He crouched down so we were at eye level. “He didn’t mean anything by it,” he told me, and I nodded. “But that still doesn’t mean you need to take that from him,” he continued. “Not from anyone. Ever.”
No one had ever said anything like that to me before.
It changed something in me, and at the same time, it lit a spark.
I didn’t fall for him because he was handsome—although even at my young age, I recognized how good-looking he was. But I fell for him because in thatmoment, he made me feel safe. And like I mattered. That I was more than just a dumb kid.
That was the moment the standard had been set.
Holt
I’m up before the light fully breaks over the trees.
Not that I slept much anyway.
The cot might as well have been a slab of concrete for all the rest I got.
All night, the wind rattled the cabin, branches snapped, and the rain came down in driving sheets against the metal roof.
But I’ve slept through dozens of storms before. None of them have kept me awake. Not like this.
No. The real reason for my restlessness is currently asleep in my bed.
I pause at her closed door as I make my way into the kitchen, but only for a moment.
What I really need this morning is distance.
The little bit of sleep I did manage to get was fueled by dreams ofher.
The sweet strawberry smell of hershampoo when I wrapped my hand through her blonde tresses. Her long, lean, bare legs and how damn delicious they looked spread wide for me. Her tits, bared to me for the first time. Her dusky nipples, hard and peaked between my lips as I—no!
Fuck. I’ve spent the last few hours trying to banish thoughts of my best friend’s daughter from my brain long enough for my aching erection to go away. I have no business thinking of Tessa that way, no matter how fucking gorgeous she is. Or how good she felt in my arms.
Distance.
Yes. That’s what I need this morning.
I busy myself, building the fire back up. Outside, the storm has calmed down and settled into a steady, driving rain, but it doesn’t look like it’s going to let up soon. And in weather like this, I wouldn’t be surprised if the power goes out completely, too.
In the kitchen, I crack a few eggs, pull the bacon out of the fridge, and pour some pancake mix into a bowl.
I’ve always liked cooking, but with no one but myself to cook for, it’s hardly worth it to do more than make toast in the mornings.
Soon, I lose myself in the simple rhythmof preparing breakfast, focusing on the things I can control, like heat, temperature, and timing. It makes sense, and soon I feel my nervous system settling down a little.
Last night shouldn’t have meant anything. Tessa was tired and scared. She’d sought out comfort and safety with me; that was all. It wasn’t anything more.
That’s what I tell myself.
But it’s not enough, and the truth is, I didn’t move her off my shoulder right away because I wanted her to rest.
That would have been the selfless thing.
But nothing about letting Tessa curl her sweet body into mine had been selfless.
Exactly the opposite.
It had been a long time since I’d felt a woman’s touch and even longer since it had felt likethat.
