If I can manage to bury the lust to have this woman as my own then I’m planning on enjoying my time with her because I might not get the chance again.
She’s beautiful today, as always, and looks stunning and fresh. Her dark curls have been left down, and if I close my eyes, I see my fingers sliding through her lengths as I wrap the strands around my hands while I slowly make love to her.
I try to shake the image from my mind. These are the kind of thoughts that I need to keep for when I have privacy and not when I’m opening the back door of my truck to toss her stuff inside.
“Do you want me to put your bag in here as well?” I ask, keeping my back to her so she doesn’t see the bulge in the front of my jeans.
“That would good. I don’t need anything out of it.”
She hands me her bag, which I store in the back before shutting the door. As I turn to get into the truck, she’s still standing behind me.
“Are you okay?” she asks.
“Yeah.” I laugh to hide my embarrassment. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Um,” she glances down, “no reason.”
With a smirk on her face, she walks around to the passenger side and climbs in while I’m left cussing—me and my fuckin’ dick.
Slamming into the truck, I pull out into light traffic while I try to get my thoughts off a naked Mara and onto our destination.
Mara’s sisters will be there, hounding me as usual, but this time I’m more nervous about being around them than before. Sarah, Mara’s slightly older sister has been texting me on and off lately. I’ve kept it to one-word answers—not wanting to get drawn into a conversation. She’s like all Reece’s sisters and when they set their sights on something or someone, everyone else better watch out.
The problem is the only girl I want to be with is Mara, and having one of her sisters trying to get more out of me isn’t going to go down too well with anyone. I sure as hell don’t want to cause conflict between the two sisters. They’ve had enough recently with the discovery of Dahlia to want or deserve any more. Reece wouldn’t be too bothered, I don’t think, if it was Sarah that I had it bad for, but he’s close to Mara and always treats her as though she needs protection from me.
He has every right to be worried because he knows me and my appetites. I mean, you can’t exactly share a woman and not know what a man whore your friend is, or should I say was.
Up until Reece got his shorts in a wad over Callie and asked me to take a step back, I’ve been having a dry spell. Although I suspect Mara turning up on my doorstep five weeks ago might have something to do with that.
She always pops into my head, but to have her in front of me looking sexy-as-fuck killed my libido for anyone else. I’m so screwed.
Flexing my hands on the steering wheel, I briefly turn to glance at her. She looks comfortable surrounded by the plush leather seat. She is curled up with her shoes removed—if we were a couple, I’d be holding her hand right now.
My fingers twitch wanting to touch her. This is the first time we’ve been alone together for as long as I can remember, and, for the first time in history, I’ve no idea what to say. Before she moved here, when we were together we could talk and talk, but now it feels awkward between us. And I hate it.
I sigh. This is going to be a long drive but it’s the perfect opportunity to bring our relationship back to what it should be—simply friends. It won’t be easy but we need to try because I’m sick of walking on eggshells around her, especially when Reece is present.
With that in mind, I ask her, “So Harry was fine with you up and leaving as quickly as you have?”
Before she answers, I feel her eyes on me and fight the urge to look at her.
“I texted him last night after I realized Reece wanted me to go home with everyone because of the wedding. He wasn’t happy when I told him I was travelling home with you.” She shrugs her shoulders. “We’re not dating so it shouldn’t be a problem.”
I’d already worked out that she wasn’t dating him, but I feel relief hearing her confirm it.
With a quick glance at her, I catch the crinkle across her brow as she uses her fingers to rub her temples as though she has a headache.
“What’s with the frown? Are you okay?”
She sighs. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
“Hmm.”
“What does ‘hmm’ mean?”
“I’m thinking you’re not liking Harry as much as he likes you.” I shouldn’t say anything because I’m just going to piss her off all the more. At least we’ll be talking—arguing, which is better than silence.
“Leave Harry out of this. He’s a nice…guy.”