I toss my hair over my bare shoulder. “Why do you care? You’ve been avoiding me all night. You should be halfway to New York bynow.”
A woman walks down the hall toward the bathroom, attention flicking to us. I step to the side, and Tyler does thesame.
Somehow, that brings us evencloser.
“Are you mad I’m not on a plane to New York?” he murmurs when we’re alone again. “Or that I’m not paying enough attention to you? You can’t have it bothways.”
There’s a bite to his words, as if the stakes are way higher than our dinnerconversation.
Maybe theyare.
“I’m mad you didn’t tell me. I care about you, damnit!”
He leans in, a muscle in his jaw ticking in frustration. I breathe through my mouth, ignoring the scent of his shower, the way his dark button-down shirt clings to his muscles, the jeans that hug every inch of his hard legs. “Then pretend you don’t, like everyone elsepretends.”
I step back on instinct, but there’s a coatrack behind my shoulders. I hit it, hard enough a few empty hangers fall to theground.
I drop to the floor to retrieve them. Tyler’s next to me in asecond.
“I never asked for you to care,” he mutters, kneeling at my side. “In fact, I’ve done everything I could to avoidthis.”
We reach for the same coat hanger, neither of us lettinggo.
“Oh, really?” I retort. “You hang out with people you don’t like. The only time you show the world what you’re capable of is during gigs with Brandon at frat parties. Instead of putting yourself out there, you bury your talent and ambition and who you are because you’re afraid to take what you want. If that’s not a cry for help, I don’t know whatis.”
I wrench the hanger from his grip and stand, replacing the hangers on the rack. My dress has ridden up embarrassingly high, and I work the hem back down my thighs as he stands,too.
“I don’t need the psychoanalysis, Six.” When I look up, his angry expression is inches away. “If you think I’m your boyfriend, you’ve made a big-assmistake.”
“Clearly.” I brush my hands down my dress one last time emphatically. “I have all the responsibilities and none of thebenefits.”
His eyes flash, and I know I’ve pushed him toofar.
I’ve never seen Tyler out ofcontrol.
That changestonight.
I know it as the words hang between us for a heartbeat.Two.
“That’s what you want? Benefits?” Tyler’s voice is arasp.
His gaze lands on my mouth, and heat floods my body. He strokes a finger down my cheek gently. Then he rubs his thumb against my lowerlip.
“You want me to kiss you until you can’tbreathe.”
My mouth opens on instinct, my breath trembling out. I don’t know when I’ll need another because the way he’s looking at me, I might die right here. As if he knows what I’m thinking and likes it, his eyes darkenmore.
“Or run my hands up this dress the way I’ve been thinking about allnight.”
He hitches a finger under the hem and traces a slow pathupward.
Somehow, we’re still alone in this hallway, but we won’t be forlong.
Anyone could walk in and see his hand up my skirt, inching to the apex of mythighs.
“If I go high enough“—his voice is drugging—“I’ll find all your secrets. Written andotherwise.”
I’m throbbing. Shock twines with desire in mygut.