I put on a pair of loose shorts and headed into the kitchen to make an ice pack. Tossing some ice into a plastic bag, I found a clean towel and headed back to my room. I had two hours before I met with her dad—shit. Just thinking of Coach sent my alarm bells on high alert.
I slept with his daughter.
My boss’s daughter.
What did I do?
Deep breath in, then out. I reached for the counter to steady myself and thought through everything like a play. Worrying was too late since I’d already slept with her. That line was crossed. We agreed to just be friends, so it wasn’t like I would hurt her. Friends with benefits was a thing. We were adults. Consenting, horny adults.
I ran a hand down my face and ignored the growing pang in my chest. I could worry about all that stuff later. I had a mission, and that was to help her bites. I marched back into my room and found her wearing one of my t-shirts. My breath lodged in my throat. Her hair hung down on her shoulders, the large orange shirt way too big for her. A smile lifted her lips as she held a picture of Ryann and me. She must’ve sensed me because she looked up, blushed, and set the frame down.
“You’re not naked in my bed.”
She shrugged, but a small smile remained. “No.”
I narrowed my eyes and jutted my chin toward the photo. “That’s my sister, Ryann.”
“I can tell. You have the same eyes,” she said, her voice soft and gentle. It was like a warm blanket after spending all day outside. Wait, what?
Was I spouting poetry because I finally got laid?
My eye twitched, and I was irritated with myself. I took the frame from her hand and set it back on the shelf above my desk. The photo didn’t face the bed because a) that was weird and b) photos made me more sad than happy. “Shirt up, Fletcher.”
“Are you always this aggressive with the ladies?”
“When they’re having an allergic reaction, yes.” I made a point to relax my face. It wasn’t her fault my mind was having a field day. She sighed before going back to the bed and lifting the end of her shirt up. It showed off her luscious ass, and I admired the two dimples at the base of her spine. I loved back dimples. I wanted to swirl my tongue in them and spend an hour teasing her there, but that wouldn’t help her.
The bites. I refocused. I applied the cream and smoothed it on her skin, frowning as they seemed to get bigger. “You need allergy medicine.”
“No, I’m fine.” She moved the shirt back down and rolled over, pushing herself up onto her elbows and grinning at me. “Dare I say, you’re being adorable.”
“I’m notadorable.Watch your mouth, Fletcher.” I narrowed my eyes at her, but she stuck out her tongue, and my heart fucking did a cartwheel. “I have some Benadryl you should take. Seriously. They look bad.”
“That makes me sleepy though. Like, twenty minutes after, I’m passed out.”
“Do you have plans tonight?”
“No, but—”
“Then do it. Sleep here. I don’t care.” I motioned to the rest of my bed. “Seriously, I don’t need that much room, and I have to head out in an hour anyway. Use my bed.”
“But what if I find out all your secrets?”
I grinned, wide at that, and swatted her leg. She had no idea that she knew almost everything already. “Go ahead and try.”
Her lips curved up, and in that moment with both of us smiling, I could picture what it would be like to be hers. To be with her. To tell her all the things going on in my head and heart. She wouldn’t judge me or laugh or downplay it. She’d listen. My smile faltered, and I looked away, needing to break the connection. Relationships were so not my thing.
Plus, her dad.
The dad who upset her countless times. God, this was messed up.
Get it together, Reiner.
With my back to Naomi, I rummaged through my desk drawer to find the little white bottle. I grabbed a pill and handed it to her. “It’s settled then. You take this and stay here as long as you need.”
“Yes, sir.” She mock saluted me, and the urge tokissher had nothing to do with the attraction growing between us. It had everything to do with this pull toward her, the way she teased me like I was just a normal guy. That I wasn’t broken and lost on the inside, and I craved that more than air.
“You’re a real pain in the ass,” I teased, tickling her foot. She kicked me, and I gripped her foot, pulling her back onto the bed. That left me leaning over her, my heart pounding against my ribcage. Her breath hit my face, and she put the pill in her mouth, reached for my water bottle on the side table, and swallowed.
