Chapter Sixteen RUSSELL
Chapter Sixteen
RUSSELL
A full week passed where Paisley and I did a dance of calculated avoidance.
While I couldn't say for sure it was calculated on her part, it certainly was on mine.
The most interaction we had was at work, and every encounter, no matter how brief, had a thread of fiery tension running through it.
I didn't even know what to do with how good it had been with her. It was honestly the single best night I’d ever had.
It burned like a flare in the sky. The recollection of sensations flamed hot every time I saw her.
It took an effort to keep my focus on work.
I managed, somehow, to avoid being alone with her at the house.
I was a busy guy. I'd always been a busy guy, so I found one convenient excuse after another to be occupied.
It rankled that we shared the same work schedule. I’d shifted from being annoyed about my attraction to her to being annoyed that I’d given in to it. I wanted nothing more than more with her, but tumbling into bed with her again wouldn’t be smart.
I knew how insanely good it felt to be with her.
I knew how silky smooth her skin was. I knew she had freckles scattered like constellations on her body.
I knew the way the weight of her breast felt in my palm and how her nipple ruched tightly under the brush of my thumb.
I knew she tasted sweet and musky. I knew she was warm.
And I knew what it felt like to come inside her when she trembled beneath me.
None of that mattered, yet it all mattered. At some point, I wouldn't be able to keep avoiding her all the time. We lived in the same house, for fuck’s sake. Even though she wanted to dispute the technicalities of it, we were roommates.
I rested my palms against the tiled wall of the shower one morning, letting my head hang down as the hot water pounded between my shoulder blades.
The heat eased the soreness there. I'd been going in early and working out at the station, pushing myself to the limit. Graham even commented on it, but I’d just told him I wanted to get in better shape.
That seemed like something a guy could say, especially when said guy’s job required being intensely fit at all times.
He'd accepted my explanation, but not without first giving me a searching look.
As luck would have it, his new girlfriend, Madison, showed up and distracted him.
I was happy for Graham. He’d been raising his daughter on his own for years.
He was a solid friend and a good guy who deserved to find love.
I couldn't help but chuckle as I straightened.
He still seemed surprised by Madison. While there wasn't a single spark for me with her, I wasn't blind.
She was a stunner. It was good to see them together.
Of course, thinking about that had me thinking about my mother's conversation with me the other night.
For fuck’s sake, she could not let it go.
She felt like I should be in a relationship by now.
My father’s death had hit us both hard. I still missed him and knew I would for the rest of my life.
Just thinking about him now caused my heart to give an achy thump.
My mom had gotten past the initial shock of her grief.
For reasons I didn’t understand, she was now focused on making sure I found someone to love.
She kept saying she didn't want me to miss having what she and my dad had.
I groaned. I was in a muddle. Between my mom not shutting up about love and that fiery night with Paisley, nothing felt clear anymore.
I'd honestly believed I could keep things casual.
When Paisley said we had to keep it that way, I thought that was smart.
I just hadn't fully comprehended the effect she would have on me.
Although I was studiously avoiding her, it rankled that she was doing the same in return.
I couldn't tell if that meant she wasn't as affected by me as I was her or something else.
I gave my head a shake and looked down. I wasn't even thinking about her in a sexual way, and my cock was swelling at the mere thought of her.
I did what I'd been doing almost daily since our night together and went for a quick release in the shower. It wasn't even that satisfying, but it took the edge off my need for her.
After getting dressed, I went upstairs, assuming she wouldn't be around, and was surprised to find her in the kitchen.
She was wearing a loose T-shirt and a pair of leggings.
I wanted to yank all of her clothes off, bend her over the counter, and fuck her right here in the kitchen.
My cock twitched again, and I kicked those thoughts to the curb.
She spun around quickly, her eyes widening when she saw me.
“Morning, Paisley,” I said, dipping my chin slightly as I walked past her.
I started the coffeemaker, and I sensed her leaving the room. My hackles rose, and I turned. “Are you seriously not going to say anything?” I called.
She stopped in the archway, and I saw the set of her shoulders stiffen. Turning to face me, she narrowed her eyes. “Good morning, Russell,” she said politely.
Her tone was crisp and stilted. Without another word, she turned and walked away.
I didn't miss the pink flush staining her cheeks.
I had to clench my hands into fists to keep from following her.
