Chapter 19
The drive back to the Moody Moon passed faster than Shylo wanted. Conversation flowed easily as Seth steered through the quiet streets of Hazard Falls. The nervousness she'd felt before dinner had disappeared sometime after her first few sips of wine, leaving her more relaxed than she'd intended.
Maybe that was why she'd come so close to confessing.
For one brief moment during dinner, she'd considered revealing the truth. The words had hovered on the tip of her tongue while she stared into her wineglass and wondered what would happen if she finally said them out loud.
Shane Wilson is my brother.
Instead, she'd retreated behind their ongoing debate about pizza toppings.
Now, she sat beside Seth, carrying the same secret she'd brought to Hazard Falls, except it seemed far more complicated than it had a few weeks ago. The more time she spent with him, the harder it became to ignore what would happen when the truth finally surfaced.
Streetlights slid across the windshield as they passed through town.
Most of the storefronts had gone dark for the night, their windows reflecting the glow of passing headlights.
A few people still strolled along the sidewalks, enjoying the mild evening before heading home.
Shylo rested her elbow against the door and watched the town roll past, reluctant for the evening to end.
A few minutes later, the neon sign for the motel appeared ahead of them.
Red and blue light flickered across the windshield as Seth turned into the parking lot, illuminating the cracked pavement and row of rooms. The second O in MOODY MOON MOTEL blinked on and off, giving the sign a lopsided appearance that somehow suited the aging property.
It wasn't much to look at, but after several weeks, it had become a place she recognized rather than just somewhere she stayed.
Seth pulled into the space in front of her room and shifted the truck into park. The engine continued to idle while a country song played softly through the speakers. From somewhere across the motel, a door opened and closed. Then the parking lot fell quiet once more.
Neither of them moved to get out. Shylo kept her gaze on her room’s door, not ready for the evening to end.
The thought should have bothered her more than it did. A few days ago, she'd been avoiding Seth, determined to put some distance between them before things became more complicated. That effort hadn't lasted long.
Now, she wanted more time with him. She'd missed him during those days apart and had caught herself watching for his truck around town or hoping it was him walking through the doors of Bar None whenever they opened. Tonight only made that realization harder to ignore.
None of that had been part of the plan.
She was supposed to be figuring out how to tell Shane the truth and convince him she wasn't the enemy. And then preparing for the inevitable fallout when everyone learned who she really was and why she'd come to Hazard Falls.
Instead, she'd spent the evening laughing until her stomach hurt and trying not to stare at the man sitting across from her.
The worst part was that she no longer wanted a fight.
She wanted Shane to accept her as his sister.
She wanted a chance to be part of the family she'd only recently discovered.
And selfishly, she wanted Seth to understand why she'd kept the truth to herself instead of looking at her as though she'd manipulated him from the beginning.
Unfortunately, life had rarely rewarded her for wishful thinking.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
The parking lot lights cast soft shadows across his face, highlighting the firm line of his jaw and the faint stubble that had appeared during the day. His eyes met hers, and something inside her squeezed.
That was the problem.
A week ago, she'd been able to tell herself this was only a physical attraction. Simple. Manageable.
Now she knew better.
She knew what it felt like to laugh with him over dinner and talk for hours without running out of things to say, what it felt like to wake up tangled in his sheets, and how safe she felt in his arms.
The more time she spent with him, the harder it became to deny that she was falling for him.
A dangerous realization, especially considering the secret she still carried.
Eventually, everything would come to light. When it did, Seth would never look at her the same way again. The only way to keep that from happening would be to leave Hazard Falls before anyone learned the truth.
But walking away meant giving up any chance of claiming what was rightfully hers, getting to know the brother she'd only recently discovered, and whatever future she might have had with Seth.
Maybe that was why she didn't want to say goodnight.
Maybe she was tired of worrying about tomorrow.
“What?” Seth asked.
She blinked. Apparently she'd been staring.
A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “You've got that look.”
“What look?”
“The one where you're thinking too hard.”
She huffed out a laugh. “You make it sound like a character flaw.”
“It is.”
