I finish showering and turn off the water, grabbing my towel from the rack and drying myself behind the curtain. “It’s now or never, Chevelle. Leave the bathroom.”
“There you go, always bossing me around.” I hear her hop down from the counter.
I purposely open the curtain, towel wrapped around my waist. Now that junior has calmed down, he’s not sticking out of the opening.
She covers her eyes. “I was leaving.”
I step out of the shower. “Don’t leave on my account.”
I love playing games with her. She scrambles for the door with her hand over her eyes.
“Seriously though, don’t finish in the bathtub. I take baths in there.” She opens the door.
“It goes down the drain.”
“Ew!” A full-body shiver racks her.
I put my hand on the door to keep it shut and lean into her. She turns and her back falls against the door. She stares up at me, the humor in the small space dissipating, replaced by heady lust.
God, I want her so fucking bad.
“Next time, don’t come into the bathroom until I’m done.”
She glances down. “Done doing what?”
“Do you really want me to tell you?”
I see the challenge in her eyes. She wants me to say it and a big part of me wants to tell her. Maybe if I do, the visual from moments before will come true.
I lean in closer, my mouth inches from her ear, and she doesn’t pull back. “Do you want to know who and what I was imagining?”
Her breath hitches and I step in even closer, our bodies about to touch.
“What’s your answer, Chevelle?” I whisper, my breath blowing in her ear.
She squirms, and I’d bet money her nipples are peaked. I know I’m hyperaware of her being so close to me.
All the reasons I can’t touch her run through my mind. Fisher, my best friend who is trusting me to live with his little sister. The fact that her family is like my own family at this point and if I ever hurt Chevelle, I’d do irreparable damage to my relationships with the rest of the Greenes. And the fact that I don’t think either of us is looking for anything serious.
I draw back from her ear and my eyes fix on her lips. Her tongue slides out and coats her plump lips. She wants this just like I do. She’s inches away and all I want is to feel her tits smash into my naked chest and feel her lips on mine.
“Hello?” Fisher’s voice sounds from downstairs.
Chevelle pushes me away with both hands.
Since I’m not prepared, I fall back. My ass hits the counter as she flees from the room, slamming the door. I look down at where junior is poking out of the towel now.
“Damn, that was almost our chance. Fucking Fisher.” Though in truth, I should be thanking him for preventing me from doing something stupid.
I shake my head. Imagine he caught us fucking? I’d probably be dragged down the steps by my hair and buried alive. I might be Fisher’s best friend and he trusts me with a lot of shit, but I’m not sure his baby sister is one of them. We just did too much fucking around back in the day for him to ever think I could settle down with one woman. For him not to picture me doing the same kind of things with his baby sister.
I open the door and go to my room, where I shove on a pair of basketball shorts and a T-shirt before heading downstairs.
They’re in the living room. Chevelle is on the chair with her legs crossed, and Fisher is on the edge of the couch.
“What’s up, man?” I fist-bump him and join him on the couch.
It’s still weird to see my best friend, my delinquent teenage sidekick, in a role of authority. He was the biggest rule breaker when we were growing up. Now he’s dressed like the guys we used to run from.
“I was just telling Chevelle that Derek has left town. I got a call from a police station in Washington asking about the charges that were dropped. I guess he got pulled over for drunk driving. Needless to say, I doubt he’ll come back here again.”
I look at Chevelle. “That’s good news.”
“Definitely.” She rises off the chair. “Thanks, Fish.” She leans down and kisses his cheek. “I’m going to go shower.”
She walks up the stairs, and it takes every ounce of effort not to follow her.
“How you enjoying it here?” Fisher asks. “I was thinking… if you guys are arguing a lot, I can clear out that storage in the apartment over the garage.”
“Nah, we’re fine. We both work so much, we’re not even here a lot together.”
What I don’t tell him is that some nights when the house is quiet, all I can think about is what she’s doing in her room. Is she masturbating to visuals of me? Will the sexual tension between us ever evaporate?
“Okay, I appreciate it. I was worried about Derek retaliating somehow, but I was thankful to get that call from the police in Washington.”
“For sure. I’m already making a success of my charter boat. Speaking of, let’s set up a boys’ trip. I’ll take all you guys out.”
He runs a hand through his hair. The bags under his eyes say raising twins isn’t easy. “That would be awesome. We finally have the twins on a good sleep schedule, but when they’re awake, it’s mayhem.”
I laugh. “The sheriff’s being run ragged by two little ones?”
“Hell yeah, I am.” His phone goes off. “And that would be Allie.” He stands.
“Hey, if you need me to babysit for you and Allie so you can go out sometime, just say the word.”
His head falls back in laughter. “I hate to break it to you, but you’d need reinforcements.”
“Gunner and I can handle it.”
He holds out his fist to me. “You and your inflated ego always think you can do anything.”
I bump his fist, and he opens the door, stepping outside. We say goodbye, and I shut the door and turn, staring up the stairs. Maybe that’s what that moment was in the bathroom—my inflated ego assuming Chevelle wants me the same way I want her.
12
“SOME OF MY FAVORITE MOMENTS IN LIFE HAVE BEEN FIGHTING WITH YOU.”
Chevelle
Cam comes downstairs, tying his tie that matches his suit. Even though it’s only been a couple weeks since I saw Cam dressed up now that he wears T-shirts, sweatshirts, and shorts to work, I forgot how sexy he looks in a suit. “Can I ride with you?”
“What’s it worth to you?” I ask, finishing my coffee.
He straightens the knot in his tie in the reflection of the small mirror by the back door. Turning around, his eyes take me in. I don’t often wear a dress, so I get his surprise. I just wish I could ignore the desire in his gorgeous brown eyes.
We’re heading to the adoption ceremony for Adam and Lucy and their new baby girl. I opted for a navy wrap dress that stops a few inches above my knee and paired it with a set of heels that hopefully make my legs look great. Based on Cam’s reaction, I picked right.
“You mean what’ll I give you in return?” He walks toward me.
My breath halts and he reaches past me, grabbing a coffee mug from behind me on the counter. He smells magnificent. I want him to stay right where he is, but he steps back and smiles at me.