Chapter 20
Sunlight slipped through the narrow gap in the curtains and stretched across the bed, pulling Shylo from sleep one reluctant inch at a time. She kept her eyes closed and burrowed deeper into the pillow, unwilling to surrender to the morning yet.
A weight rested across her waist. Behind her, the solid presence of another body pressed against her back, the steady rise and fall of a chest brushing against her with each breath. The awareness came before the memories.
Then everything from the night before returned, and a smile tugged at her mouth.
Seth.
She remained exactly where she was, cocooned beneath the sheet with his arm draped across her middle. Beyond the curtains, a vehicle passed on the road into town before the sound faded into the distance. For a few moments, she allowed herself to enjoy it, even though that was probably a mistake.
The problem wasn't waking up beside him. The problem was realizing she wanted this again. More mornings spent tangled in the sheets, lazy conversations before either of them had to face the day, and time with the man sleeping beside her that wasn't measured in hours.
She couldn't remember the last time she'd woken up feeling that content, and the realization carried implications she preferred not to examine before coffee.
Or maybe ever.
The thought almost made her laugh.
She shifted slightly, and Seth made an indistinct sound behind her before pulling her closer.
The unconscious gesture sent an unexpected rush of affection through her.
He wasn't even awake, and somehow, he still managed to make it difficult to remember all the reasons getting involved with him was a bad idea.
A few weeks ago, her focus was on Shane, the inheritance, and what she intended to do once she had enough information. Now, she was lying in a motel bed, wishing the morning would slow down because eventually Seth would have to leave for work.
As though he sensed her thoughts, he stirred behind her. His arm moved lower, and his hand squeezed her thigh. A second later, his voice broke the silence. “Morning.”
Sleep roughened the single word, making it sound delicious.
She rolled onto her back and looked at him, immediately regretting the decision. His dark hair stuck up in several directions, and stubble shadowed his jaw. The lopsided smile he offered her made her stomach flutter in a way that was becoming entirely too familiar.
“Morning.”
His gaze narrowed slightly. “You've been deep thinking again.”
“That's a serious accusation before coffee.”
“I know you.”
The words shouldn't have affected her, but they did.
Something inside her squeezed as she held his gaze. The simple statement carried more weight than he probably intended. Nobody knew her here. Not really. Not the version of herself she'd spent years being or the secrets she’d carried since arriving in Hazard Falls.
But Seth knew pieces of her. Enough that she wanted to give him more. But she couldn’t. Not yet.
She reached up and brushed her fingers through his hair, attempting to flatten one of the stubborn sections sticking straight up. The effort failed immediately.
“Your hair looks ridiculous.”
“Good thing I'm pretty.”
She snorted. “Your confidence is exhausting.”
“You like it.” His grin widened when she rolled her eyes.
The teasing should have been silly. Instead, it left her grinning as she studied him. This was only the second time she'd woken up beside him, yet the thought of rolling away and starting the day held very little appeal.
She couldn't remember the last time she'd laughed this much with someone she was dating. Every conversation seemed to wander into unexpected places, and somehow, he always left her feeling better than before. Even now, before either of them had gotten out of bed, amusement tugged at her again.
He studied her face.
“What?” she asked.
“Nothing.” The sparkle in his eyes said otherwise.
Before she could press him, he reached for her and pulled her into a kiss. It started soft and familiar, carrying none of the urgency from the night before. It felt less like seduction and more like good morning. The thought made her smile against his mouth.
When they finally pulled apart, Seth rested his forehead against hers. “We should probably get up.”
Shylo groaned. “Ugh. Don't say things like that. Can’t we stay here all day?”
His laugh rumbled in his chest. “Pretty sure my boss expects me to show up today.”
“Your boss sounds unreasonable.”
“Only when it takes me away from time with you.”
Still smiling, he pressed one last kiss to her forehead before throwing back the covers and climbing out of bed, naked. She watched him cross the room toward the bathroom, making no effort whatsoever to hide the fact that she was staring at his ass... um... assets. Damn, the man had tight glutes.
He glanced over his shoulder and caught her almost drooling. “See something you like?”
“Maybe.” She let her gaze take a lazy stroke down his body and back up again.
