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7
Nick
All I wanted to do was hop in that steamy shower with Sydney and rekindle what we’d had. I wanted to drink her in, lather her with soap, slide my hands up and down each delicious curve. Every muscle in my body tensed; all systems were a go.
Taking a deep breath, I scrubbed my hand hard over my neck. Why had I thought this would be a good idea? If I couldn’t get Sydney to reconsider us, I’d be blueballing myself worse than a middle schooler with a fucking crush. Damn it!
Relax, Milton. You still have time. Play it cool; she’ll come around.
The door to the bathroom opened and Sydney stepped out, a white towel wrapped around her, steam highlighting her silhouette.
Hot damn.What was that about keeping it cool?
I shifted in my now-too-tight jeans, trying hard to focus on her face, not the creamy skin peeking out from the top of her towel.
“Shower’s open, Milton.” She tilted her head towards the open door, urging me into the bathroom.
“Uh, thanks,” I said, my throat bone-dry.
“What? Why are you staring at me?” Sydney frowned, her dark eyes narrowed.
“I’m not.” I raised my hands up and headed towards the shower, brushing past her before she could get a good look at my hard-on.
“Whatever, Milton.” She moved towards her suitcase, her back to me, and bent over.
I took the opportunity to cop one more furtive look before ducking into the safety of the bathroom, closing the door behind me.
Damn. How was I going to survive tonight, sleeping in the same bed together? Maybe this wasn’t my best idea after all.
* * *
“White? Red? Or something stronger?” I asked Sydney, surveying the options my mother had laid out on the large mahogany coffee table in the living room. Judging by her tell-tale fiddling with her necklace and the biting of her lower lip, I’d have recommended whiskey on the rocks, but somehow I knew she’d decline.
“White’s good. Thanks.” She shifted from foot to foot, waiting for her wine, the soft holiday music doing little to calm her.
“Here you go,” I said, handing over the glass. Then I leaned in, brushing against her shoulder, my lips almost touching her cheek. “Relax. It’s fine.” I straightened back up before the scent of her perfume undid all the cooling down I’d done in the shower.
“Bro!” Nate rushed into the room, slapping me hard on the back. Luckily, I didn’t have any beverage in my hand at the moment. “Merry Christmas! And Sydney, great to see you.” He moved in, kissing her on both cheeks.
A pink blush climbed from her neck to her face as she met his smile. “Good to see you, too, Nate. It’s been awhile.”
“It has indeed. Too long, I’d say.” He winked at her and I pushed down the urge to punch him. My brother had better stay far away from my fake girlfriend…
I grabbed two rocks glasses, dropped a single cube of ice into each, then poured two fingers of whiskey for each of us.
“Cheers,” I said, handing my brother his drink. The three of us clinked glasses, took a sip.
“How’s the big city, you two? Is it amazing being back in the same zip code?” Nate asked us, although his eyes never left Sydney’s face. I didn’t blame him; I’d rather stare at her than me any day, too.
Sydney swallowed hard, blinking once, twice. “Uh, good. Things are good. And yeah, it’s great being back together.”
“I couldn’t be happier,” I said, wrapping my arm around Sydney’s waist and pulling her into me. She blushed a deeper shade of pink, but kept smiling at Nate.
“That’s fantastic. I know how much this guy talked about missing you when he was out in the desert. Happy it’s working out for you two.” Nate grinned at us, took another slug of his drink.
“Really, babe? You missed me that much? I had no idea,” Sydney said, glancing at me, her voice a bit higher-pitched than normal.
“Of course. You knew that,” I said, locking eyes with her and tracing the outline of her cheekbone. She shivered under my touch and my gut unknotted. We still had undeniable chemistry between us, no matter what she said.