As her eyes narrowed, his grin widened.
The teasing took the edge off the nervous energy twisting through her. Before she could stop herself, before she could think through all the reasons she shouldn't, she heard herself say, “Do you want to come in?”
The question hung between them.
Seth didn't answer immediately. His gaze searched hers, and she got the distinct impression he was making sure she meant it rather than speaking on impulse.
Her motel room waited only a few yards away, its curtained window glowing softly from the lamp she'd left on.
“You sure?” he asked quietly.
The question mattered more than she could explain. There wasn't an ounce of pressure behind it. No assumption. No expectation. Just concern and a willingness to accept whatever answer she gave.
Shylo nodded. “Yeah.” Her voice came out softer than she'd intended. “I'm sure.”
His expression softened, though the look in his eyes grew more intent. Anticipation fluttered through her as he reached over and switched off the engine. The sudden absence of sound made the cab feel smaller, more intimate.
A few moments later, she stood outside her motel room, trying to slide the key card into the reader without looking like an idiot. Her concentration failed miserably. The card missed the slot on the first attempt.
Behind her, Seth chuckled.
She glanced over her shoulder. “Say one word, and I'll leave you standing out here.”
“I didn't say anything.”
“You were thinking it.”
His grin told her she was absolutely right.
When the lock finally clicked open, she pushed the door inward and stepped into the room. The room looked exactly as she'd left it, the bedside lamp illuminating the faded floral bedspread while the air conditioner hummed steadily beneath the window.
She set her purse on the dresser and turned around as the door shut behind Seth.
The atmosphere inside the room immediately shifted. It grew heated, and her pulse picked up as she looked at him.
Hours of anticipation crowded into the silence. She'd spent days wondering what it would be like to kiss him again, catching herself smiling whenever he smiled, and trying to convince herself this was a bad idea.
That last part no longer rang true.
Seth crossed the room without a word and stopped in front of her. His hand slid around to the nape, his thumb brushing lightly along her jaw.
The gesture was simple, gentle, and somehow more intimate than anything else he'd done.
She smiled and rested her hands against his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart beneath her palms.
His eyes softened before he lowered his head and kissed her.
The moment his mouth touched hers, the weight she'd been carrying seemed a little lighter. Everything she was worried about was still there, but it receded enough for her to focus on the man holding her.
Seth's hands glided slowly up her sides. The touch sent a shiver through her, not because it surprised her, but because she knew those hands. Knew how they felt against her skin, how easily they could make her forget her own name when they were determined enough.
She noticed small things she'd overlooked before—the scratch of stubble against her cheek, the clean scent of his soap, the way his thumb moved back and forth as though he couldn't stop touching her.
His hands slid down to cup her ass.
A surprised laugh escaped her.
“Damn, I missed you,” he murmured.
Her heart squeezed.
She answered by wrapping her arms a little tighter around his neck and kissing him again.
She didn't trust herself to speak. Every day she delayed telling him the truth gave her another reason to keep putting it off.
Another memory she didn't want to lose. Another person she stood to hurt when everything finally came out.
Tonight, she simply enjoyed being close to him.
Seth drew back far enough to look at her, and his gaze swept over her face. “You know,” he said, tucking another loose strand behind her ear, “for someone who spent days avoiding me, you seem pretty happy to see me.”
Heat crept into her cheeks. “Maybe I changed my mind.”
“Glad to hear it.” The husky rumble of his voice made her stomach flutter.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.” His answer came without hesitation, as though there had never been another possibility.
For a moment, all she could do was stare at him. Unwavering confidence, genuine sincerity, and unguarded affection—he wore them as naturally as he drew his next breath.
She was definitely falling for him—hard. The realization carried a surprising weight. Not because it was new. Because she could no longer pretend otherwise.
Sliding her fingers into his hair, she drew him back down to her. His mouth brushed hers in another sweet kiss before deepening it, and when she parted for him, the last fragile thread of restraint between them snapped.
Seth felt like the luckiest man alive. Whatever reasons Shylo had for avoiding him didn't seem to matter at the moment because she was back in his arms.