Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
TEDDY
D inner was quiet tonight. I was disappointed that West didn’t come down, but I sent a tray with Jack up for him. I shouldn’t be upset about it. It’s probably not a good idea for him and Rich to be sharing a table so soon.
When Rich gets up from the table, I don’t miss the wince. Based on the way he had been leaning while eating, I believe the pain was coming from his ribs. I still don’t know if I should say anything. Willa helps me clear the table and put everything away.
When I enter the guesthouse, my mom is making her nighttime tea. “Are you turning in already?” I ask silently, hoping so. I have to see him. My lips are still tingling from our kiss. So are other parts of me, for that matter.
“Yeah, a new book from Joe Coleman came out.”
“I don’t know how you read those and go to sleep,” I say with a laugh. Mom gives me a kiss on the cheek.
“I don’t know how you’re not running around kissing boys and dating with all those romance books you and Willa read,” Mom teases me back. Little does she know I am experiencing some form of what I read in those books.
“Maybe I am.” I wiggle my brows teasingly right back to hide any other expression that might be trying to take over my face and blow my cover. But then again, West isn’t a boy. That also might be the problem when my mom finds out about all this. I don’t like deceiving her, but I need this time with West to figure things out before anyone else can weigh in on what we’re doing.
"Right, ha ha," she replies dryly as she makes her way to her bedroom.
“Holy crap,” I whisper to myself. I’m not a bad secret keeper, but maybe I am when it comes to my own. For tonight, though, it doesn’t matter. I slip into my room and change into my pajamas. I want to kick myself for not having any more adult-like pajamas. I always get silly, fun ones.
I choose the ones Willa gave me. They’re cotton shorts and a T-shirt. The shorts have little teddy bears on them, and the shirt says Cuddle me across the chest. It will have to do, and honestly, I don’t want to change who I am. I love my silly pajamas. I grab my slippers before I head out, quickly locking the door behind me when I leave the guesthouse.
I enter the kitchen through the patio. Now that everyone is gone, I grab the ice pack bag out of the pantry and fill it with ice along with some Advil before I head upstairs. I’ll drop this off to Rich before I sneak over into the West’s wing.
When I knock on Rich’s door, he calls out to come in. “How are you feeling?” I ask when I enter his bedroom. He’s in bed with the blanket pulled over him. It’s awkwardly done, but I can see the top of his chest.
“I’m fine. Why?” I toss the ice pack toward him. His instincts get the best of him, and he reaches out to catch it. He winces as he does, and the blanket drops some to reveal more of his chest. “You did that on purpose.”
“Then don’t ask me dumb questions.” I walk over, place the bottle of water on his nightstand, and hand him the pills.
“Are you going to lecture me now?”
“No.” I shake my head. “You good?”
“Yeah, I’m good.”
“Just don’t be stupid. Okay?”
“Okay.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” I tell him as I head back for the door. I’m not going to fight him over his secrets when I have some of my own.
“Night,” he calls out.
“Night,” I say back, opening the door. To my utter shock, West is standing there, wearing a very pissed-off expression. He grabs my wrist to pull, but I’m already moving, closing the door quickly behind me.
“I wasn’t expecting you to be standing here,” I say quietly, not wanting Rich to hear me. Not because of any other reason than I don’t want any more tension between him and West. “You were my next stop.” As soon as the words slip past my lips, I realize how they sound.
West remains silent, but his eyes roam all over me. My nipples harden, and that ache between my thighs I felt earlier in the pantry comes roaring back with the way he’s looking at me.
“Come on.” He keeps a firm hold on my wrist as he makes his way down the hallway.
“Your legs are twice as long as mine.” I almost want to laugh, but I can’t read him right now. He stops walking suddenly. I don’t get the chance to say anything else before I’m in his arms. “Aw, big guy.” I wasn’t expecting that.
West turns at the end of the hallway, going down his. Jack steps out from one of the rooms, his eyes widening slightly when he sees us. I feel my cheeks flush. Think this makes it more than clear that there is something going on between West and me.
“Good evening,” Jack says with a smirk as we pass by.
“Evening,” I say back because what else do I say?! And I don't want to be rude.
“Fuck off,” West tells him, making my mouth fall open. Jack only chuckles and slips back into his room.
“That was rude.”
“Jack is a nosy shit.” There is no fire behind his words, and I’m getting the sense this is their relationship. “He always knows everything.” West enters his room, kicking the door closed behind him before putting me on my feet.
“Are you mad?”
“Mad?” The word comes out clipped.
“Yes, mad,” I repeat, not backing down.
“Yeah, I’m fucking mad.” His hand comes to my face, tilting my head back as his mouth crashes down onto mine.
That's all it takes for me to forget everything and start kissing him back. This kiss is harder and wilder than the one before. “You drive me insane,” he says when he rips his mouth from mine.
West lifts me off my feet once more. I wrap my legs around him. “I don’t mean to.” But I can’t say that I hate it if he’s going to kiss me like that when I do. He carries me over to one of the chairs. This room is as big as all the others. He sits down so that I’m straddling him, his face going to my neck.
His breathing is still heavy, and I can feel how tense he is. I start to run my fingers up and down his shoulders, then to the back of his neck and down, trying to soothe him.
“Talk to me.” I sink my fingers into his short hair.
“Stay out of his room,” West finally says, lifting his head.
“What?”
“I don’t want you in his room.” His comment about me not going into Rich’s room that first day comes back to me. I’d forgotten all about it.
“But I can be in your room?”
“Teddy.” He half-growls my name, and it’s damn hot, but his stare is intense. I try to match it right back.
“West.” I have to fight a laugh.
“I’m not joking.”
“Well, then.” I drum my fingers on his shoulder. “You’re going to have to tell me why. I’m not saying I won’t stay out of his room; I’d just like to know the reason.”
“Because it pisses me off. The way the two of you are together has been getting under my skin from the first fucking day.” Whoa, I can tell he's really pissed off. There is so much emotion coming from him. I can hear it in his words; I see it all over his face.
"Hey, now." I softly bring my hand to his cheek. I can feel the effect just my touch has on him. I love that he gets so worked up over me but with the simplest touch I can calm him. “Rich is my friend. I’m not attracted to him in the least.” His eyes meet mine, and this time it’s me that initiates the kiss.
It starts slow and gentle, but it’s not long before West takes over, wrapping one of his hands in my hair and kissing me as though he can’t get enough. His other hand comes to my hip, gripping me there as I slowly rock myself against him.
“Careful Teddy Bear,” he warns.
Right now, the last thing I want to be is careful. I just want to be his.