Chapter 5
W hen I returned to the inn to get Winston, Kay and my parents were still in the lobby chatting with a group of guests who’d stopped by for refreshments. Andrew and Hannah had already gone back to my parents’ house, likely taking advantage of having the place to themselves for a little while.
Brooks must have gone to bed after he left the cottage because he was nowhere to be found.
I’m still reeling from the fact that I practically felt him up in public—while on my knees, no less. That should have been the end of it, but naturally, I had to go and embarrass myself further by inviting him back to my place and offering for him to spend the night.
Way to go, Lila. You might as well have stripped naked, put a ribbon around yourself, and laid under a tree for him.
Winston and I are back at our cottage now. It’s late, but instead of trying to get some sleep, I’m pacing the length of the entry rug, stopping at the edge before turning around and striding to the other end. Winston is sprawled on my bed, staring at me with judgment in his eyes.
I stop mid-stride with my hands on my hips. “You know, this is all your fault, right? If you hadn’t run into Brooks, he wouldn’t have spilled his drink, and I wouldn’t have made a fool of myself.”
He gives me a pointed look before flopping his head onto his paws, clearly over this conversation. “I’ll remember that the next time you want a belly rub,” I mutter. He doesn’t so much as blink, knowing full well I’ll cave when the time comes.
My one-sided debate is cut short by a knock at the door. No one ever comes to the cottage aside from Kay or my parents, and I already said goodnight to them before I left the inn.
I toss on a short silk robe, and when I crack the door open, I’m shocked to find Brooks on my porch, suitcase in hand and a backpack slung over his shoulder.
“Spill another drink?” I tease, arching a brow.
“Does your offer still stand for me to stay here tonight?” His tone is earnest.
I’m caught off guard by his request, looking back inside at my bed, which somehow seems far smaller than it is.
“Couldn’t handle another night in the storage room after all?”
A frown crosses his face. “The damn cot collapsed as soon as I set my suitcase on it, not to mention it’s freezing in there.”
I cover my mouth, trying not to laugh. “Good thing you weren’t in it. Small victories, right?” I say with a smile. “I’d hate to explain that trip to the ER.”
The silence stretches on, and I wonder if he regrets his decision to come back. His gaze shifts lower, and my eyes follow to where my loosely tied robe has parted enough, revealing my dark green tank top and matching shorts.
Heat floods my cheeks as I tug the robe tighter, acutely aware of how exposed I am under his watch—yet there’s a small part of me that doesn’t want him to look away as his eyes trace every inch of my bare legs.
I steady my breathing to collect myself. “Why don’t you come in?” I step aside to let him pass.
He snaps his head up, a flicker of heat flashing in his eyes before disappearing behind an unreadable calm.
“Thanks.”
The door creaks as he steps inside, and I can’t help but feel the weight of his presence.
My brain screams at me to play it cool, but I can’t resist watching him from the corner of my eye as he sets his backpack and luggage against the wall and takes off his shoes.
My hands are clammy as I push a stray piece of hair behind my ear.
“You remember where the bathroom is?” I nod toward the connecting door.
Brooks glances over at me. “Yeah. I won’t be long.”
He collects a toiletry bag from his suitcase, offering me a quick nod before heading to the bathroom, shutting the door behind him.
I’m frozen in place, nibbling on my lower lip as I stare at the bathroom door, unsure what I’ve gotten myself into. I’ve just agreed to let my brother’s best friend stay with me tonight. In my bed, no less. This is a recipe for disaster, inviting temptation that I’ve been doing my best to avoid since he arrived in Starlight Pines.
I distract myself by lifting Winston off my bed and setting him on the ground. He whines in protest, and I lean down to rub his head. “Sorry, buddy,” I whisper. “You have to sleep in your own bed tonight. Mine is taken.”
His tail flicks with irritation as he drags himself to his dog bed. After shifting from one side to the other in search of the perfect spot, he finally collapses onto the cushion with an exasperated sigh. He might be irritated with me tonight, but in the morning, he’ll forget all about it when he wants his breakfast.
I toss the decorative pillows onto the armchair in the corner and pull back the comforter.
“What am I supposed to do now?” I ask Winston, earning a blank look that suggests I’m on my own.
The silence is heavy, pressing in on me. I consider texting Fallon, but she’s most likely asleep.
Besides, there’s nothing she could do except remind me I’m the one who invited Brooks to stay in the first place. Who am I kidding? She’d probably tell me I’m overthinking and that I should make a move on him while I had the opportunity.
