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“And?” He arches a brow as if waiting for more.
“And what?”
When I remain silent, he growls, “Has he tried anything?”
I blink.
Is this guy being serious?
The muscles that tic in his tightly clenched jaw tell me that he is. My mouth turns cottony, making it difficult to swallow. I can’t help but shift restlessly beneath his penetrating stare.
When his intense scrutiny becomes too much to withstand, I blurt, “No.”
Relief floods his expression, and his shoulders loosen. “Good. Now tell Ryder to go home.”
“What? No!” Is he out of his mind? Easton can’t waltz in here and tell me what to do.
He tips his head toward the apartment. “If you don’t, I will.”
“Why are you being so unreasonable? What the hell has gotten into you today?” If I didn’t know better, I’d think he’d been invaded by body snatchers. My best friend has always been laid back and easy going. The guy standing before me, demanding that I put a swift end to my date, doesn’t resemble him in the slightest. It’s like they’re not even the same person.
“Like I said before, I’ve finally come to my senses,” he mutters as if that statement will somehow shed light on our current disagreement. “Now get rid of him.”
We glare for a good fifteen seconds before I realize he isn’t going to back down anytime soon.
“All right,” I reluctantly mutter before adding, “but only because we need to hash out whatever is going on here.”
“As long as McAdams gets the fuck out of your apartment, I don’t care what you tell yourself the reason is.”
The feral smile that curves his lips has arousal bursting to life at the bottom of my belly. If I’m being completely honest, the ignition is much lower. The way our gazes stay fastened sends my pulse skyrocketing. It flutters madly against the delicate flesh of my throat. His eyes darken until it feels like I’m in imminent danger of drowning in their expressive depths.
When his fingers lift, feathering along the curve of my jaw, an unexpected shiver works its way through me as he strokes the side of my face. A tidal wave of sensation crashes over me before threatening to drag me to the very bottom of the ocean.
For as long as I can remember, it’s been Easton. All of my secret thoughts and dreams have revolved around him.
And that’s a problem.
These caresses might be innocent and meaningless to him, but they mean everything to me. They grab hold of my insides and draw me closer, making it difficult to distance myself. To keep him firmly in the friend zone where he was always meant to be.
Before I can lose myself completely in his touch, my fingers tighten around the door handle and twist. When it springs open, I tumble backward with a squeak. The haze clouding his eyes clears before he jumps into action. He grabs my upper arms and yanks me forward until I’m trapped against the steely strength of his chest. It’s oh-so-tempting to close my eyes and burrow against him. Nothing about this moment should feel right.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” a deep voice snaps, slicing into my thoughts and catapulting me back to the present with a painful thud. “I should have realized when I found you two in the hallway at Taco Loco that tonight would turn out to be a total bust.”
A groan of embarrassment gurgles up from my throat.
When I attempt to break free, Easton traps me against him, making escape impossible.
“Say goodbye to Ryder,” he whispers against the shell of my ear. The heat of his breath sends a torrent of shivers dancing down my spine. “And while you’re at it, tell him to lose your number.”
Instead of doing exactly that, I clear my throat and force myself to say, “I’m really sorry about tonight.”
His expression softens, making him look less irritated. Certainly less annoyed than I would be if the situation were reversed.
“Don’t worry about it. Brooke’s been on my ass for a while to take you out. After the clusterfuck this night has been, she owes me big time.”
That last comment makes me wince as he saunters past, leaving a heavy silence in his wake.
It’s only when we’re alone that Easton releases his hold before nudging me inside the apartment and closing the door behind us. A strange intensity fills his eyes. It’s one that has my belly crashing to the bottom of my toes. I’ve known him forever, and not once has he ever frightened me. But at this particular moment, that’s exactly how I feel. I have no idea how this interaction will play out, and that leaves me feeling off kilter and unsure how to smooth everything over.
“Easton,” I whisper, unable to summon my voice.
When my tongue darts out to moisten my lips, his gaze drops to the movement and a groan rumbles up from deep in his chest as he stalks closer. The fine hair on my arms prickles with awareness when he grinds to a halt before reaching out and cradling my cheeks in his palms.
