“Life is way too short for all rules and regulations,” she said, completely missing my double meaning. “There are nonnegotiable rules in life, and the rules you can flirt with. Sneaking candles into a sorority house is negotiable. The speed limit is another one. Same as having dessert before dinner.”
“I agree with your logic.”
She flashed me a proud smile. “Let me get my matches.”
“They aren’t in the same drawer?”
She huffed. “No. I always store them separately just in case matches catch fire on their own. They need to be in a place most likely for them to fizzle out, so I keep them in the bathroom.”
Matches catching fire on their own?“They can’t burst into flames.”
“You can’t prove it, and if it makes me feel better about sneakingcontrabanditems in here, then so be it.” She held her head high and disappeared into the small room off to the right before returning. “Got them.”
“Anything else you want to grab? I’d prefer to not head outside again.”
She sucked her plump bottom lip into her mouth and scanned her bedroom. I followed suit, admiring the pictures covering one of her walls, each depicting the graduations of her sorority girls with only a couple images of herself scattered in. I studied the photos a moment, my eyes zoning in on one of Becca with her parents. A grin formed on my face because it was so… Becca. Wearing a huge smile and a purple and blue tie-dyed dress, her hair was shoulder-length with curls. Beside her, her parents wore tight-lipped expressions matching their simple black-and-white outfits.Becca and her rainbow of colors.
“Do you have enough blankets for us to get through the night?” she asked.
I mentally counted all the down blankets and quilts I had. “I should, yeah.”
“Toilet paper?”
“Went to Costco last week, actually.” I puffed out my chest. My ex insisted I would never do it, and look at me: adulting and living my best life.
“Then I guess we shouldn’t delay the inevitable. Let’s head back.” She winced and reached behind her back. “I might’ve landed on something when I fell. My upper thigh really hurts.”
Damn it.
“Becca, this was why I didn’t want you to go,” I barked, hating that she was hurt again. “Show me where it hurts.”
“No, no, it’s fine.” She waved a hand, but her eyes remained narrowed.
She blinked a few times, and I put a hand on her waist, pulling her closer to me.
“Harrison,” she said, her voice a whisper.
My body hummed with how good she felt against me, even with all her winter layers. “I don’t want you hurt.”
“I’ll look when we get back to your house.” Her chest heaved.
I wondered what she would do if I pressed my lips against hers. I knew how soft they were and how she kissed with so much passion.
My body heated, and I stepped back. “You better. I need you to be okay. Now, let’s get back.”
I almost saidhome. It unsettled me. Her being with me, in my home, and somehow fitting in there threw me off. She was a talkative woman with a fierce competitive streak who snuck candles into her room. There was no reason to want anything more. Right?
CHAPTER SEVEN
BECCA
The wind rattled the house, refusing to relent. Snow fell, but it was hard to decipher how much with the constant gusts. My skin still prickled from the frigid temperatures, and I shivered. Gratitude washed over me that I was in Harrison’s house and not the sorority house without any warmth.
My lilac blossom candle provided the perfect amount of light in the bathroom for me to use the facilities with ease but not enough to admire the black-and-blue bruise covering the back of my right thigh. I winced as I traced my finger over the skin, fighting the sting behind my eyes.
Don’t cry. It’s fine.
It hurt, and I had no idea what I had fallen on. Pain radiated from the bruised area and pounded with each heartbeat.
