Chapter 7 #2
My nipples tightened, cool air flowing across one of them and making me realize that my pjs had slid out of place, revealing my breast. Had Frasier noticed? The idea only made me hotter.
My core clenched with need. Oh god. Oh my god.
It was in that moment that I realized what a colossal mistake I’d made. Thinking we could share this romantic hotel room. Thinking nothing would have to change.
Because I wanted him. I wanted Frasier.
His warm, citrus scent wrapped around me, and I could feel the heat wafting from his body. If he came any closer, we’d be kissing. If he leaned in at all…
I sucked in a breath when I felt something long and hard brush against my thigh. Oh my god. He was just as turned on as I was. And he was…wow. I blinked a few times, my brain struggling to process all this new information. Talk about stimulation overload in the best possible way.
I lifted my hand, cupping his cheek. His expression softened, his eyes still hooded. He turned his head, pressing the most delicate, tender kiss to my palm. I sighed, warmth coursing through my body. But then, he froze. His entire demeanor changed, his body locking up tight.
I didn’t understand what had happened, but I could feel the shift as surely as if a cold front had blown in.
Frasier squeezed his eyes shut as if pained then pushed away from me, standing. He turned, the muscles of his back flexing as he adjusted himself. I remained motionless, in a daze.
Did that really just happen?
And what exactly had happened?
I sat there frozen. We’d shared a moment. And then he’d pulled away. Why?
I turned my palm up to inspect it, and that’s when I saw it.
Oh. Oh.
The butterfly tattoo on my wrist.
Now I understood why Frasier had pulled away. And I was filled with both relief and disappointment.
I’d almost crossed a line with my husband’s best friend, my best friend, that couldn’t be uncrossed. And as much as my body might be ready, my mind and my heart were a different matter entirely.
I sat up, adjusting my shirt so I was covered once more. Heat scorched my cheeks, and my thoughts bounced all over the place.
“Frasier, I…” I didn’t even know what to say.
I was so hot and bothered and confused. It felt as if Frasier and I were on the precipice of something important. Something dangerous. Like Alice stumbling through the looking glass, unsure where she was or how to get back home.
Did I want to take that next step? And did I want to take it with him?
My body was still reeling. My mind was in overdrive. God, I really needed a way to shift the energy in the room. Lighten the mood. Because it felt way too heavy all of a sudden.
“Go to sleep, Bryn,” Frasier said in a softer tone. He still wouldn’t look at me.
He grabbed the pillow I’d placed on the couch, fluffing it. There was no way I’d allow him to sleep on the couch, but he wouldn’t let me sleep there either. And neither of us was willing to back down. In my mind, there was only one solution.
I pulled down the covers on the bed, climbing beneath the sheets. Frasier’s shoulders visibly relaxed, and I had to bite back a laugh. As amused as I was, something warm unfurled deep inside me at that simple reaction. An unconscious movement.
Frasier always looked out for me, cared for me. He put me first, even when it was to his own detriment.
“Come on.” I patted the empty spot on the bed beside me. “There’s more than enough room here for both of us. Unless you’re going to hog all the covers or pull a starfish on me.”
“I don’t…” He swallowed hard, his eyes focused on the ceiling. They bounced around, looking anywhere but at me. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
I decided that the best option—the only option—was to confront this head on. We were both adults, and I wasn’t going to let one nip slip or an erection ruin our vacation. It was a biological response to external stimulus.
Okay, it was more than that. At least for me. And while what had happened was hot, it was good we’d stopped when we did. I wasn’t willing to lose our friendship for a temporary lapse in judgment.
“We’re both tired, and we got a little…carried away,” I said, trying to sound calm, cool, and collected, when I was anything but. “It’s not a big deal.”
Except it felt like a big deal. My heart was pounding. And it wasn’t the first time something like this had happened. Although this time had definitely been different from when he’d shielded me from the dogs.
Frasier grunted but said nothing.
I didn’t know what to say. What he wanted me to say. I just knew that I didn’t want this to be awkward anymore.
Things were already tense with my sister after our last phone call.
I’d replied to messages in the “Bride Tribe” group chat since then, but Allie and I hadn’t communicated outside of that.
And tomorrow, I’d have to face my sister and the rest of my family.
I needed to know that Frasier and I were okay.
“Bear,” I sighed. “I’m sorry.”
He crossed his arms over his chest, nostrils flared. “You have nothing to apologize for.”
“I do, actually. Because I’m pretty sure I’m the reason we’re in this mess.”
He furrowed his brow. It felt weird to have this conversation while I was in bed and he was sitting across the room. So I grabbed a robe from the closet and wrapped it around myself before I went over to sit beside him.
I rolled my lips between my teeth. “I think Allie upgraded us to this room because of something I told her.”
The divot between his eyebrows deepened. “Why? What did you tell Allie?”
My heart was pounding, my stomach hollowed out. “Don’t get mad, but…” I twisted the edge of the robe’s tie between my fingers. “I might have told her we’re dating.”
I cringed, bracing myself for his reaction. My cheeks already felt like they were on fire.
“I’m sorry,” I rambled. “I know it was stupid and immature. But she just…” I sighed. “She kept pushing, so I pushed back.”
“By telling her we were dating.” I couldn’t get a read on his expression. Was he mad? Annoyed? Amused?
I nodded. “But I swore her to secrecy. No one else knows.”
He sank down on the couch. “Back it up. Tell me what happened.”
So I did. And he listened patiently while I told him about my conversations with Allie and how she’d made me feel. Finally, he asked, “Why didn’t you tell me this before?”
“At first, I was going to confess to Allie. But then, after I didn’t…couldn’t, I kept thinking that maybe my little lie wouldn’t be a big deal. I didn’t think it would affect anything. But clearly—” I gestured to the room “—I was wrong, and I’m sorry.”
“I’m not mad at you, Bryn.” He placed his hand on my back, his words and touch filling me with relief.
“You’re not?” I glanced at him.
He shook his head. “I’m proud of you for clearly setting some boundaries and expressing your needs.” He was? “And I can understand why you said what you did.”
My shoulders relaxed. I should’ve known he’d have my back. He always did. “Thank you.”
Even so, telling him was a relief. Frasier was known for keeping his cool on the ice, and he rarely got ruffled off it. But everyone had their limits.
“So, what now?” he asked.
“What now?” I shrugged. “I confess to her in the morning, and we ask the hotel to find us alternate accommodations. Maybe I can room with one of the bridesmaids or my parents if I have to.” Though neither prospect was very appealing.
“Mm.” Was all he said in response.
Sometimes I felt like I knew Frasier well enough that I could decipher his cryptic remarks. This wasn’t one of those times. I didn’t have a clue what he was thinking, and it made me nervous.
“Or…” He rubbed the back of his neck. And then he said the last words I’d expected to hear from his mouth. “We could roll with it.”