She pulls a third book from the shelf, and my heart aches when I see that it’sThe Nutcracker. “I swear,” she complains. “People will just put books anywhere they want. I spend half my day putting things back where they go.” She exhales a short breath. “You two ready to check out?”
“This should do it,” Everett says. “Unless Claire wants to get a puzzle.”
“No, I’m good. Maybe next time.”
We follow her back up to the front of the store with all three books in hand, and I send a silent prayer to whoever will listen that the answer to getting us home is within them.
Chapter 24: Hi
Claire
Climbing the stairs to the house, exhaustion covers my every move. “I was not expecting today to be so tiring,” I say, following Everett into the house. “I feel like I’m peopled out, and we didn’t even make it to Lolly, Aster, or Reid’s shops.
“I can’t believe Stella is conveniently out of town.”
“Oh, I know.”
“Sorry it was more dead ends,” he says.
“We don’t know that. We still have to look through the books we bought, so maybe something will be in there.”
I remove my coat, hang it in the closet, and then kick off my shoes by the door. Moving across the living room, I collapse onto my stomach on the couch.
“I’m tired, but it wasn’t all that bad,” he says. “I had fun getting to hang out with you today.”
Sitting up, I watch as he takes off the Christmas sweater and throws it over the chair, revealing his abs. My eyes rake over him. “Do you always undress the minute you get home?”
“If you had been in that torture device all day, you’d be half-naked right now too.”
He scratches his fingertips over his bare skin, and his biceps flex as he moves.
“So, should we look through the books now? Or do you want to wait?” he asks.
“Honestly, the idea of reading and talking sounds miserable.” My eyes find his bare abs again, following the line of dark hair thatdisappears below his waistline. “Any ideas of activities that don’t require talking?”
I shouldn’t want him right now, but I do. I’ve been the one drawing the line in the sand, but suddenly everything I’ve said is flying out the window. Maybe it’s because he’s standing a few feet from me, shirtless. Maybe it was the kiss in the bookstore that’s been fucking with me all day. Or, maybe it’s because part of me is desperate for some normalcy after a very abnormal couple of days. But whatever the reason, my pulse is beating a little faster, and my skin feels a little a warmer, and between my legs feels a little wetter.
He shakes his head. “You want to jump in the shower with me?”
“Shower sex?” I blurt, my mouth tipping into a grin. Flutters begin somewhere low in my belly.
“No. Just a shower.” He shakes his head.
“Oh.” My cheeks heat. Definitely miscalculated that. Fuck. “Yeah, if you want a shower, that’s fine. I’ll take one after you.”
“That’s not what I asked,” he says, walking towards the bedroom and pausing right outside the door. “I asked if you wanted to take a showerwith me.”
“But you said?—”
“I know what I said. You look tired, and I know you’re stressed. I thought it might be nice to jump in the shower and let me take care of you in a different way.” His mouth forms a sexy grin, and my body heats again.
“A different way?”
He nods.
“Just you and me. No talking. Let me help you relax.”
“Okay, yeah.”
