21. Chapter Twenty-one
Chapter Twenty-one
Samantha
Adrian was waiting for me outside the locker room after spin class, hair wet from his shower. He knew he didn’t have to wait for me, since I took at least twice as long to get ready, but he always did.
He pushed off the wall when I appeared, falling into step with me. “We should switch gyms.”
I laughed. “Why would we do that?”
He grumbled under his breath. “The teachers are going downhill.”
I arched a brow. “Could it be that you haven’t quite recovered and are struggling?”
“Obviously not.” He huffed. “I’m fully recovered.” He wouldn’t have it any other way. He was doing a lot better, thank goodness, but even I’d noticed he’d been dragging during class.
Not that I would say that out loud.
I patted his shoulder. “Sure, buddy. Definitely the teachers.”
He ignored my sarcasm. “What are you doing the rest of the day?”
Our Saturdays almost always started with the gym, then we grabbed smoothies or coffee, depending on our mood and need for caffeine. After Nate plowed me into his bathroom vanity, I’d had an incredible night’s sleep. Today was going to be a smoothie day.
“Entertaining Kelly, I suppose. I also promised Nate I would optimize his bedroom for sleeping. Things kept coming up, and I’m determined today is the day.”
His head swiveled toward me. “Nate’s having trouble sleeping?”
“Uh…yeah. I was under the impression it was a chronic thing.”
He scratched the side of his head. “He hasn’t mentioned anything.”
And Adrian almost sounded devastated by that. The Wells boys were thick as thieves. Their group chat was a living, breathing thing. If even an hour went by without one of them sending a message, they were all being held hostage…or asleep.
I tried to soften the blow of my knowing something about Nate Adrian didn’t. “It isn’t like he told me either. It’s just kind of hard to miss when we share a bed.”
“Hmmm.” He held open the door for the smoothie place, ushering me inside in front of him. “How much longer is that going to continue?”
“Kelly and I are going to look at apartments tomorrow. I’m hoping she finds one she likes so we can get her moved in ASAP. But even if she doesn’t, we can’t keep staying with Nate.”
He folded his arms over his chest as we inched forward in line. “I doubt he minds. He’s pretty easygoing.”
“He is, and if he were my real boyfriend, I wouldn’t feel so bad, but we’ve invaded his life.”
Adrian chuffed. “The assholes you’ve dated, no way they’d put both you and Smelly up for over a week.”
“I don’t know if that’s true…”
He raised a brow. “Can you picture Douche welcoming you with open arms?”
Sadly, I couldn’t, but I wasn’t admitting that to Adrian. Not that I had to, since his question had been more rhetorical than anything.
I ordered my banana-blueberry smoothie, and Adrian asked for his usual kale monstrosity. He paid for mine, and I didn’t protest. He was chivalrous in that way. If I ever took my wallet out around him, I’d be on the receiving end of his ire.
We sipped and strolled, heading in the direction of his building. On the way, we stopped at a boutique, where I bought something I hoped would help Nate sleep, though I didn’t tell Adrian who it was for. Otherwise, he would have insisted on paying for it too, and I wanted this to be from me.
He rode the elevator with me up to Nate’s apartment without asking. Nate was sitting at his island, his laptop open in front of him. As soon as the door opened, he turned toward us…almost like he’d been waiting.
“Look who I found,” I announced.
“I followed her home,” Adrian deadpanned.
I ruffled his hair. “Like a lost little puppy.”
He ducked out from under my hand and went to the island, giving Nate a clap on the shoulder. “Spending your Saturday working?”
Nate closed his laptop. “As if you’re any better. You’ll both be at the club tonight.”
I plopped on the stool beside Nate and slid my smoothie toward him. “I can’t drink anymore. You finish it.”
He picked it up and lifted the lid to give it a sniff, then put the lid back on and took a long pull from the straw, apparently finding it satisfactory.
“Thanks.” His eyes drifted down to my bare legs. “Good class?”
Adrian and I replied at the same time.
“Great class.”
“It was bullshit.”
Nate chuckled, his eyes ping-ponging between us. “Somehow, I believe you both.”
Adrian put his hands on his hips. “Really? A week living with Sammie and she’s got your loyalty? Did you forget the old adage, blood is thicker than water?”
“He said he believes us both,” I reminded him.
Adrian narrowed his eyes at me. “Enough of you. I can’t have you siding with each other. This living together situation needs to come to an end. Very soon.”
I laughed. “I’m sure Nate agrees with you on that.”
“There’s no rush,” Nate replied, as Adrian had predicted. “Our schedules are so opposite, it’s almost like you’re not here.”
“Except now. And I dragged your grumpy brother with me.” And of course, last night. I’d very much been here last night.
Adrian huffed with faux annoyance. “I dragged myself, Samuel.”
“Shut it, Andrea.” Then I smiled at Nate, who was watching us with a glint of amusement. “Speaking of annoying siblings—”
“I know you’re not talking about me,” Adrian grumbled.
I went on, “—where’s mine?”
“I haven’t seen her yet.” He checked his watch. “It’s early. I suspect she’s still asleep. I’m surprised you’re not. You had a late night.”
Our eyes caught for one heated beat, a secret passing between us. Only, it wasn’t quite a secret but a detail that was only ours.
“Sunday is my lie-in day. Saturdays are for spin class and errands. This specific Saturday is for giving your bedroom a makeover.”
