounding in my head had already started. Still, a smile stretched across my face as I remembered how last night had ended.

My eyelids fluttered open, and I took in the sight of the hotel room. It wasn’t mine, that was down the hall, but it looked exactly the same. Beige walls, generic artwork, and a dark blue comforter on the bed that matched the curtains.

There was a sitting area by the window, and the sundress I wore to the bonfire last night was tossed over the back of a chair. My panties were on the floor next to a button-up shirt that didn’t belong to me. I’d ripped the thing open last night, and there were probably buttons scattered all over the place, but I was sure that Damien wouldn’t care about that.

His warmth was pressed against my back, and a heavy arm was tucked around my waist. Small strands of my hair fluttered every time he exhaled, and I could feel his erection pressed against my bare ass. I was already deliciously sore from the rough way he took me last night—twice—but I still felt a rush of desire. It overpowered my headache, and I turned to face him.

Damien’s lips were parted as he breathed deeply in his sleep. His face was completely relaxed, a strand of his thick brown hair falling across his forehead. I stared at him for a moment.

How many times had I admired his handsome features over the last two years? It had happened more and more as we got to know each other, starting off as acquaintances and becoming best friends. He was good-looking in a way that turned heads, including mine. From the very beginning, I wanted him, but things hadn’t moved beyond friendship until last night.

We both arrived at this beachside resort yesterday, along with the rest of the bridal party and family members that came here for my cousin’s wedding taking place at the end of the week. She was marrying a good friend of Damien’s, a fellow firefighter named Ryan. It worked out that Damien was the best man in the wedding while I was a bridesmaid.

Last night, we all went to a party on the beach. The resort built a bonfire for us, and there were drinks and music. I had a blast, dancing in the firelight and sipping on frozen margaritas with my friends. When the party was winding down, Damien and I headed back to the hotel with the bride and groom. Leanne was wasted, giggling at everything and nothing as we rode in the elevator. She was so happy to be getting married that the joy practically radiated out of her, even while drunk. I stepped out of the elevator with Damien when we reached our floor since she and Ryan were staying in a penthouse suite.

That’s when it happened. We reached his room first, and he dropped his keycard. I bent to pick it up at the same time that he did, bringing our faces within inches of each other. I couldn’t say who moved first, but the next thing I knew, we were kissing.

Finally, after all this time, Damien’s lips were on mine. He wanted me the way that I wanted him. My heart leapt as my body came alive.

The sex was mind-blowing, and now I was watching him sleep with a goofy grin on my lips. Reaching out, I cupped his face, running the pad of my thumb over his cheekbone. Damien stirred, leaning into my touch just before his eyes opened.

For a second, he looked at me with no expression, still waking up. I was about to lean in for a kiss when confusion flickered across his face. He sat up quickly, groaning and clutching his forehead.

“Oh shit…” he mumbled. “How much did I drink last night?”

I sat up too, holding the sheet against my chest. Maybe it was silly to cover up now, after what we did last night, but it was a little different to be exposed like that in the light of day while completely sober.

“You have a headache?” I asked, placing a hand on his back.

Damien jolted and whipped his head around to look at me. The shock and horror on his face made my heart drop.

“Kelsie? What the fuck?” He scrambled out of the bed, his eyes widening as he looked down at his own nude body. “I’m naked!”

His eyes scanned the floor until he spotted his boxers, and he rushed around the foot of the bed to grab them, getting dressed in jerky motions as I sat there, dread curling in my belly.

“You don’t remember what happened last night?” I asked uneasily.

His gaze flickered over me, and I felt my cheeks heat. Sheet or not, there was no denying that I was naked with my clothes strewn around the room.

“It’s coming back to me,” he said, frowning. I flinched, but he’d already redirected his attention to picking up his pants from the floor. He grumbled under his breath as he pulled them on. I couldn’t make out the words, but he didn’t seem happy.

“Are you okay?” I forced myself to ask, even though I was starting to suspect that I wouldn’t like the answer.

“Am I okay?” He let out a scoff and ran a hand through his hair, shaking his head. “I can’t believe that this happened.”

I couldn’t believe it either, but I had a feeling that he didn’t mean it in the same way. I’d never been happier, but he looked…

Oh God. He regrets it.

“We crossed a line last night,” he said, rubbing his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. “I don’t know what I was thinking.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

He didn’t answer or look at me, and I was glad. There was no way that I could keep the hurt I felt from showing on my face as I registered the distress in his voice and body language.

“Shit, Kels,” Damien said, tension making his muscular shoulders bunch. His eyes finally met mine, and there it was. The regret I was afraid of seeing shined in his blue eyes. “How could we make a mistake like this?”