“I showered down the hall. You were taking so long.” A borderline psychotic laugh bubbles out of me when he gives me a wink. My limbs feel like rubber when he slides past me into the bathroom, the heat from my shower not holding a candle to the scalding tension I feel from his closeness. “May I?” He touches my elbow and tries to direct me out of the way, but all I can do is wobble my way to the door frame for balance, letting incoherent sounds come out of my mouth as a response. He watches me, concern and amusement lining his face, as he closes the door.
I throw myself onto the bed and let out a muffled moan.What is happening to me?One night touching the man’s arm and I’m falling apart.
Another knock on the door disorients me when I realize it’s not from Malcolm. I roll off the bed and check the peephole of our hotel room.
Eric stands on the other side. I press my head against the door and wait, hoping he will assume I’m not here and leave.
He doesn’t.
Reluctantly, I open the door to the uncomfortable man holding two cups of coffee, one with anI’m sorryscribbled on the side. Eyeing the cup, I ask, “What’s up?”
He holds out the apology cup, a small frown pulling at his lips.
“It’s alright.” I take the cup.
“It’s not.” He rubs the back of his neck and stares at our feet. “I shouldn’t have kissed you. I didn’t mean to make things awkward.”Well, you did, buddy.
“It’s fine.” It’s not. But I don’t need to prove my point when he’s figured out what he did was wrong and inappropriate on so many levels. “Is there anything else?” I ask curtly.
“I just want to make sure we’re alright.” He finally looks up at me, eyes filled with regret.
“We’re fine. It’s in the past.” I wave the situation off, mentally and physically. What else can I do? Yeah, the guy tried kissing me,twice, but I can’t change it. He made a poor decision. There’s no need to let it ruin the final days of camp with weird, awkward tension. I just have to make it through tomorrow, and I won’t see Eric Sanders again for a long time. A part of me feels at peace with that, and I don’t know if it’s the universe giving me the okay, or if it’s just the realization that I’ve outgrown someone, and I don’t need to feel wanted by them anymore.
“Thanks, Kate.” His face is sincere as he turns and walks away.
I let out a sigh of relief when I click the door shut.
“He kissed you?”
I whip around toward Malcolm’s clipped tone. He’s standing at the edge of the bed with his fists clenched at his sides and back ramrod straight—the military stance he slips into when he’s either angry or anxious. Fury blazes in his eyes.
“Hetriedto kiss me,” I correct.
He doesn’t move. He’s a statue. I watch as his eyebrows pinch and the lines on his forehead deepen with his thoughts.
“Did you want—”
“Ugh, no!” I throw my arms out to the sides. “Absolutely not.” Feeling defensive, I say, “I turned it down.” Every part of me wants to reassure Malcolm that nothing happened with Eric. Malcolm ponders this, fists unclenching ever so slightly.
Malcolm relaxes, his eyes softening as I step closer to him. “Good.” His words are a hot whisper on my chin as I look up at him.
“Why?” I raise a dramatic eyebrow, my heart pounding in my ears when I get the guts to ask, “You jealous?”
That distracting Adam’s apple bobs. The muscles of his neck tighten, and the vein that drags along the side pulses rapidly. His mouth parts, and mint tingles my lips. My mouth parts in response—of its own accord, I might add. We’re so close, and something about it feels different, like Iwantto get closer. I want him to close the gap. Some primal part of me wants Malcolm to press his lips to mine so I can taste his mint toothpaste and feel the prickle of his beard around my lips. The rational part of me is missing. Every logical cell in my brain that would tell me why I can’t kiss my best friend seems to be on a hiatus at the moment.
“Yes,” he says.
“Yes?” Our conversation is now lost in my mind as I bite my bottom lip to keep myself from tugging his face against mine.
“Yes, I was jealous.” He leans in closer, his voice a seductive whisper.
“Oh?” My breath quivers. It’s all I can manage when he steps closer, pressing his chest into mine, his fingers grazing the tips of mine, sending a heat wave washing over me. It pulses through my chest, my stomach, every inch of me until all I see is red. My body is no longer just experiencing mild episodes about this man. It’s downright malfunctioning.
And I can only think of one fix.Which is ridiculous, Katherine!He is your friend. He is not one of your dating options. This is a man who prefers life alone, with chickens and steak dinners. A man with a life so different from mine it’s baffling how we get along. I cannot keep letting my mind wander down thiswhat ifroad.
“I am jealous.” It’s a husky murmur as he moves in closer, his mouth just an inch from mine. A borderline obscene noise leaves me as he moves his hand up my arm, goosebumps following in its wake. “Insanely jealous.” His eyes soften as conflicting emotions swirl in them like a whirlpool until they settle on something intense and unmistakable.
Need.