I mull over the idea again of having Brooks sleep on the floor but quickly dismiss it. After a night on a cot in the storage room, and with no sleeping bag available, he’d have an even worse experience on the hardwood floor. The next couple of days are going to be busy with wedding preparations, and he’s going to need to be well-rested.
I’m a brave, capable, and resilient woman. I can do hard things—including sharing a bed with my brother’s attractive best friend, who I’ve hopelessly been pining for longer than I’d like to admit.
Thank god I took a shower and even shaved my legs before he showed up.
The reminder is both reassuring and disappointing. Come the day after Christmas, Brooks will go back to California, and I’ll be alone in my cottage with my dog and my snow globes.
I’m startled by the sound of the bathroom door clicking open, causing me to take my robe off and toss it on top of the dresser before diving into bed. I quickly smooth out my hair and tugging the covers over my lap, trying to look casual.
Brooks steps into the room wearing nothing but a pair of black sweats. His feet are bare, and his back is on display, giving me a glimpse of his bare broad shoulders, as he bends slightly to plug his phone into the charger he brought with him by the kitchenette and reads something on the screen.
Unable to help myself, my gaze peruses the defined contours and dips of muscle that are like a work of art. When he turns in my direction, his eyes are still glued to whatever is on his phone, giving me a chance to gawk at his equally impressive washboard abs.
My mind wanders to what it might be like to run my fingers along every ridge as I trace down toward his happy trail, slowly moving lower and lower until my fingers curl around his shaft. I haven’t seen him fully naked, but judging by the bulge in his pants, it’s safe to say the man is well-endowed.
Heat rushes to my cheeks when he looks in my direction, and I avert my gaze to Winston just in time. Thank god I managed to snap out of my fantasy before he noticed me ogling him like a kid in a candy store. It’s hardly my fault that he keeps walking around without a shirt on and looks like a model who’s stepped off a magazine cover, practically begging for my attention.
After a few minutes, Brooks sets his phone on the counter and strides across the room. My eyes widen when he climbs into the bed next to me. “What are you doing?” I ask, my voice coming out breathless.
“Calling it a night,” he states as he stretches out, looking entirely too comfortable. “Unless you’ve changed your mind about sharing the bed.”
I snort. “You can’t sleep here dressed like that.” I motion toward his bare chest. “Don’t you think you should put on a T-shirt when you’re sharing a bed with a stranger?”
Not that I can say from experience, since I’ve never spent the night with someone I didn’t know. And the few times I have had sex, I preferred to go home afterward. Not the most romantic option, but it keeps things uncomplicated and allows me to avoid the awkward morning-after conversation when I don’t see the relationship going anywhere.
Brooks fluffs his pillow, casually brushing away a stray piece of dog hair. “We’re not strangers.” He settles on his side, facing me, his head resting on his hand. “We’ve known each other since we were kids.”
Like I could forget.
“Doesn’t mean you know me,” I counter. “I bet you couldn’t recall three things about my childhood.”
“Challenge accepted.” He chuckles, his eyes crinkling at the corners, a warmth there I haven’t noticed before. “Your middle name is Sage, after your maternal grandmother. When you were eight, you set up a shop in your living room with items you borrowed from Andrew and me, including my favorite video game and one of his textbooks. You insisted that we pay you if we wanted our stuff back. I admit, it was a brilliant operation.”
My stomach flips as a rush of warmth flows through me. They might be small details, but the fact that he paid attention, even back when I was his best friend’s annoying kid sister, means something.
I straighten my spine. “That’s only two things.”
“You were always smiling. Whenever I’d come over to hang out with Andrew, you’d greet me at the door with a new joke from a Laffy Taffy wrapper. Even when we got annoyed that you’d follow us around, you were unfazed.” He leans in closer, the heat of his skin burning a hole through my T-shirt, making the space between us feel impossibly small. “I even taught you to ride a bike, or did you forget about that?”
How could I ever forget?
“I remember,” I whisper.
The year Andrew and Brooks moved to California, they both came back to Starlight Pines for the holidays. They surprised me with a bike for Christmas, and I sheepishly admitted that I’d never learned to ride. After one too many falls during my dad’s attempts to teach me when I was younger, I had sworn off biking for good.
Brooks was horrified and insisted they cancel the double date they had planned that afternoon with some girls they had went to high school with so he could teach me. At first, Andrew complained about their change in plans, but he went along with it because Brooks wouldn’t take no for an answer.
