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Henry’s feet thwapped the hardwood floor as she ran over to him. Traitor. I took my time drying off my hands, then turned and leaned against the laminate countertop. Gavin picked up my duck and held her in one hand while she fluffed her feathers at him.
He shifted his eyes from her to me. “Eva.”
I refused to acknowledge the heat in my belly. Just like I’dneveradmit it, but I preferred ‘Princess’. “Gavin.”
He was wearing different clothes from last night, sweats and an underlayer shirt, and his hair was wet, probably from a shower. It was tempting to assume he’d been with another girl last night. After all, ‘a friend’ was almost always code for a hookup. I could pretend he was the kind of asshole who left one girl and immediately picked up another, but if Gavin had wanted sex, he could have had it last night.
After losing it yesterday afternoon, I’d gone looking for something to distract me, and I’d found it. Despite what I’d implied to Gavin, I hadn’t wanted a random hookup, which was why I’d stayed so long with my drunk-ass date. It killed me to admit it, but I’d wanted Gavin.
When he showed up, I couldn’t handle the truth, so I lied. To myself and to him. He’d given me exactly what I’d asked for, and it hadn’t been enough. Now I was pissed at myself as much as him. I was self-aware enough to recognize I’d lost control a while ago, and the easiest way to wrest it back was to shove Gavin safely into the role I’d assigned him.
The problem was I couldn’t make myself believe it. This time, not even the knowledge of what he’d done—allegedly done—to Kayleigh swayed me. Still, it would have been nice for him to cometalkto me after stealing my third favorite thong and making me question the skills of every guy who’d ever touched me.
Gavin set Henry on the floor then stretched his arms over his head, causing his shirt to ride up and reveal the deep V of muscle on his lower abs. Jesus.
I crossed my arms and glared at him. “Do you guys have to make baconeverymorning?”
He laughed and started toward the stairs. “I’m too tired for this. I’m going to go take a nap.”
“If you’re so tired, maybe you should have come home last night.” What the hell was I doing pushing him? He’d made his position perfectly clear. Get off and get out. Except I’d been the only one to get off. As far as I knew.
Fuck.
Gavin paused with his hand on the newel post. He lowered his head for a long second, then turned back toward me. The dark amusement in his eyes surprised me, and I had a sudden carnal memory of his breath against my ear as he pinned me to a bookshelf.
“Did you miss me, Princess?”
The nickname hit me like a caress, and I cursed myself for the weakness. For last night. For the afternoon in the car. Foragreeing to his deal in the first place. Gavin was a weakness, and I needed to find a way to shore up my defenses.
“I want my thong back.”
He ambled closer, pursing his lips and pretending to consider my demand. “What do I get for it?”
I narrowed my eyes, pushing past the thrum of danger in his predatory gait. “You get the ability to show up for your game tonight without an ice skate shoved up your ass.”
Fire lit in his eyes, and he leaned down to whisper in my ear. “Wrong answer.”
My pulse picked up, and I fought to keep my breathing even. Damn him and damn my stupid involuntary reactions to him.
With my vulnerable side exposed, I lashed out. “You want to keep my underwear as a trophy? Fine—I have plenty—but I was right. This is messy. I have a lot going on right now, always, and I have neither the time nor the inclination for anything more than casual.”
“That’s not what you want,” he challenged me.
“You don’t know anything about what I want,” I lied.
“I know what you don’t want—the men your dad is dangling in front of you, your friend Mac, a random hookup, literally any of the guys on campus who’d give their right ball for a smile from you. You could pick any one of them, and they’d be naked and willing in seconds. You’re pissed because I’m the one you want. You’re just too afraid to admit it.”
“Oh, I’ll admit it. You’re sexy as fuck, and I’d bone down in a second if I didn’t think it would end with one of us murdering the other.” I held up a finger. “And to be clear, I’m the one murdering you in this scenario.”
He crossed his arms. “You wish you could take me.”
“Regardless. I would clearly enjoy a sexual relationship with you, but you’re not special. Which I’d have told you last night if you’d come home.”
He raised a brow. “You’re angry at me for not coming home so you could tell me yesterday meant nothing?”
I couldn’t bring myself to agree with him, even though staying silent weakened my position. Yesterday hadn’t meant nothing. Gavin had given me a place to fall apart, and he’d shared some of his own rough past. My goal wasn’t to belittle the connection, but to get him to understand it couldn’t go anywhere.
When I didn’t answer, he nodded slowly, trailing his hand down my arm to link our fingers. “You don’t have to try to push me away—it won’t work anyway. I’m not going anywhere. Neither are you because as much as you may deny it, you know I’m right.”
