His hand stilled at my waist.
“Who?” The word wasn’t loud and yet it was still an uncompromising demand.
One that sent a whole new surge of heat rushing through me.
“Me. I’m the best partner I’ve ever had.”
I meant it as a joke. Mostly. But despite the slow smile spreading across his lips, the heated amusement lighting his eyes, he didn’t laugh.
“I’m serious, Eric. I haven’t had sex in almost two years.”
“Two years?” His gaze dragged over me like he wasn’t just assessing but appreciating. Claiming. “That sounds like a challenge, beautiful girl.”
“Does it?” I lifted my chin, stomach flipping. “Funny. It just sounds like honesty to me. No pretending, remember?”
Chapter Fifteen
Jamie
The cab of Eric’s truck should’ve been thick with heat. Instead, guilt slid up beside me and buckled itself in.
He still looked unfairly good behind the wheel. Forearms flexing as he shifted into gear, jaw set, eyes focused.
If not for the steady hum of the engine and the fact that we were about to merge into traffic, I might’ve been tempted to climb straight into his lap. Consequences be damned.
But the voice in the back of my mind wouldn’t shut up.
It started as a gentle whisper, reminding me to be careful. Then quickly, that little voice became a loud, impatient bitch, shaming my carelessness.
Eric was brushing off time with his brother for me, while I forgot about my own responsibilities. The guilt had been easy to mute when he was touching me. We hadn’t even pulled out of the parking lot before I was calculating how long it would be until his hands were on me again.
But that nagging voice wasn’t wrong. We couldn’t just pretend the rest of the world didn’t exist because it felt good to get off with each other.
“If we’re not stopping at the hospital. I should probably call and check in.”
“Good idea. Set your mind at ease. See if you can get an update for me too.” There was no resistance or frustration in his tone. Only support.
And that only made the guilt sharper.
The nurse who answered seemed bored by my concern. My father’s condition was the same. He was stable, she said, and they’d call if that changed.
I put the phone on speaker so Eric could hear about Caleb. If he was carrying the same guilt clawing at me, he didn’t show it.
Before I could linger on it, his hand settled on my upper thigh. His fingers spread slowly and squeezed. The pressure pulled me right back to thoughts of what we’d been doing earlier, to the way those same fingers had owned my body.
But I still had one more call to make, and I couldn’t do it with my mind on sex.
I eased his hand away, not rejecting him, just reclaiming enough space to think. He didn’t fight it, understanding more than I said out loud.
Calling Hunter always settled me. Right now, it made the guilt worse.
He answered with his usual explosion of energy. I barely managed a hello before he launched into stories about school, Minecraft, band practice, and subtle campaigning for the dog he was convinced we needed. His voice was bright, and for a moment, the chaos of the past week faded.
Then he asked about me. About the hospital.
“Everything’s fine.” I hated how automatic it sounded. “How about you? Everything still good with Jackson’s parents? Maybe I should speak with them again.”
“Everything’s fine, Mom. I’m tired though, so I think I’m just going to bed.”
