I wait for her spicy comeback while I adjust the towel around my waist, but she looks away and crosses her arms over her middle instead. “All right, grab your things so we can get out of here.”
“Oh, no, I can’t,” I begin. “I mean, thank you, but I’ll be fine.”
“And how do you expect to clean yourself up without anywater?”
I curse under my breath. She’s right. I can’t stay here tonight unless I want to show up to work in the morning with mud-crusted hair. I just hate that I keep inconveniencing her so much.
I’m also not fond of the idea of anyone finding out about our sleepovers and telling my sister, who would then tell my entire family, who would want to know the real story of how and when Claire and I first met.
On the other hand, I can’t help wondering what kind of underwear she deemed appropriate on her way out earlier. Did she choose something she wanted me to see? And does that mean she was just standing out in the cold in nothing but her bra and panties a second ago while she waited for me to return with a towel? Better yet, was she secretly hoping I’d offer to warm her up myself?
I blow out a loud exhale in an attempt to clear my head. I’ve really got to get a handle on these thoughts, especially if my chance run-ins with Claire are going to become a regular thing.
“You, uh, really wouldn’t mind?” I ask carefully.
“I mean, kind of. But I can’t just leave you like this, either,” she says, rolling her eyes.
“Like what? Cold, wet, naked, and lonely?” I offer, stifling a smile. “Some booty call you turned out to be.”
I cringe when I hear myself. I only meant to lighten the mood, but I’m not doing anyone any favors by being overly suggestive like this. And I certainly shouldn’t be leading her on or even implying I condone that kind of behavior for either of us.
Claire’s eyes widen for a second before she collects herself, and I expect her to toss her head back and laugh any second. Instead, she looks away again and pulls the towel in tighter.
“You know, most guys wait untilafterwe hook up to cue the self-loathing bit. It admittedly ruins the mood when you front load this much disgust at being attracted to me,” she explains sarcastically.
My stomach lurches again, but not in a good way this time.
“Geez, Rowan. Stop looking at me like that. I can take a joke,” she says after watching me struggle and fail to find my voice.
I clear my throat. “I’m sorry.”
But that’s all I can say, because she’s not mistaken about the way I’ve been acting in front of her, even if she’s made the wrong assumptions about why I’m having such a hard time dealing with my attraction.
She turns away, but I swear I hear her sniffling. “I’m going to crank up the heater in my car while you get your shit together,” she chokes out.
“No, you’re going to find yourself something to wear from my sister’s room. I’ll get the heater,” I tell her, pushing my way through the front door before she can object.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
rowan
The cold airnips at my bare back as I shuffle out to her car and over to mine, where I grab a set of clean clothes from my overnight bag. By the time I return from changing in the spare bedroom, she’s sitting on the couch in one of Daisy’s signature linen frocks.
“First of all, your sister is a freak for having a capsule wardrobe made exclusively of sundresses,” she begins. “Secondly, she might just be the other kind of freak, too, because she and Landry are already sharing an underwear drawer.”
I scrunch up my nose. “I’d sleep better tonight if we chalked that up to her doing his laundry. But then again, I’m probably not going to sleep at all until I give you a better apology and an explanation for why I keep acting like such a jerk around you.”
She rolls her eyes at my transition and groans as she rises to her feet. “Or we could just go back to my place for a hot shower and a clean bed.”
My brow nearly touches my hairline that time.
“Separate showers,” she blurts out once she realizes her mistake. “And beds, of course.”
I nod, willing my heart to slow down. “Right. I knew what youmeant.” I take a step forward before adding, “Besides, I was already thinking too hard about what kind of pajamas you’re planning on wearing to catch that one right away.”
She scoffs. “Don’t patronize me.”
“I’m not. I promise,” I say with a sigh. “Is it wrong for me to admit that I find you equally terrifying and alluring?”