His brows arched. “Maybe?”
She threw back the covers, stood, and strode toward him. “Don't let it go to your head.”
Glancing down at his morning wood, he pointed at it. “Too late.”
While his gaze dropped to her chest, she took advantage and tapped his erection with one finger as she passed him. “Such a cute head.”
“Cute? Whatta ya mean by that?”
“Just what I said—cute.”
He wrapped his hand around his thick cock. “This, here, is hot, sexy, and so fucking powerful that it had you screaming loud enough that your neighbor pounded on the wall last night.”
Color rushed into her cheeks at the reminder, and their banter followed them into the bathroom, where she pulled a spare toothbrush out of her toiletry bag for him.
They took turns giving each other privacy to use the toilet, then minutes later, steam fogged the mirror and coated the room in moisture while water drummed against the shower floor.
In between minty kisses, playful arguments, and getting each other off, they managed to get clean.
Eventually, time ran out—Seth had to get to the Triple-R.
He shut off the water and reached for a towel while she grabbed another.
The small bathroom left little room to maneuver around each other as they dried off, bumping elbows more than once.
He wrapped a towel around his waist and stepped into the motel room while she secured one around her body and stayed behind long enough to run a comb through her wet hair.
By the time she emerged from the bathroom, Seth had already pulled on his jeans and was rubbing a towel through his damp hair.
The air-conditioned room felt cool against her skin after the steam-filled bathroom.
She crossed to her suitcase and searched for a clean T-shirt and a pair of shorts.
The familiar routine of getting dressed should have felt awkward with him in the room. Instead, it felt surprisingly normal.
That thought gave her pause.
Normal wasn't a word she'd expected to associate with Seth. Not because of anything he had or hadn’t done. But because very little about the past several weeks had been normal.
“You know,” she said, watching him tug the shirt over his head, “most people bring a change of clothes when they're planning to spend the night somewhere.”
His gaze slid toward her. “Most people weren't planning to spend the night.”
“Fair point.”
“Besides, if I'd shown up carrying an overnight bag, you would've laughed at me or been pissed because I assumed. “
Shylo considered it. “Also fair.”
“See? I know you.”
The simple statement sent an unexpected flutter through her chest.
Before she could examine that too closely, Seth reached for his boots and dropped onto the edge of the bed. She sat beside him long enough to pull on her sleep shorts, then tucked one leg beneath her as he tugged first one boot onto his foot, then the other.
The sunlight had grown stronger, spilling around the edges of the closed curtains and stretching bright bands across the carpet.
Outside, a truck rolled through the parking lot, followed by the muffled slam of a car door somewhere farther down the row of rooms. The ordinary sounds of the morning felt strangely at odds with the fact that she was sitting on a motel bed watching Seth get ready for work.
A week ago, she wouldn't have imagined any of this.
Now she wondered what they might do that evening.
The realization crept in so quietly that she almost missed it.
She was already looking forward to seeing him again, not sometime down the road, but in a few short hours after they both finished work.
Seth pulled on his boots, then stood and reached for his truck keys on the dresser. “You’re working tonight, right?”
“Yeah. From five ’til ten.”
As she watched him gather his keys, phone, and wallet, an invitation hovered on the tip of her tongue.
It shouldn't have made her nervous. They'd gone on an actual date the night before and then spent the night together.
But this was different. Until now, Seth had always been the one pursuing her and taking all the initiative.
Putting herself out there—even for something as simple as meeting her after work—felt strangely vulnerable.
Before she could talk herself out of it, she said, “You could meet me at Bar None, if you want.”
His smile appeared without hesitation. “I was hoping you'd ask.”
Relief mixed with excitement, leaving her feeling a little foolish for worrying he might say no. “Really?”
“Really.” He stepped closer. “I'll be there before you get off.”
The corners of her mouth ticked up. “Good.”
He slid his wallet into his back pocket, and then, for a moment, neither of them moved. Their gazes met and held. Saying goodbye seemed to hold little appeal for either of them. The motel room, which had felt almost crowded while they were getting dressed, suddenly seemed much too quiet.
Finally, he held out his hand.
“Walk me out?”