I slid the bag from the boutique over to him, and he frowned, putting the smoothie down.
“What’s this?”
“The beginning of your optimization,” I replied. “Open it.”
He reached into the bag, his expression smoothing as he pulled the heavier-than-expected item out. He turned it in his hands, his frown deepening.
“I give up.” His eyes lifted to mine, brow crinkled. “I don’t know what this is.”
Taking it from him, I tilted my head back and placed it over my eyes. It was an odd position, and didn’t exactly feel great, but I was all the way in this.
“It’s a weighted face mask. I read about them online. The weight is supposed to ground you and help you shut off your mind.”
I straightened, catching the mask as it fell. “I don’t know if there’s science behind it, but people swear by these things, so I thought it would be worth a try.”
He studied the mask in my hands for a long moment before nodding once. “Anything’s worth a try.” His gaze lifted to mine, shinier now, even as his expression remained blank. “Thank you, Samantha. You didn’t have to go to any trouble.”
Adrian had moved his hands from a sassy hip prop to folded grumpily under his arms. “Yeah, yeah, Sammie’s so nice. Is there a reason you’ve failed to mention you’re struggling with insomnia to me, or Ben, or Rome?”
The shine in Nate’s eyes dimmed. “There’s nothing you can do about it. I haven’t slept well in years. It’s a side effect of my medication. I’d rather be tired than…well, the other option.”
“Surely there are other medications,” Adrian pointed out.
Nate passed the heavy mask from hand to hand. “There might be, but I’ve reached a happy medium. I’m not prepared to tempt fate by changing things.”
Adrian wasn’t having it. “Have you spoken to your doctor? There has to be another option. I don’t think anyone should—”
Nate pushed his chair back so abruptly it screeched against the floor.
“I’ve got it covered, Ade. This isn’t a conversation we need to have—which is exactly why I haven’t brought it up.
You’re welcome to stay as long as you want.
I’m going to shower and get dressed now.
” With that, he took the mask and his laptop and retreated to his bedroom.
Adrian and I exchanged a glance.
“Maybe you can talk to him about his meds…”
I shook my head. “That’s not my area of expertise.”
Tugging the top of his hair, he sighed. “He doesn’t think he’s worth worrying over. What he doesn’t get is that’s part of this whole brother thing. It’s not something that can be turned off.”
“I’m sure he gets it.” I picked up the bag from the boutique and flattened it on the counter.
Adrian was pacing, raking his fingers roughly through his hair again and again.
“I won’t talk to him about his medicine unless he brings it up.
That’s not my place. But I’ll keep checking in with him about sleeping, okay?
He’s already agreed to try my suggestions, so that’s good, right? ”
“Yeah. Right. I guess.” He pinned me with a sharp gaze. “You’ll tell me if you get concerned, won’t you?”
“I would, but I won’t be here much longer. The chances of me noticing anything are really low.”
“What—do you plan on riding off into the sunset? Never speaking to Nate again after all this bonding you’ve done? You’re friends now.”
The idea of doing exactly that made my stomach swoop. I’d hate to go back to being acquaintances with Nate, and the mind-bending sex was the furthest on the list of things I’d miss.
Well, maybe not the furthest, but low-ish.
Even without the sex, Nate was really great. I wasn’t sure what we had in common, but I liked being around him.
“We’re friends,” I confirmed.
“Good.” Adrian seemed pleased with that, until something crossed his mind and made him frown. “Just don’t let him steal top place from me.”
I had to laugh. “As if that’s even possible.”
“Same goes for you, buddy.”
He slung his arm around my shoulder, squeezing me a hair too tight. That was Adrian. His affection always had to be a little awkward, or it would venture into the realm of too real.
The Wells brothers…they were lucky they were so lovable, or they might not have been worth the trouble.
Once Adrian left, I found Nate in his bedroom and crawled onto the bed beside him. He looked up from his laptop, raising an eyebrow. I bumped my shoulder into his.
“You kicked him out?”
“Oh yeah. Really rudely too. There was some scruff grabbing and—”
He leaned over and pressed his mouth to mine, taking me by surprise. Instantly, I melted into his lips, then opened for him when his tongue teased the seam of my mouth, allowing room to explore.
“You were mean?” he asked, his lips grazing mine.
“Very mean.” I crinkled my nose. “Like this. I’ve been told I’m intimidating.”
His mouth twitched. “Oh yeah. I see why he left.”
I scooted until I was almost on top of him. “Do you really want to talk about Adrian—”
He interrupted me again, but I didn’t mind. Not with the way he kissed me, dragging me onto his lap so he could position me how he wanted me.
His laptop was soon forgotten, and his fingers were buried in my hair. He was rough about it in a way I liked, yanking me against him, my breasts flattening to his chest.
He only pulled back to ask, “Is this okay?”
“Only if you’re going to make me come,” I panted.
His forehead rolled against mine, then I was on my back, his hips lodged between my thighs. “Yes, Samantha, I’m definitely going to make you come.”
I grabbed the sides of his hair, pulling his face back to mine. He let me have control for all of ten seconds before he cuffed my wrists together in one hand, holding them over my head, and rucked my shirt up to my chin with the other.
It was so hot I couldn’t see straight. But I didn’t need to see. His mouth on my breasts, my arms trapped in his hold, I gave myself over to everything this surprising man could bring.
Later…
We’d optimize later for sure.