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“I’ve never hated you, Sky. And I asked you not to put words in my mouth.” His tone is deadly serious, matching his stare. It’s clear that my comment struck a nerve.
“Calm down, I was just kidding.” I put my hands up in the air, stepping around him.
“And to answer your question, the only good thing about this motel is that there’s hot water. With that being said, I’m going to take full advantage of taking a scorching hot shower until my skin wrinkles up or I die of a heat stroke. So, don’t come looking for me.” I flash him a wink before shutting the bathroom door behind me.
“Don’t threaten me with a good time, Skylar,” I hear him shout back. I rest my back against the door, letting my head thump against the wood.
Tonight is going to be a long night.
* * *
Thankfully,I packed plenty of warm clothes for the trip. I step out of the bathroom wearing black leggings and a forest green sweater after spending close to an hour under the heavenly stream of warm water. This will have to do for pajamas tonight because it doesn’t feel much warmer in this room than it does outside.
I literally want to kiss Everett when I notice the small space heater that he turned on in the corner of the room. The thought quickly reminds me that we were only centimeters away from kissing at the bar.
God, I wanted him to kiss me.
The logical part of my brain is relieved that Elliot interrupted us because deep down, I know that infidelity is wrong. It’s wrong on so many levels, especially when it’s with your fiancé’s brother.
But the irrational part of my brain despises Elliot because Everett’s lips were seconds away from mine. I could almost taste his minty mouthwash on my tongue. Even after three years and hundreds of kisses later, I’ve never forgotten the mind-blowing feeling of Everett’s tongue dueling with mine. Losing my temper and storming out of the bar had more to do with the fact that Elliot robbed me of the feeling I’d been craving for so long. A feeling of pure euphoria that only one man has ever been able to give me.His brother.
Everett must have turned the lights off because the only thing illuminating the room is a small bedside lamp. My eyes roam around the dim space, finding Everett perched in an uncomfortable-looking armchair, tightly holding a pillow against his broad chest. His head is tilted back against the chair, exposing the long veins slithering down his neck. His mouth is hanging wide open as his thick eyelashes flutter like he’s dreaming.
My heart sinks at how innocent he looks… at how unbelievably beautiful he is. I also die a little inside at the fact that he fell asleep in the armchair, clutching a pillow to himself for warmth just so I could have the bed. I can only imagine how tired he must be when I think about how he was knocking on my door before six a.m. this morning.
I offered to drive a few hours into the trip, but he refused. He tried to act all macho and manly about it, but I know it was because he wanted to let me rest. Every time I closed my eyes to take a nap, he would lower the volume of the music to a soft lull. I even recall waking up for a brief moment from the sun peaking through the clouds. As soon as Everett noticed, he quickly pulled down the visor to block the glare from my eyes. He’s done little things like that all day, showing me that he cares without his words.
Over my dead body am I about to let this giant of a man with a heart of gold sleep on a little sofa tonight. He can fight me all he wants, but this is a battle that I’m going to win. He needs a good night's rest, we both do.
We’re grown adults, we can sleep in the same bed and keep our hands to ourselves.Right?
I walk over to where he sits, kneeling beside him and gently placing my hand on his knee.
“Everett,” I whisper, not wanting to startle him.
“Rett,” I repeat a little louder, giving his knee a soft shake.
“Mmmmm.” He grumbles. I chuckle at how damn adorable he looks right now.
“Everett, come to bed.” I slide my palm underneath his hand, wiggling my fingers until they’re intertwined with his.
“Bed,” he repeats in a dreamlike haze. His lips tilt up in a small smile as he squeezes my hand in his. I can’t control the heat that surges to my core every time his skin connects with mine.
“That’s right,” I giggle, “let’s get you to bed.” I stand, keeping our fingers locked together.
He doesn’t budge.
“Come on. Up you go, big guy,” I grunt, using all my strength to pull his body from the chair.
He finally startles when Ireallystart to tug on his arm. He shoots out of the chair, his eyes darting around the room like he’s searching for danger.
What the hell?
I quickly realize that he’s searching for me because the look on his face is pure horror when he sees that the bed is empty, and the bathroom door is left wide open.He thinks I’m gone.He doesn't realize I’m standing right in front of him, holding onto his hand for dear life.
“Everett, I’m right here.” I lift my hands to cup his face, my insides purring at the way his stubble scrapes across my smooth skin.
“Wha— What are you doing?” His furrowed burrows begin to relax when his eyes find mine.
