Damn, he had a point. “Right.” I called for him and he came. He always did. He…
“Reece…” he cautioned. “Do youwantsomething?”
Shit. Yes—no. No! No? Yes? What?
This panic ran over me with the force of a hundred chickens, but it took one look into Laken’s eyes and I remembered this was Laken. And somehow, I relaxed. I could breathe. I knew him and he knew me. It wasn’t anything new. I hummed, looking down at my pants. I surrendered. The white flag waved. “I’m stuck.”
“You’re what?” He laughed, coming closer.
Showing him, I tried to pull them off and once again, I failed. “I’m stuck.”
Inches in front of me, he raised a hand to my waist but paused. “You want me to take them off?”
“Well, I don’t want to live in them,” I argued.
Snickering with a shake of his head, he smirked as his fingers slipped between my skin and the leather, sending a bolt of energy through my bones. “It’s a good thing I have some experience here… taking off your clothes, I mean.”
I tossed him a look despite the fact he couldn’t see. “I hate you.”
Walking around me, undoubtedly searching for a weak spot allowing enough room for me to move, his hand glided along my back. “No, you don’t.”
No. I didn’t.
And he knew.
Laken pulled and yanked in all the ways I’d tried. I leaned one way, he tried another. I braced myself on the counter and he nearly dragged me to the floor. He whispered vulgar words and grunted. At least watching him squirm brought some laughs into this sticky situation.
“Lie down.”
Bad idea. Bad idea. No.“Fine.”
I lay on his stone-cold floors and surprisingly, the chill cooled some of my spiraling heat. I sat back on my elbows; Laken kneeled over me and wrapped his fingers around my pants. Deep-blue eyes peeked up at me and I knew this was the picture I wanted bottled up to keep with me forever. Forget his dimpled smile, forget his beautiful resting face, I wanted Laken Augustus hovering above my legs ready to rip my pants off.
“Ready?”
I nodded and he started working the pants down from my waist. Grunts and spread-outcome ons anddamn its were said. I tried grabbing onto the edge of the tub and bracing against the counter to refrain from being tugged down with each pull. Lifting my hips over and over, he moved from one sideto the other, working me like a corkscrew. A couple minutes in, he’d made it over my thighs and after that—
With one final yank, Laken flew back with the pants in hand and sat against the door laughing.
“Oh my Gods, thank you.” I sat up and rubbed my poor legs. Messy strands of wavy hair fell around my face, tussled from the battle. As I soaked up my newfound freedom, our eyes locked and the smile that curled on my lips widened more than any before. Sitting in front of me on his bathroom floor—my best friend.
The one who’d trespassed to pick me flowers.
The one who’d read my favorite books because they reminded him of home.
The one I’d been waiting for, scared to have back, but wanted more than anything.Needed more than anything.
The one giving me the eyes—the fuck-me eyes.
Laken stood. Walking to me, he offered a hand and lifted me to my feet. His own dark-blond hair had been ruffled and scattered, the veins in his hands ran boldly. He wouldn’t meet my stare. “I should go so you can get dressed.”
The air hummed between us, fireworks going off from the heat. My mind spiraled, the tension in my stomach rose. He should go. I should let him. Unless… Maggie’s words replayed in my head.
Get it out of your system.
Get it out of your system.
Get it out of my system.