“If you still think I don’t know you, I can even list three things I’ve noticed about you since I got here.” His steady voice breaks through the silence. “You prefer a mocha instead of regular coffee. When you’re nervous, you chew on your lower lip, and I’m pretty sure your obsession with Christmas is borderline unhealthy.” His voice turns playful at the end.
The butterflies in my stomach are in overdrive as I gaze at the man who was once my idol, now the object of my most vivid fantasies. My heart may be able to steady itself, but I can’t stop staring at his corded arms and the way his eyes are trained on mine, as if starved for something more.
Before I do something reckless, like throw myself at him, I reach over to turn off the bedside lamp. It may be dark, but there’s a faint light from the moon casting a soft glow in the room. In the silence, all I can hear is our breathing and my erratic heart that’s beating like a drum.
“Want to hear something funny?” I whisper into the stillness. “When I was younger, I had a crush on you. It sounds silly, but you always let me tag along with you and Andrew, making me feel special whenever you were around.” I hesitate, heart pounding. “Honestly, I’m not sure if those feelings ever went away.” I press my lips together, mortified by my own confession. With the lights off, it felt like I could be brave, even if for just a moment.
Just when I think he’s not going to respond, he breaks the silence. “I haven’t stopped thinking about you since the night of Andrew and Hannah’s engagement party. The second you smiled at me, I knew things were different, and after our kiss, I knew I was done for.”
His confession sends a shiver down my spine and is something I only ever dreamed of. Hearing him admit that he thinks about me sends a prickling heat rising to my chest and spreading through my veins like a slow-burning flame.
Brooks’ hand finds mine in the darkness, squeezing gently before pulling away, leaving me craving more of his touch.
“Good night, Goldie.”
I swallow hard, stunned at the sound of the nickname he used to call me as a kid. I always liked it, but hearing him use it now leaves me momentarily breathless.
Brooks turns on his side, facing the wall, his back grazing mine, but he doesn’t move away. I remain still, concentrating on controlling my breathing. I press my thighs together, determined to banish the impulse to turn around and wrap my arm around him from behind. But it’s difficult when the man of my dreams is in my bed and he just confessed I’ve been on his mind as much as he’s been on mine.
As I lie there, hoping sleep will come, I think back to when he taught me how to ride a bike. It was the day my crush began—a twelve-year-old’s innocent infatuation with her brother’s best friend.
“Alright, Lila, sit up straight with your eyes forward,” Brooks instructs once I’m seated on the bike.
“What if I fall again?”
“Then I’ll catch you,” he says. “I promise,” he adds, his tone warm when he notices I’m shaking like a leaf.
I tuck my lip between my teeth, trying to steady my nerves. “I’m really not sure I can do this. Can we try another time?” I suggest.
Brooks shakes his head. “Riding a bike is a rite of passage, and you’ve already waited long enough to learn.” He carefully puts a helmet on my head and gives it a light tap for good measure. “It’s going to be okay.”
Andrew glances up from his phone and gives me a thumbs up. “You’ve got this, Lila,” he says, shooting me an encouraging smile. “I’ll be here cheering you on.”
“Thanks, Andrew,” I say with a grin. “Okay, I think I’m ready,” I tell Brooks.
“I want you to start pedaling as soon as I give you a little push,” he instructs.
I take a deep breath and push down on the pedals, gripping the handlebars like my life depends on them—because it feels like it does. The bike begins to wobble, and just when I think I’m going to fall, Brooks steadies me.
“You’ve got this,” he repeats, his hand holding the back of the seat to keep me steady.
I focus on the driveway ahead, my legs pumping with renewed energy as Brooks matches my pace, his encouragement fueling my determination.
“Just like that,” he cheers. “You’re doing it, Goldie.”
I beam at hearing his nickname for me. He says it’s because of my sunny disposition.
I glance over to see him grinning. It’s one of the few times I’ve seen him genuinely happy. He’s usually so serious, but right now, that smile causes a flutter in my chest, and I question if my feelings for him are more than just admiration.
Before I risk losing my balance, I focus my attention forward, laughing as the wind nips at my cheeks. The crunch of snow under my tires is proof that I’m actually riding a bike, sending a rush of excitement through me.
I’m brought back to the present when Brooks shifts beside me, a reminder that my childhood crush has evolved into a tangible desire to be his.
“Good night, Brooks,” I whisper into the dark.