Page 17 of Falling for Them

I’d seen her rushing toward the closet, and as much as I tried to ignore how mixed up she made me feel whenever I was in her presence, I couldn’t stop the impulse to let her see me in my towel. Now it was going to be even more awkward between us because I couldn’t keep my damn lips to myself.

I followed Libby to the spare bedroom since my clothes were there and she quickly shut herself in the attached bathroom. I hastily pulled on jeans and a T-shirt, my mind racing.

What had just happened between us? I didn’t regret it per se, but I couldn’t help worrying about how this would create even more tension between us. There was definitely chemistry, but it was volatile—one wrong move and it would implode.

And then there was what would happen if Ryker found out.

“Shit,” I muttered under my breath. If he knew I’d crossed the line with his sister, he’d probably kill me, or at the very least fire my ass. I considered him one of my best friends, but it was only recently that we’d become close.

I ran a hand through my hair and sat on the edge of the bed to wait for her. We needed to talk this situation out more, and I needed to make sure she was okay. Had I pushed her too far into it where she hadn’t felt like she had a choice but to kiss me back?

Oh, God. What if we had kept going?

The thought sent a jolt of lust through me.

The door to the bathroom opened, and Libby stepped out, her eyes glossy with unshed tears. It was clear she was upset, and my heart clenched.

“Hey, are you okay?” I asked softly, standing and stepping toward her.

“I’m fine.” Her voice came out shaky as she went to the dresser where her bag was and packed it. “I need to get going.”

“Libby, come on.” I reached for her arm. “Talk to me.”

She jerked away from my touch and zipped up her bag, avoiding eye contact and going to the nightstand to grab her phone and charger. “There’s nothing to talk about, Leo. I’m fine, really.” Her voice cracked on the last word, and I knew she was anything but fine.

I’d fucked up epically this time. All my hard work to change my ways and I’d thrown it all out the window. But the thing was, it didn’t feel like some random make out—it felt like more.

She looked around the room to make sure she got everything, and I moved into the doorway. “I can give you a ride instead of you taking the train. New Haven, right? It’s not a big deal.” I didn’t like that she was going to leave upset, and I hoped a car ride would give us some time to clear the air.

“You must have things to do. I don’t want to ruin the rest of your Saturday. I’ll just take the train.” Libby tried to push past me, but I didn’t budge.

I crossed my arms over my chest. “You aren’t going to ruin my Saturday. Now, tell me why you’re upset.”

She bit her lip but didn’t look away from me. “We shouldn’t have done that.” Her eyes swam with tears, and she sniffled. “Things were already... weird between us. Now it’s just going to be even more awkward and uncomfortable.”

I reached for her hand, and surprisingly, she didn’t pull away. “It will only be awkward and uncomfortable if we let it be, and I don’t plan on letting it.”

She looked to the ceiling, blinking rapidly. “I don’t know if I can.”

I probably should have thought this all through a lot better, but in the heat of the moment, I’d reacted solely on my desire for her. “I’m sorry for not having any willpower around you, but I don’t regret it.”

“But...” She bit her lip, and with how many times I’d seen her do it in just a day, I was surprised she didn’t have a hole in it.

“But what?” I squeezed her hand, urging her to tell me what was going through her head.

She pulled her hand away. “Nothing.”

“We can get to know each other better when I drive you home. It will probably be good for us... both personally and professionally.” I wasn’t above begging this woman to let me drive her.

“Can we really do that? Get to know one another and keep it non-physical?” Her voice was barely above a whisper, uncertainty laced in her question.

“Of course we can. We’re both adults, and we can handle this. I won’t kiss you again. Cross my heart.”

“What heart?” She rolled her eyes and huffed. “Fine, you can drive me. It will be faster, and I really don’t want to deal with the train anyway.”

My shoulders relaxed and I stepped around her to grab my wallet, phone, and keys. “Let’s get going then.”

We made our way down to the garage, and I led Libby to my private stall which had my SUV and car. After entering a code, the door rolled up and Libby made a squeaking noise.

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