I’ve never been intimate with Beau.
And Lawson and I… we danced around it that night, close enough to feel the heat, but never stepped into the fire.
Beau leans in as I dry, his mouth near my ear. “You good?”
“Yes,” I breathe.
He hums, satisfied, and the sound alone sends a spark down my spine. I don’t notice when Lawson leaves the room. I only notice when Beau takes the glass from my hands—still slick with soap—and sets it gently in the sink before turning me to face him.
His eyes are darker now.
Focused.
Intent.
Before I can overthink the way he’s looking at me, before I can second-guess one more thing, he leans in and kisses me.
Deep.
His hand cups the back of my neck, thumb brushing along my jaw as his mouth moves against mine with purpose. He groans into my mouth, and I gasp softly into him.
When he pulls back, he doesn’t say anything. He just takes my hand, laces his fingers through mine, and starts guiding me toward the stairs, both of us forgetting about what’s left of the mess in the kitchen.
My heart pounds as we climb, and I realize this is my first time up here. Every step we take feels like a decision already made.
Once we reach the top, he pulls us through an open door.
Lawson is already there, and the look on his face tells me I’m right where I should be.
Chapter forty-one
Beau
Hermouthisn’tonmine anymore, but I can still feel her there. The soft give of her lips. The way she tasted. Like wine and pasta and a hint of my whiskey. My new craving.
Fuck.
I roll my shoulders once, like that might loosen the tension that’s been coiled there all night, but it doesn’t help. I’ve wanted the woman in front of me for so long, my body is buzzing at the thought of finally having her.
I’ve wanted her since the day I saw her standing outside the airport. That was the first crack. Watching her come through those doors—smaller than I expected, and stronger too. Carrying everything she’s survived in the way she held herself, chin tipped up like she refused to let the world see her bend. I remember thinking then that I wanted to be careful with her.
But careful doesn’t mean distant.
It just means intentional.
And dammit, have I been. I’ve been watching. Waiting. Letting myself feel every dangerous, quiet want without acting on it.
But tonight shattered all of that.
Watching her laugh between Lawson and I. Watching Jasper touch her like he already knew her body by heart. Watching her light up—truly light up—with all of us around her sparked something that took me by surprise.
It made me want in a way that almost took my breath away.
It made me just… want to be a part of it.
A part ofher.
The moment at the counter plays on a loop in my head. The look Lawson gave me over her glass. A single glance, years of unspoken language packed into it. We’ve been reading each other for years, through busted knuckles and bad decisions and long nights we don’t talk about.
