Page 147 of In Your Wake

Hunter has invited us to his house for one of his infamous game nights, and I’m actually looking forward to a night of snacks, laughs, and seeing all my friends under the same roof.

What I’m not looking forward to is keeping my hands to myself and pretending Mitch is nothing more than my friend.

It’s been a little over two weeks since he came home, and we’ve agreed to keep things a secret. For now. At least until we tell Hunter about it. I’m not saying tonight is the night we do it, but I have a sneaking suspicion Mitch won’t be able to keep his mouth shut for much longer. These last few days, he’s been bursting at the seams, itching with the need to tell people the good news.

Thirty minutes in, and Spencer is already getting under my skin.

“That’s not the rule,” I argue, jabbing a finger at the game board.

“It so is.” Spencer leans back on the couch, smug as hell. He throws the tiny booklet of instructions my way. “Read them, Maxine. Admit it. You just don’t like to lose.”

“I have no issue losing,” I reply, glaring at him. “I do, however, have an issue with cheaters.”

Bethany snorts into her drink, stroking Spencer’s arm affectionately. Next to me, Celia hides a smile with a mouthful of chips.

Across the room, standing in the kitchen archway, I see Mitchell pretending not to watch us while absolutely staring at me with that knowing smirk. That smirk which was so pleasant nestled between my thighs only a few hours ago.

We came to Hunter’s in separate cars, but only after spending most of our afternoon in my bed. I don’t know if it’s because we’ve kept this on the down-low or if it’s because I’m crazy about the guy, but every time our eyes meet, something warm and dangerous sparks between us. We’ve become champs at hiding our lust for each other under neutral expressions and casual body language, but we’ve stolen a few kisses here and there. Stolen a lot more sometimes. But lately, my mask has been slipping. If anyone has noticed, they aren’t bringing it up.

Well, other than Bethany. She picked up on it a few days in, and I couldn’t lie to her.

To be honest, lying about it to the others has been killing me. I want to show everyone how good we are together. How we’re head over heels in love. I want to share the good news, but…

Hunter drops onto the couch next to me, stretching his arms behind his head. “I love how feral game nights get when you two are in the same room.”

“That’s because Spencer insists on inventing rules that suit him,” I explain.

“Because rules are meant to be flexible,” Spencer shoots back with an arrogant wink.

“Like your morals?”

Hunter sucks in a breath through his teeth. “Direct hit.”

I guess Mitch can tell I’m slowly about to explode, so he walks over, taking a seat across from me and with a slight tilt of his head, reminds me to calm down. Fun little shivers dance across my skin, instantly distracting me.

“How’s the renovation going?” Hunter asks him.

Mitch shrugs, then scratches his left eyebrow. Others might not notice it, but I spot the faint pink dusting his cheeks beneath his short beard. Yes, he’s growing it back. And no, I don’t mind it one bit. That delicious tingle in my thighs reignites when I remember his cheeks tickling them earlier.

“Slow,” Mitch answers. “The house has good bones, but it needs… time.”

“More like something to keep it from sinking into the sea,” Spencer jokes, and I glare at him again. “You sure you didn’t buy it just to keep your blood pressure high?”

Mitch grins, his eyes meeting mine while Spencer shuffles the cards. “It’ll totally be worth it,” he answers with a wink, and my chest, and other things, tightens.

Biting the inside of my cheek, I try not to smile.

I love our little house by the sea, with its salt-stained windows and creaky floors and a bedroom we’ve definitely broken in. But he’s right, it’ll take time. His one-to-two-month window might need to be doubled, even though Mitch argues it won’t.

“So, you’re living there while working on it?” Celia asks him. “I mean, isn’t it messy?”

“It’s not that bad,” Mitch replies. “I’ve kept the mess to a low level.”

That’s a lie, I think, taking a sip of my ginger ale and focusing hard on not rolling my eyes.

Celia looks up at him, impressed. “I don’t know how you do it. Ella leaves her toys lying around, and it drives me nuts. Not sure I could survive in a house during renovations.”

“And hopefully you’ll never need to,” Hunter adds, blowing her a kiss then looks at Mitch. “So, when do we get to come and see it? You’ve been keeping it so hush-hush.”