“You’re fucking mine, Willow.”
That was when her heart jumped up into her throat. Until that point, she could file away all of their antics into a sexy but stupid compartment. Nothing was going to be permanent, even if she had been fantasizing about it.
Grumbling drifted through the closed door as she dabbed more water out of her hair. There were no products to work with, so chaotic frizz she would have to deal with.
With one last glance in the mirror, she turned to exit the bathroom. She kept her eyes lowered, wishing for the impossibility that they wouldn’t pay attention to her presence. But of course that wouldn’t happen.
Ryker was in the kitchen, heating up what appeared to be frozen breakfast burritos. Her stomach clenched. She was hungry, but the growing tension was turning that pang into a nauseating sensation. Ezra sat upright on the couch, bags under his eyes as he nursed a cup of water.
“Morning, sweetheart,” he said, assessing her clothes. “You look refreshed.” Then, he leveled a look at Ryker.
Maybe the two of them hadn’t talked about anything, and he was making assumptions.
She wouldn’t rise to the bait. “Can I still come with you to use my phone?”
“Yeah,” he grunted. “We’ll get out of here soon.”
Ryker set out their breakfast on the table. They settled in, taking silent bites at their egg, bacon, and hash brown burritos. The tension in the room was driving her crazy. If she hadn’t felt so lightheaded, then she wouldn’t have bothered forcing herself to eat. At least it tasted good.
Once finished, she gathered their plates to clean, setting them in the sink and soaping up the sponge. If she stayed busy, time would pass more quickly.
Ryker said he was going to take a shower. He exchanged a look with her, but she couldn’t decipher his expression. Maybe a warning? Oh well, it wasn’t like she was going to talk.
The door latched as he disappeared behind it, and as if on cue, the sound of the running water prompted a large, warm presence behind her. He leaned forward, caging her in with his hands resting on the counter.
“Where did you sleep?” he asked, grazing the top of her head with his lips and breathing her in. Each inhale sent a trickle of pleasure down her spine that spread through her lower belly.
How can I be turned on again so soon?
“Willow?” His voice was soft, like he was concerned.
It was so different from what she’d expected from them at the beginning. They weren’t cold-blooded killers. There was more underneath that tough exterior.
But she trusted Billy at the start, too.
“I slept in the bed,” she said finally.
“With Ryker?” There was a note of agitation.
“Yeah.” She scrubbed and rinsed the last plate before setting it in the drying rack. “It’s much more comfortable without being squished between both of you.”
She didn’t want to admit how much she had actually loved being between them that first night. Even with the tension and fooling around behind Ezra’s back, she had felt fairly at ease.
But she couldn’t entertain thoughts like that. She needed to create distance regardless of the ache it left in her chest.
Willow needed to get away before she could get hurt again.
Chapter 23
Ezra
Willow was being way too quiet. They’d had such a fun night before, and she didn’t seem hungover. He had a feeling she’d been taking baby sips of her drinks. He couldn’t blame her. It had been a mistake for him to get so fucked up and not just because of the headache. Ryker had slept next to her. Maybe more.
Ryker’s answers had been vague and useless, but maybe he could get Willow to talk. She smelled so good after using his soap, and he could already feel his dick stiffening in his pants as he stood close to her.
She rotated, still caged between his arms. Without looking at him, she ducked under and grabbed a towel to dry her hands.
“What’s going on, sweetheart? Yesterday we were playing the hottest game of twenty questions ever, and now you won’t even look at me.”
