Chapter 21
Alex
Coltand the Lawtons share a car they call and head back to their side of town, while Tobias, his date, Harper, and I get back in the one we came in. I watch them warily because I can already tell that Tobias and his fangirl had several drinks, and she’s ready to seize the night’s opportunity while she has it. Tobias doesn’t give two shits about who’s around, especially if it’s me who’s used to his exhibitionism. So I’m not entirely surprised when his date climbs into his lap a few moments after we pull away from the curb.
Harper’s eyes go wide and then she looks to the window, watching out it like it holds great interest for her. But I see her shooting the occasional glance in their direction, especially as the sounds they make start to get louder. Finally, she looks over at me, a brow raised and a questioning look.
I pull my phone out and send her a text.
Sorry. He’s like this sometimes.
She smiles when she sees the text.
SAINT
He’s almost as bad as you. Good thing Colton’s not here.
I’m sorry about earlier. I wasn’t thinking about us being in public.
It’s fine. We got carried away.
A soft moan escapes the woman in Tobias’s lap, loud enough that it grabs both of our attention away from our phones.
And apparently, they are too. Wow.
I smirk at my phone.
If you feel like you’re missing out…
I think I’m good.
I wouldn’t want Tobias hearing you anyway.
Why? Afraid he’d want to join in?
Over my dead fucking body would he touch her.
Wait… If I wasn’t here, what would be happening…
She sends a curious emoji followed by a devil one.
Nothing, because I’m in a committed relationship.
She looks up, bemused by the situation, and glances at me for a moment before she types her response.
Good answer.
We arrive at Tobias’s place not a moment too soon because I’m fairly fucking certain she was about to rip his pants off right in front of us and slide to her knees. At least it sounded like that’s what she was begging him for. Sitting in that close proximity to them while thinking about Saint, with her wearing the dress she has on… It’s torture, and I feel like I’m about to die from how much I fucking want her.
“I’m so tired,” she says, a small yawn escaping her as she curls her feet underneath her ass, her heels abandoned on the floorboards.
“You could just stay the night at my place.”
She shifts in her seat but doesn’t respond at first.
“It’s late already,” I add.
“I have to be at work in the morning, and I don’t have a change of clothes or anything…” She looks down at her dress, brushing her hand over the material.
“I have to get up early for a trainer session. I can get you back to your place early and you can borrow something of mine to sleep in.”
She frowns a little but then gives a halfhearted shrug.
“Sleep does sound really good right now.” She sighs. “I hope your couch is comfortable.”
I steal a glance at her. I assume that’s her way of reminding me that she doesn’t want me touching her. It’s going to be torture having her there, in my place, knowing she doesn’t want me enough to take the risks she’s worried about. But she also looks so sleepy and peaceful as she rests her head against the door, eyes half shut, that I don’t want to make her go all the way home before she gets to sleep either.
“I have a spare bedroom. You can stay there.”
“Oh is that where you keep your guests?” I can see the smirk form on her lips out of the corner of my eye, despite the drowsy look on her face.
“Like when my sister comes to town and doesn’t want to deal with my parents? Yeah.”
“Oh.” Is the only sound she makes. She’s quiet then and for most of the rest of the way back. I have to gently wake her when the car makes it to my place and I hold her hand as we walk to the elevator, her walk a tiny bit wobbly like she isn’t quite fully awake. If I didn’t think she’d protest, I’d carry her up.
When we getin the door, she goes to undo the delicate little buckle on her heels and nearly topples.
“Here, sit on the chair.” I grab one of the bar stools and she sits down. She starts to lean for the shoe again.
“I’ve got it,” I say softly.
“I can do it. I’m just more tired than I thought. Apparently, just enough to drink that I’m not drunk but very sleepy.” She gives me a small smile.
“I can do it faster and then we can get you to bed.”
I take her foot, placing it on my thigh, and work the tiny buckle loose, slipping her foot out of it. She curls her painted toes almost immediately.
“Oh wow. That feels amazing. Like being freed from a torturous cage.” She laughs.
I smile at her and take her other foot and slip the strap out of its buckle as well, pulling the shoe off, but this time I slip my hand under her instep, massaging it gently.
“I don’t know how you women do it. I hate wearing anything that isn’t sneakers or cleats. I can’t imagine having to wear those.”
“Hmmm…” She makes a little humming noise, and I look up at her and her eyes are closed. “Okay, you have to stop. That feels amazing and I’m going to fall asleep right here like this. And I’ve got to get out of this dress and get all these pins out of my hair.”
I let her foot drop from my thigh and her eyes open, like she’s aware of where she is again and she’s slightly nervous about it. She stands and straightens her dress out absently. I have to play the gentleman here because she’s already told me she’s exhausted, and it’s obvious from looking at her face just how much.
“You want a shower before bed?”
“That would be amazing. Just a quick one.” Her eyes light at the suggestion.
“All right. Let me get you set up with towels and clothes so you can get to bed.”
I go to my room, grabbing a T-shirt from my drawer. I’d give her shorts but I can’t imagine they’d fit her even with the drawstring pulled. Part of me likes the idea of being tortured with the thought of her in nothing but one of my T-shirts in the room next to mine. Spread out on the bed, just waiting for my hands on her… I blink because I’ve got to get my shit together. She isn’t here because she wants to fuck me, she’s here to get some much-needed sleep. I was keeping her out all hours at events in the middle of the week. Not exactly the life she’s used to.
When I get to the guest room, she’s pulled her hair down and wiped her lip gloss off. The back of her dress is partially unzipped, and she gives me a small smile when I walk into the room with the shirt. Her eyes lock on me and skim over my body as I stand across the room from her, the bed in between us and I can feel the tension roll off her from here.
“Thank you.” She closes the space between us and takes it from me. I follow her into the bathroom to needlessly point out the linen closet.
“Towels are here. Extra soaps and things I keep for my sister here if you want to use them.”
She smiles at the small array of female toiletries in the closet, her lips curling as she gives me a skeptical look.
“Don’t get ideas. They really are for my sister.”
“Well, then it’s sweet that you keep things set up for her.”
“I mean for a while she was here a lot. Having problems where she is now and running away. Coming back home but not wanting to deal with our parents. For obvious reasons.”
“She happier now?”
“I think so. She finally gave up on the guy that was making her miserable.”
“Ah well we have that in common I guess.”
“She’d like you.”
“Well hopefully, I meet her sometime.”
“Hopefully…” I glance down at the floor for a second before I look up at her. “Saint—”
“I should shower and get to bed. Let you do the same so you can get up for practice tomorrow.”
There’s a polite smile plastered on her face, and I’ve been dismissed.
“Yeah. Okay… Goodnight.”
“Goodnight. And thank you.” She holds up the shirt as I leave. I nod.
No sooner do I get to my doorway, I hear her crank up the water, and that’s the end of any chance I had of changing her mind.