My core clenched with need. Oh god.Oh my god.
It was in that moment that I realized what a colossal mistake I’d made. Thinking we could share this romantic hotel room. Thinking nothing would have to change.
Because I wanted him. I wantedFrasier.
His warm, citrus scent wrapped around me, and I could feel the heat wafting from his body. If he came any closer, we’d be kissing. If he leaned in at all…
I sucked in a breath when I felt something long and hard brush against my thigh. Oh my god. He was just as turned on as I was. And he was…wow.I blinked a few times, my brain struggling to process all this new information. Talk about stimulation overload in the best possible way.
I lifted my hand, cupping his cheek. His expression softened, his eyes still hooded. He turned his head, pressing the most delicate, tender kiss to my palm. I sighed, warmth coursing through my body. But then, he froze. His entire demeanor changed, his body locking up tight.
I didn’t understand what had happened, but I could feel the shift as surely as if a cold front had blown in.
Frasier squeezed his eyes shut as if pained then pushed away from me, standing. He turned, the muscles of his back flexing as he adjusted himself. I remained motionless, in a daze.
Did that really just happen?
And whatexactlyhad happened?
I sat there frozen. We’d shared a moment. And then he’d pulled away.Why?
I turned my palm up to inspect it, and that’s when I saw it.
Oh.Oh.
The butterfly tattoo on my wrist.
Now I understood why Frasier had pulled away. And I was filled with both relief and disappointment.
I’d almost crossed a line with my husband’s best friend,mybest friend, that couldn’t be uncrossed. And as much as my body might be ready, my mind and my heart were a different matter entirely.
I sat up, adjusting my shirt so I was covered once more. Heat scorched my cheeks, and my thoughts bounced all over the place.
“Frasier, I…” I didn’t even know what to say.
I was so hot and bothered and confused. It felt as if Frasier and I were on the precipice of something important. Something dangerous. Like Alice stumbling through the looking glass, unsure where she was or how to get back home.
Did I want to take that next step? And did I want to take it with him?
My body was still reeling. My mind was in overdrive. God, I really needed a way to shift the energy in the room. Lighten the mood. Because it felt way too heavy all of a sudden.
“Go to sleep, Bryn,” Frasier said in a softer tone. He still wouldn’t look at me.
He grabbed the pillow I’d placed on the couch, fluffing it. There was no way I’d allow him to sleep on the couch, but he wouldn’t let me sleep there either. And neither of us was willing to back down. In my mind, there was only one solution.
I pulled down the covers on the bed, climbing beneath the sheets. Frasier’s shoulders visibly relaxed, and I had to bite backa laugh. As amused as I was, something warm unfurled deep inside me at that simple reaction. An unconscious movement.
Frasier always looked out for me, cared for me. He put me first, even when it was to his own detriment.
“Come on.” I patted the empty spot on the bed beside me. “There’s more than enough room here for both of us. Unless you’re going to hog all the covers or pull a starfish on me.”
“I don’t…” He swallowed hard, his eyes focused on the ceiling. They bounced around, looking anywhere but at me. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
I decided that the best option—the only option—was to confront this head on. We were both adults, and I wasn’t going to let one nip slip or an erection ruin our vacation. It was a biological response to external stimulus.
Okay, it was more than that. At least for me. And while what had happened was hot, it was good we’d stopped when we did. I wasn’t willing to lose our friendship for a temporary lapse in judgment.
“We’re both tired, and we got a little…carried away,” I said, trying to sound calm, cool, and collected, when I was anything but. “It’s not a big deal.”
