Page 208
So I let it do its job. I forced my heated blood to cool. If Willa only saw me as a friend, then we would stay friends. There were no ifs, ands, or buts about that. If all I ever got was her friendship, then it was more than enough.
“You ready?” She zipped the bag closed and stood up.
“Let’s go find your mojo.”
She grinned. “Dojo casa—”
“If you finish that sentence I’m going to my room,” I teased. I really didn’t mind her quoting the Barbie movie, but the teasing had become a thing between us. I was compelled to play along.
She batted her long lashes. “But you love it when I quote movies.”
I wanted to swat her ass but hadn’t gone within six inches of that zone since I caught feelings. So instead I gave her shoulder a shove. “Come on, Barbie.”
“I never okayed music lyrics!”
I shrugged. “But I’m just Ken. I don’t know these things.”
She let out a laugh so loud she had to tilt her head back. “Fuck I missed this. California was work. This is home.”
“England?” I reached for the door but didn’t twist because I wanted to hear her reply.
“Here. You.” She said so quietly it made something in my gut twist into a new shape. “And Seth, of course. And now Annalise. You guys are home.” Her eyes lingered on my chest before darting up to meet mine.
I swallowed hard. The instant our gazes locked the world stood still. And that little intake of breath?
Fuck, I was starting to believe there was hope. She was so close. It wouldn’t take more than a dip of my head to fit my lips over hers and see once and for all what happened when I kissed my best friend.
Then a buzz went through the air just before everything went shockingly silent. Willa scowled as she looked down at the blank bedside clock. “The power just went out.”
“Then I hope the bar downstairs takes cash.” I twisted the handle and pulled, but nothing happened. I pushed. I twisted the knob this way and that. “Uh, Willa?”
“Yeah?”
At this point it was just comical. “We’re locked in.”
3
WILLA
“That’s not possible.” I shoved Ev out of the way and tried the door for myself.
Nothing.
Of course we managed to be inside the room with a malfunctioning electronic lock. “You could break the door down.”
The corner of his mouth turned up. “You that desperate to get away from me, Tink?”
Why did he have to be so handsome? That thick dark hair, masculine beard, his assessing eyes, and the body of an athlete. Most women found him attractive, so it was only logical that my body acknowledged the facts as well.
Right?
“Well, I uh, just, we were going outside. And beer.” I couldn’t seem to stop stammering. Not with him so close. We practically touched. His arm was millimeters from mine. His woodsy scent was impossible to escape. I could feel him everywhere.
But instead of moving away he stayed perfectly still, forcing me to feel all of it. “I’m pretty sure everything in is building is ancient. They’ll be pissed if we bust up the fancy door moldings.”
Logically I knew he was right, but my head wouldn’t stop spinning and my belly could take gold at the Olympics with the tumbling it was currently performing. Since he didn’t move, I did. I went straight to the six bay windows and started tipping them open for fresh air.
“You’ve never been claustrophobic before.”
