Page 61 of About That Night

She reaches out and touches the tips of my hair. “It’s everywhere.”

“It might even be in my underwear,” I admit, bouncing on my heels a little. “I have to wait for my clothes to dry before I drive home, though. I’m not ruining my truck seat.” I reach into the bag she handed me and untwist the cap on the whiskey. I take a sip.

“Why don’t you just walk home?” she asks. “It’s not that far.”

Because she told me she was coming over. “I wanted to show you something here.”

“Okay. Do you want a cookie?” She pulls out a plastic container and peels the lid off. She holds a chocolate chip cookie up enticingly.

I can smell they’re freshly baked. Damn, she’s perfect. What would it be like to have her as mine, showing up with a smile and cookies on the regular? Waking up next to her on a lazy Sunday morning?

“I’d love one. Put it in my mouth.”

Her eyes darken a little, and she gives me a look like she knows exactly what I’m doing. But that doesn’t stop her from raising the cookie to me. I open my mouth and draw the whole thing in, her fingers brushing over my lower lip. The sugar bursts over my tongue, and I make a sound of approval as I chew it.

Conway’s words ring in my ears.

You don’t feed your friends.

You sure in the hell don’t.

Chastity is my friend, but she’s much more than that, and I want her to realize it.

It has to come from her. I can’t try to talk her into anything. Sex. Dating. Me.

She needs to be the decision maker, no matter how much I want to just pick her up in my arms and carry her off to my bed.

“What did you want to show me?” she asks, her gaze lingering on my lips and dropping to my bare chest briefly before she looks me in the eye.

“Come here.” I grab her hand.

She digs her heels in a little. “Is this a trick?”

That makes me laugh. “What? No. What would I be tricking you about?”

“I don’t know.”

“Don’t you trust me?” I ask it seriously. That would honestly hurt me if she didn’t.

Her expression softens. “Of course I do,” she murmurs. “You’re one of my best friends, Hank.”

It’s everything. Friendship is deep and valuable and trustworthy. But it’s nothing if she meets some man and falls in love. I’ll be tossed aside, just like my brother said.

But she wants me, too. I can see it. It’s written all over her face.

Patience is new to me. It’s hard as hell. But Chastity is worth it.

“Good. Then get your butt upstairs with me.” I tug her hand.

She laughs and follows me.

“Bring the cookies.”

I take her up two flights of stairs and through an old office that I’ve been using for storage. “Look at what I found when I pulled down the seventies paneling that had damp rot.”

“What?” She glances around, her nose wrinkling.

Gesturing, I shove the tall window up. “The access to the gallery. It was boarded up before, but I knew it had to be here because you can see the balustrade from the street.” I climb through it and hold my hand out for her.

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