Page 103 of A Little Tempting

27

REEVES

It’s late. The lights are off on the main floor, so I flick on the hallway light as I head to the kitchen, keeping my footsteps quiet in the silent house. Finally home from my last job, my head is killing me. After grabbing some ice from the fridge and placing it on my fresh black eye, I head upstairs, change into a pair of sweats, and collapse onto my bed. All I want to do is watch a show and wind down, maybe unplug my brain for a few. I reach for the remote on my nightstand but hesitate when soft, feminine voices slip through my closed bedroom door.

“Are you sure?” one of them asks.

“Seriously, not a big deal,” the other girl replies. It’s Dylan. I’d recognize her quiet voice anywhere. “Have, uh, fun, I guess?” she adds.

The other person snorts. “Don’t worry. I will. And thanks again. Seriously.”

With a quiet click, the door across from mine closes, and I press my ear to the solid piece of wood separating me from Dylan. I wait for the soft pad of feet against the floor, but all I hear is silence. Curious, I twist the handle, finding Dylan cross-legged on the floor. Her back is pressed to the wall, her giant sleep shirt hangs off one shoulder, and her black glasses are propped on her button nose.

I haven’t seen Dylan since her parents’ house. Not gonna lie. I’ve kept my distance on purpose, afraid of overstepping my boundaries until I could fulfill my contract with Lilah. As of tonight, it’s finished, and all bets are off.

“Hey,” I murmur.

She jerks in surprise and looks up at me. “Oh. Hey.” Her forehead scrunches as she squints. “Shit, what happened? Are you okay?”

It’s still dark in the hallway, so I’m not sure how she noticed the fresh shiner, but I offer my hand and help her stand. “Never better. What are you doing out here?”

“Never better, my ass,” she mutters. Reaching up, she brushes her thumb along my bruised cheekbone and sighs. “Seriously, Oliver. What happened?”

“Did you just call me Oliver?”

She frowns. “It’s your name, isn’t it?”

My mouth lifts. “Guess so.”

“Am I not allowed to call you by your name?”

“You’re allowed.”

“And yet, you act like I said two plus two equals five.”

“Nah, just not used to pretty girls slipping past my defenses so easily. I like it, though,” I add. “Keep it up, yeah?”

“I’ll see what I can do,” she replies, peeking up at me again through those dark glasses. When her eyes land on my bruise again, her frown deepens. “So?” she pushes. “What happened?”

“You should see the other guy.”

Her hand falls. “You got into another fight?”

“Appears so.”

“How…stupid.”

“Necessary.”

“Pretty sure fights are never necessary.”

“Depends on the crowd,” I hedge.

Her lips purse. “You should put some ice on it or something.” I lift the bag of ice in my palm, and she nods. “Good.”

“What are you doing out here?” I ask.

“Drew wants to…” She sucks her lips between her teeth. “Ya know…”

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