Snagging a container of yogurt out of the fridge, I devoured it.
While I waited for the coffee to finish, the house phone rang again, the sound jarring in the room.
Curious, I crossed over and answered it. “Hello.”
“Hi there, I'm looking for Paisley,” a man said.
“Sure. Can I ask who's calling?”
“It's her brother.”
“Okay, give me a second. She's upstairs.”
Setting the phone on the counter and chuckling as I looked at the long cord, I turned and jogged up the stairs. Paisley had closed her door.
I knocked, calling out, “Paisley, you've got a phone call.”
I could’ve just turned and gone back downstairs.
Instead, I waited—because I craved being close to her.
It wasn't as if I expected to act on my urges, but I wanted to be near her.
I wanted to absorb the feel of her presence, even if it was her prickly attitude.
I wanted to watch her eyes and the way they darkened.
A full minute passed as I waited. After a glance at my watch, I knocked again. “Paisley?”
She opened the door, a crease forming between her brows. “What’s up?”
“You have a phone call.”
A stillness settled in her expression. “Okay,” she finally said. “On the house phone?”
“Yeah, it's your brother.”
For a split second, I could’ve sworn I saw fear in her eyes, followed immediately by sadness and then irritation. Brushing past me, she jogged down the stairs while I followed. My eyes lingered on the lush curve of her bottom.
A moment later, she picked up the phone in the kitchen. “Hey,” she said curtly.
I couldn't hear what her brother said, but she nodded along before saying, “I haven't said anything to Mom and Dad. I told you that.”
My curiosity was piqued, but I kept my back to her while I got my coffee ready.
She didn't need to know just how curious I was.
Something felt off about her brother. A moment later, she hung up the phone.
I glanced over my shoulder to see her hand still curled around the phone receiver, her knuckles almost white.
Her other hand was curled into a fist at her side.
Her cheeks had two bright pink spots just under her eyes. She looked upset and shaken.
I acted on reflex. “Are you okay?” I crossed over to her.
Her gaze bounced to me before darting away. She uncurled her hand from the receiver and set it in the cradle before shrugging. “I'm fine.” Her tone was flat, and it was obvious she was anything but fine.
“Hey,” I said, resting my hands on her shoulders. “You don't look fine. What’s wrong?”
When she looked up at me, I could see her almost warring with herself before she let out a deep sigh. A tear rolled down her cheek. Aw, hell. I didn't handle crying well. I didn't know what to do, so I simply folded my arms around her.
“I don't know what's going on, but it'll be okay.”
I could feel a subtle tremor running through her, and I was startled at the deep protectiveness that coursed through me. I didn't know what was going on with her brother, but whatever she was upset about had something to do with him, and I didn’t like it.
I held her carefully, sliding one palm up and down her back in soothing passes. “It'll be okay,” I repeated.
She shook her head against my chest, mumbling, “No, I don't think it will.”
I took a step back, sliding my hands down her arms before releasing one and lifting her chin with a slight nudge of my knuckles. “What's wrong? Can I help?”
She blinked, her eyes intensely green. Her lashes were spiky from the tears she wiped away with a palm. She shrugged again. “I appreciate you asking, but I don't think so. My brother's an idiot.”
“Is he?” I heard myself asking. “It can't be all that bad.”
She swallowed audibly. “It's a mess is what it is, and I don't know how to fix it.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
She shook her head. I glanced at the clock on the wall above the phone. “Well, what are you planning to do today?”
She shrugged. “I didn't have any plans.”
“Let's go for a hike.”
Her brows hitched up, her eyes widening. “A hike?”
“Yeah, a hike.”
“You and me?” she prompted.
My lips tugged into a smile. “Yes, you and me, go for a hike.
Or I don't know, whatever you want to do.” I wanted to take her mind off her brother and whatever the hell was going on with him.
“We could go to the beach. Have you been there yet?” She shook her head.
“Let's go then. I'll drive you down to one of my favorite spots.” She was still eyeing me curiously like she wasn’t sure.
“Maybe I can't help you with your brother, or maybe you don't want me to help you, but a little distraction can’t hurt.
Especially when you're feeling helpless about something.”
Paisley smiled slowly, and it felt like a banner unfurling across my heart. I really wanted her to smile. I wanted to chase away whatever was worrying her. I didn't even want to think too much about how important it was for me that she felt okay.