Page 33 of One Day

For a second, I let my regret seep in. It only lasts a moment before I’m shoving it to the back of the closet, letting the pieces fall as they may. I will not let myself spiral under someone else’s opinion on the matter. Whatever happens, it’s between Walker and me, and at the end of the day, his is the only opinion I care about when it comes to this.

We are allowed to do whatever we want.

Even if that something is each other.

Shoving the last bundle of nerves down, I let my legs fall back down to the floor and reach for the side lamp to turn it on, letting the low glow light the main floor in case Bekah changes her mind in the middle of the night. I head for the stairs when there’s a knock at the front door. Eyes darting to the stove, I realize it is well past midnight. It’s not Dylan because he has a key and would just let himself in, and for a second, my chest tightens.

I am about to leave it alone when the knock comes again, dread replacing the anxiety as I approach the door. I pull the curtain back slightly, spotting a familiar head of dark waves, and relief floods my body. Walker’s back is to me when I pull the door open, leaning my hip against the flat edge of the door when he turns.

“Hey,” I say, resting my hand on the doorknob to keep myself from reaching for him.

His eyes are darker than usual when he steps forward, framing the doorway with his arms on either side as his chest heaves. “We’ll need rules.”

My eyes widen slightly, darting behind him to see his car isn’t there. “Did you run here?” I ask, taking in the slight flush on his cheeks.

“Flynn drove tonight.”

Heat settles over my bones, pulling my bottom lip between my teeth. He ran here. He was in such desperate need to get to me that he ran here at midnight in the middle of winter.

“You ran all the way here just to tell me we need rules?”

“No,” he says, stepping into the house and forcing me back. “I believe I was promised you naked and mine to play with.”

I grin at him when he shuts the door and turns the lock. “I don’t recall saying anything about a promise. I was simply pointing out a fact. You want me naked.”

“Are you saying you don’t want me just as naked?”

Dropping my gaze, I let it slowly trail over him, from his hips to his large hands hanging at his sides, up to the broad shoulders he always hides beneath sweaters, and finally to his eyes. The blue that usually compliments the grey diminished in the dark foyer.

“I never said that,” I say, tipping my head back when he leans into me. His lips brush my skin, causing me to smile. When he’s about to lean all the way in, I step back and towards the stairs, knowing he’ll follow. “I would very much like you without your clothes.”

“But…”

“But I’m going to need you to admit something first,” I say, leading him up to my room.

The door clicks shut behind us when I lean into it, hands flat behind my back. I watch him take in my room like it’s his first time here. It’s not, but it is in this capacity and the room feels different. The air is thicker between us.

When he starts to pace the floor in front of the foot of the bed, I push up to my full height again. I worry he’s about to change his mind before I can even ask my question, when he stops to face me. The determination on his face sends a shiver down my spine.

“Yes.”

Excitement blooms in my chest as I push away from the door, approaching him slowly. “Yes, what, Cowboy?” I ask, a hint of a smile playing on my lips.

“Sunny,” he steps towards me, hands moving to my waist. It’s not the first time his hands have been there, but it is the first time it’s ever set my body on fire. “Yes, I want to do this,” he says, leaning down. “Now, I believe I was promised something.”

I hum. “You’re kind of bossy.”

“And you’re kind of a brat.”

The shift in Walker’s tone sends heat straight to my belly, and I would be lying if I said it wasn’t hot as hell, but then I’m reminded of the look on his face in the bar when I had my hand on Campbell’s leg. I have never seen him look like he wants to murder someone before. Walker couldn’t hurt a fly, much less a person, but at that moment, I thought he might reach across the table and wrap his hands around his throat.

Before I can stop it, a giggle slips out. “You were so jealous,” I say with a grin. “It was kind of embarrassing for you.”

“I was not.”

I hum. “I’m not taking anything off until you admit it.” My fingertips touch his chest, slowly trailing it towards his belt buckle. “Just admit it, and I’ll do whatever you want.”

He holds my gaze, never breaking it, and for a moment, I think he’s going to keep denying it. There’s a steady look in his eyes like he’s more than ready to stand here all night long. And that simply won’t work.

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