“You know the best part about this?” Humor and sympathy blended into a hot light in the depths of his brown eyes. His fingers flexed where he held the towel in place. “You want to give me shit about my issues, make me work on myself, like it’s nothing. Not as easy as it looks, is it, babe?”
She narrowed her eyes. “Don’t use that term of endearment in a sarcastic tone with me, Colton Eugene.”
He touched the center of his chest. “Am I supposed to be intimidated because you’re using my government name?”
Hispfftwormed under her skin, and she pressed her lips together. If he hadn’t told her to quit, she’d slug him. She folded her arms over her chest, gripping her elbows hard.
An exhale moved his chest, and his expression softened. He jerked his chin at her. “Come here.”
Eyes narrowing to slits, she shook her head. “No.”
“Holly.” His voice took on that patient tone she deplored, the same one Tick used when he thought she was proposing something harebrained and he wanted to avoid it. Was this how Lamar felt when she pushed him to do something he didn’t want to? Crap, she might have to rethink that construct. “Come here.”
“I really hate you sometimes.” She took a step toward him, then another.
“Sure you do.” Firm fingers closed around her wrist and tugged her close, strong arms folding around her to tuck her into his chest. He propped his chin on her head, with her dripping wet hair and all. He circled a soothing caress at the small of her back. “I’mthe guy you hate.”
She didn’t slug him, but pressed her fist against the side of his arm. The firm muscle didn’t give, no matter how hard she pushed. “Don’t do that.”
He flexed his arms, a subtle hug that didn’t suffocate her or hold her too tightly.
“This is ridiculous.” Resting her forehead on his shoulder, she closed her eyes. Her chest hurt. “It’s just sex.”
He stilled, almost like he held his breath, before he sighed against her head. He picked back up the small circle at the base of her spine. “Well, yeah. Sorta.”
Frustration vibrated out of her in a groan. She didn’t want to analyze anything tonight. She just wanted to . . . damn it, she didn’t know what she wanted. A replay of AP Lit wasn’t it, though. “What are you talking about?”
“So, yeah, it’s just sex, except you’ve probably been telling yourself that all the time with Barlow, too, but it’s never just sex, especially when there’s tension between a couple–”
“We were not a couple.” Someone had made that more than clear years ago in St. Simons. Crystal-freaking-clear.
“It’s called coupling for a reason, smartass.” He pinched her butt, thick cotton preventing any real sting. “But you didn’t trust him, probably couldn’t trust him because he is who he is, to keep you emotionally safe, so every single time you two had ‘just sex,’ it hurt you.”
Tension bled out of her. Oh, she really did hate him right this second.
“He needs his ass kicked.” Taut anger vibrated in his voice, at odds with his gentle touch on her spine. “I might be the one to do it.”
With a huff, she lifted her head to pin him with a look. “Because physical violence makes everything better.”
One brow arced high, and he pointed at his left biceps. Her cheeks burned.
“It would make me feel better since I’m cleaning up his mess.” His mouth thinned until his upper lip basically disappeared. “Maybe your daddy’s mess, too.”
“So I’m a mess.” She planted her hands on his chest and levered a step away. “That you have to clean up.”
“Did I say that? No.” This time, his eyes narrowed. “Don’t put words in my mouth. You’ve been hurt over and over, so you have a hard time trusting men. You’ve made the choice to trust me, and that means the sex gets emotionally heavy because it’s not just your body with me. I kinda get that, so if you need me to go so you can take a breath and process, say “Go home, Colt.’”
“I don’t want you to go.” She dragged a hand through her damp hair. “I just need . . . I don’t want you to go.”
His gaze softened before he thumbed the end of her nose. She knocked his hand away, his quiet laugh tickling her ears. “Dry your hair. I’ll go check out what’s on the TV.”
He turned away, and unknown words crowded her throat with urgency. “Colton.”
“Yeah?” He looked at her over his shoulder, one thick brow lifted.
“I . . .” When was she ever at a loss for what to say? She moistened her bottom lip, still able to taste him from earlier. “Thank you.”
Humor and something hotter, steadier, gleamed in his gaze. “You’re welcome.”
