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The more time I spent with Peyton, the more I wanted her. What was crazy was that I’d never paid much attention to her until this past week. As kids, I never saw her as anything more than a friend. She’d changed over the years. When she started acting, I noticed how beautiful she had become. But then her career took off and she left. I went on with life and never gave much thought to her. It was great seeing her in the movies and watching her rise to fame, but I had my own life and stardom to achieve. It paled in comparison to hers.
When she came back home, I thought Hollywood would’ve changed her, but she was still the same Peyton, only sexier than I’d ever imagined. Last night with her wasn’t enough. A deal was a deal, though. We both agreed to one night, no strings attached, no complications. Maybe it was for the best. She had her life, and I had mine.That’s the way it is and the way it’s going to be.
I turned off my truck and opened the door. “I’ll walk you in and then head out,” I said to her.
Peyton nodded. “Sounds good.”
I wanted to believe I saw a hint of disappointment in her gaze, but it was probably just wishful thinking on my part. We both got out, and I grabbed her suitcase from the backseat. She lived on the second floor, so I followed her up the stairs. When we got to her door, she reached into her purse and fumbled almost nervously with her keys as she tried to slip them into the lock. Hell, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t feeling nervous too. I didn’t want to think of the semantics of everything.
I wanted to do what felt right, what felt good.
Kissing her, spreading her wide on the bed, and feeling her legs wrapped around me was what I wanted, but Peyton wasn’t just any girl. I could do that with anyone I wanted, but it wasn’t like that with her. Last night was strictly about the sex, but things were different today. We’d crossed a line, and we couldn’t go back.
Honestly, I didn’t know how to move forward. The rules had changed.
Peyton opened the door, and I walked in behind her, leaving her suitcase in the living room where the scent of coconut and pina coladas engulfed me. Everything inside was just as I remembered it from the last time I’d been there. Peyton loved succulent plants, and they were everywhere. They were in every corner, on the fireplace mantle, bookshelf, and the kitchen counters. Peyton loved nature. It was one of the things I remembered about her when we were younger.
When her family visited mine at our cabin, Peyton would play in the dirt and name every flower she found in the forest. I never cared about any of that back then, but now, I realize how brilliant Peyton was. There was more to her than her ability to act and mesmerize a crowd. I wished I could say the same for myself. But unfortunately, all I could do was fight. Maybe Iwasn’tworthy of her. Perhaps a one-night stand was all I was suitable for.
Peyton turned to face me and stuck her hands in the back pockets of her jeans. “Thanks for bringing me home.”
Fucking hell, I wanted to kiss her.
Instead, I kept my distance. “You’re welcome.” I looked around her apartment to the hallway. “Do you want me to take a walk-through?”
“No. My parents did that already. So everything should be okay.”
I faced her again, and her eyes drifted down to my lips. Why did she have to make this so damn hard? The last thing I wanted to do was make a move and push her away.
“All right,” I said, backing away toward the door. I turned away from her and opened it, peering down into the parking lot. It made me wonder if there were paparazzi out there, snapping photos of us right now. I didn’t like the thought of Peyton being by herself. Shutting the door, I turned back to her. “I really don’t like you being here alone.”
Peyton crossed her arms over her chest. “I’ll be fine, Ethan. Nothing’s going to happen to me.”
We stared at each other for the longest time. Her eyes shifted to my mouth again, and I couldn’t take it anymore. Closing the distance, I pulled her into my arms and pressed my lips to hers. She opened up to me, and I clutched her tight around the waist, pushing my tongue against hers, tasting her. I broke away first and cupped her cheeks, loving the sound of her ragged breaths.
“I had to do that one last time,” I said, breathing her in. “If you ever need me, you know where I’ll be.” That was where I had to end it.
Turning on my heel, I shut the door behind me. When I got in my truck, my phone rang. I was hoping it would be Peyton asking me to come back up, but it wasn’t her. It was my mom.
“Hey,” I answered.
“Hey, sweetheart. I heard you were bringing Peyton home from Vegas. I was calling to see if you two wanted to stop by for dinner before you take her to her apartment.”
“I just dropped her off.”
“Well, that stinks. Your dad and I would still like for you to come. What do you say?”
I started up my truck and headed in their direction. “Sounds great. I’ll see you in a few.”
* * *
After dinner, I decided to stay with my parents for a while. It’d been a long time since I sat with my dad just to shoot the shit. When we weren’t training, I was usually out with Ripp at various bars and whatnot. I wasn’t in the mood for that tonight. My dad poured us a glass of whiskey, and we sat by the pool.
It was late November in Santa Monica, California, and the temperatures had dropped to the high fifties. Still, it was nothing compared to what I was used to at our family’s cabin in Sierra Nevada. Of course, there were days when I missed the cooler weather, but I also loved my life on the beach.
“Do you want to train in the morning?” my dad asked.
Laughing, I looked down at my phone sitting on the table between us. “Um . . . itismorning already. Something tells me we’re not going to be worth a damn in a few hours.”
