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“Night’s not done, babe. Go change.”
In the guest room, I paused to take a deep breath. We’d only had water and iced tea at dinner, but I still felt more than a little drunk. In the dresser, I found three different suits. One was indeed my old suit, a black one piece. There were two bikinis.
One I’d seen before and I stared at it for a minute trying to place it. Yellow with black trim, it was pretty and…I dropped it back into the drawer. Patty had been wearing it at Ian’s birthday party.
Yeah.
No.
“Archie?” I called, holding the red bikini top and bottom.
He strolled through the door in his swim trunks, which hugged his trim frame and did absolutely nothing to hide the fact he was still half-hard. Where Ian and Jake were broad chested and denser muscled, Archie was trim, lean and very cut. You could tell he spent time in the gym, even if he wasn’t training for any sports.
“Problem?” He asked when my gaze finally reached his eyes. His smirk was adorable and aggravating in equal measures.
“Black one piece, mine. Patty’s bikini.” I held up the red two pieces. “Who owned this one?”
Smile fading, he studied me then the suit. “Honestly? I have no idea. I didn’t even remember that yellow one was Patty’s… you sure it was hers?”
“She wore it to Ian’s birthday party.” The sting remained, but I kept my gaze determinedly on him. “I don’t want to wear someone else’s suit. Especially not someone you had sex with.”
After crossing the room to me, he plucked the yellow suit out of the drawer and walked over to the trashcan in the corner. “We talked about Patty, Frankie. I’m not asking you to do anything you don’t want to do much less treat you like you’re a plug and play replacement.”
The bluntness eased something in me I hadn’t even realized I was holding onto. Guilt flooded me. I was the one making out with our other friends… I looked at the red suit then at him. “I know you aren’t.”
“No, you don’t.” Archie held up his hands before I could respond. “It’s okay. You trust me as your friend. I gotta earn some boyfriend cred, and we already know I’m starting a little more in the negative than you are.”
“Except you’re not dating anyone and I’m…”
“Nope,” he said quietly, then closed the distance between us to cup my face. “Hey, look at me. We’re not doing that. No guilt. No being mean to you. Now, I said suits were optional. I can still keep my hands to myself. Granted…that will be a true test of willpower, but I can. Or you can try this one on and understand the only thing that matters to me is thatyouare here, not what you wear or don’t wear.”
I made a face. “I sound like a brat.”
“You sound like you don’t get why we all like you and worry that I only want sex.”
I grimaced. That sounded even worse.
“To qualify that statement, I absolutely want sex. I’d fuck you in a heartbeat. But fucking you isn’t why I’ve spent four years trying to make sure I had your attention and time squared away with you. I wanted every Friday night this year not because I thought I was getting laid, Frankie. I wanted them because I wantyou.”
The command in his voice sent a shudder through me. He lifted my hand up and ran his fingers along the bracelet.
“Archie and Frankie’s first date, remember?”
Tipping my head back, I said, “You’re really sexy when you’re all fierce and determined.”
“Does it get you wet?”
A giggle escaped. The conversations he and I kept having, “Very,” I admitted. His sharp inhale did wonders for my ego. “Not as wet as I’ll be in the hot tub.”
He grinned. “Good. That gives me time to up my game. While you get changed, you want me to go raid the bar? We can try some wine.”
“Ah, ah, ah,” I said, waving a finger at him. “If we drink, then I have to spend the night.”
“We have time for me to sober up and if I’m that drunk, trust me, I’ll have trouble getting up to my room much less getting it up for you.”
“So, you’re telling me wine means no sex?”
He opened his mouth, then closed it and then moved his head from side to side. “One glass each? Keep our options open?”
