She ran her fingers over her lips a few times before sliding right next to me, her sides touching mine with no space between our naked bodies.
She fit with me, and not just in the bedroom. Her personality and compassion, the easy way she supported me and shared a passion for her job. It all made my brain fuzzy.
She adjusted her position, tucking herself into my side, and I held her there, tracing my fingers up and down her spine. We had dynamite chemistry and seemed to understand each other.
Tomorrow couldn’t be the last day. There was no way.
I had to do something to prolong this time together. I’d talk to her, see if we could make it work. This was too good to pass up, and it felt right knowing we could stay in each other’s lives.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
BECCA
Waking up with Harrison’s arms around me was a special form of hell. He was warm, beyond sexy, andnot mine. The words echoed around my brain repeatedly since I’d accidentally heard his conversation with his sister. It was great sex, but that was it.
It was a good thing I’d happened to walk by the door just as he’d admitted what the thing between us was. It was fine. It was a holiday fling, and my love life needed some spice to it. It sucked that my heart forgot she wasn’t supposed to involve herself. She usually stayed in her own lane, but, alas, she fell for Harrison.
I catalogued everything about him as he held me—his strong arms, the woodsy scent that would always remind me of Christmas. I could look back on this year and remember our time fondly. Maybe not soon, but eventually. Right?
I should get up. Make a clean break.
I moved to the left just a bit, but before I could step on the floor, he tightened his hold and yanked me back to bed. “Where you goin’?”
Even his sleepy voice is sexy.“Uh, to the bathroom.”
“Come here.” He pulled me tight against his chest and kissed the top of my head. “I shit you not, I’ve never slept better since this storm hit.”
My stomach swooped at his words, but I rationalized it. “Maybe you sleep better when it’s freezing outside? You could crack a window at night. That’ll work.”
“It’s you.” He laughed into my hair. “How much would it take for you to stay in bed with me all day? Those kids wore me out, and I’m more interested in you being naked.”
“We’re at your sister’s house!” I swatted at him, but butterflies exploded in my gut. While he might not have feelings for me, maybe we could continue sleeping together?I can totally pretend I’m okay with that. For sure. Totes cool, Becca.
Not.
“Later then.” He ran his hands up and down my back, massaging me in various places. Succumbing to his touch would’ve been so easy, but I forced myself out of the bed. It was better for the both of us.
I didn’t respond to his comment. Correcting him made no sense since I’d be returning to the sorority house. There was so much to do before the girls returned. My escape from reality was slowly coming to an end, regardless of whether I wanted it to or not. The house and the girls came first, not my love life, and it would be better if I focused on that instead of the inevitable goodbye that was building. The one date from two years ago had been hard to get over, so this? It would be way worse.
Plus his comment to his sister and the fact we’d agreed to a blizzard-buddy relationship. Blizzard buddies who boned for a bit. The tagline wrote itself, and I chewed on my already chapped lips, hating how my shoulders slumped with sadness.
Being sad was tough for me. I preferred thinking of silver linings and that the glass was always half-full. But this… I needed a distraction from myself and the onslaught of feelings.The house!
“What time did you want to leave today?” My words slurred together. “I’m good with whatever you want to do, but I’d like to get started with everything at the house. The window needs to be repaired, and I doubt that’s the only thing wrong with the place. It’s ginormous. The lack of heat could’ve messed with stuff, and I should take inventory of the girls’ rooms and the kitchen and furnace. Oh, and the pipes! I hope they didn’t burst. We didn’t think to turn on a faucet. Snap.” I rubbed my forehead, overwhelmed with everything. Feelings, the to-do-list, saying goodbye to our temporary situation. “I need to get to work ASAP.”
He coughed. “Sure, right.”
I glanced at him, taking in his furrowed brow, before stepping into the bathroom. But duty called, and I shut the door before asking him what was wrong. It was silly to get all nervous and uncertain about how to act with him. We’d survived the storm together, celebrated the holiday with his family, and slept together multiple times. Orgasms didn’t equate to feelings, no matter what I thought. People did casual stuff all the time.Look at the girls and all their casual hookups. If they can do it, so can I.
I splashed water on my face a couple of times and almost didn’t recognize myself with the rosy cheeks and wide eyes.Must be the orgasms.It was the only explanation. It couldn’t be Harrison and the way he relaxed once I got to know him, or the way he was with kids, or even how much he loved his sister. His kindness and humor were subtle, but definitely there.
Knock it off.I scolded myself for letting my mind wander into dangerous territory. It wouldn’t do me any good to think about what-ifs with my sexy neighbor.
After brushing my teeth, I accepted I’d have to fake it until I got back to the house. I preached to the girls they should enjoy the good things and live in the moment. So I’d do just that. Harrison and I had a great couple of days together. End of story. We could wave when we got mail and smile if we crossed paths on the quad. Well, I would smile. Harrison would probably give a slight lift of his chin.
Content with my decision to act strong, I left the bathroom and found Harrison half-dressed and throwing his clothes into his overnight bag. He must’ve gone to his room and grabbed it. The hard-earned muscles on his back shifted with each movement, and it was a fist-biting visual.
Sex. I can do sex with him, just not feelings.
