I nod, trying to keep it light, but it’s not that simple. “Yeah. It’s tough. But Charlie’s always my priority, you know? I’ve gotta make it work for him.”
“Dakota,” Clint suddenly jumps in. “Charlie’s exhausted.” Immediately, I rise up to go, but Clint shakes his head. “I think he wants to stay here.”
“I…” I don’t really know what to say. “What do you mean?”
Clint offers me a one-shouldered shrug. “I mean, he can have my bed if you want.”
My mind races. Clint’s bed? That’s a big gesture. And why do I feel this pull, like Clint’s offering something more than just a place for Charlie to sleep?
My immediate reaction is to glance over at Reid and Sawyer. They’re both watching, but Reid’s expression gives it away first. That cheeky glint in his eyes.
It makes my heart skip a beat, something twisting in my stomach.
Does he wantmorewith me tonight? Do they all?
I look back at Clint, trying to gauge his sincerity. He’s just standing there, waiting for my response.
“I…” I start, not sure where to take this. “I don’t really know what to say.”
“Well, you’re more than welcome to spend more time here.”
I swallow hard. Do I want that? Of course I haven’t stopped thinking about the last time we all spent the night together, but still… this is a lot.
“Thanks,” I manage to say, feeling the heat rise in my cheeks. “I don’t want to impose.”
Clint’s eyes soften, and I catch a glimpse of the man behind the foreman. “You’re not. It’s fine.”
The way he says it, with such ease, makes me feel I’m overthinking it. Maybe it’s just about tonight. And tomorrow… well, tomorrow will take care of itself.
Reid sits up slightly, tossing his comic book aside. “Well, looks like it’s decided, then.”
Sawyer chuckles under his breath, standing up from the floor. “You want some help getting Charlie to bed?”
Clint shakes his head. “No, I got it.”
As he heads up the stairs with Charlie, I linger, feeling the absence of their presence. The house feels different tonight.
More intimate, warmer—everything is just… more than what I expected.
I glance over at Reid and Sawyer, who both seem more relaxed now, the tension that was in the air earlier gone.
“You sure you’re alright?” Sawyer asks.
I swallow, trying to gather my thoughts. “Yeah, just… this whole thing is unexpected. I wasn’t planning on this happening tonight.”
Reid watches me closely, his grin back in full force. “I think Clint’s got it covered. But you… you look like you’ve got something on your mind.”
My gaze flickers to the stairs again, and I feel a sudden tug. Something pulling me, making me want to be closer, to follow him up there and see what happens. The way Clint offered his bed, the way he looked at me.
“You don’t have to overthink this, Dakota,” Reid says in almost a whisper. “It’s just us. And Clint. It’s okay if you want to stay.”
Sawyer leans against the wall, his hands tucked in his pockets. His quiet demeanor only adds to the tension, the way his gaze flicks between me and Reid, the space between us charged.
“Yeah, you don’t have to have itallfigured out tonight,” Sawyer purrs.
I look from one to the other, my heart racing, both drawn to them and uncertain all at once. I feel the pull. The need to step closer, to let go of the tension and just be here. Just feel what’s happening between us.
Reid shifts, moving toward me with an almost predatory grace. His hand brushes mine, a fleeting touch that sends a shock of heat through my skin. His lips curl up in that knowing grin of his as he steps closer.
