Page 33 of Recklessly Yours

“Want to put one on while we drink our whiskey?”

“The Kardashians?”

“No.” She giggled, “True crime. Might bore me enough to lull me back to sleep.” With a smirk, she spun, and my eyes locked on to her ass. Round and perfect, and the bottom of each cheek played a game of peek-a-boo with the hem of her almost nonexistent shorts.

I stood in the middle of the kitchen for several heartbeats, just staring at her, before I forced my feet to move. When we were settled side by side on the sofa, I cued up the episode that I’d started upstairs and turned the volume down a bit, assuming she’d prefer a little background noise over actually focusing on the show. But ten minutes in, she was asking questions and trying to understand the case and its details.

“It was the husband. It’s always the husband.”

I shook my head but kept my mouth shut. She obviously wasn’t familiar with the real news story and its outcome.

“Really? It’s not the husband?”

“I don’t want to give it away.”

With a huff, she turned back to the TV, pulled her legs up under her, and took another sip of her drink. The movement caused her to lean closer, and as the smell of fresh rain hit me, I breathed in deep.

After the episode had ended, she shifted a little closer. “Do they find the women who kidnapped her?”

Our thighs brushed, sending a spark of electricity through me. Swallowing, I worked to recall her question.

I blinked. “Want to watch the next episode and find out?”

“Sure.” She leaned forward to grab the remote from the coffee table, her long hair brushing my forearm.

I should scoot away, but being in her space, breathing in the smell of fresh rain, was intoxicating.

“I’m still not tired, and now I want to know what happens.”

I leaned back and settled in deeper. She followed suit, slumping against the back of the couch and almost into the crook of my arm.

“I thought it was going to bore you to sleep.”

“Shut up and push play.” Smirking, she held the remote out to me.

This time, she only made it about halfway through the episode before her head drooped, landing on my shoulder, and let out a tiny, adorable snore.

I let her stay there, not wanting to wake her. It felt good, so fucking good, and it was innocent enough. After the things Savannah had said tonight, I couldn’t stop thinking about what it would be like to be with Hattie. Hold her like this any time I wanted. Kiss her, touch her.

But none of that mattered. I’d never know. She was my best friend’s sister and the woman I had been charged with protecting.

I slid out from under her, easing her down so she was lying on her side, then covered her with a blanket. I didn’t want to risk waking her, but I also couldn’t leave her down here by herself.

So it looked like I was sleeping on the couch for the second night in a row.

Chapter Fourteen

HATTIE

Yesterday had been blessedly quiet.Today too. No flowers or creepy texts. The only weirdness I’d been experiencing came from staying at Dylan’s. Probably because I’d known him for what felt like forever. Domestic tasks like going to the grocery store and cooking dinner together were strangely comfortable. We actually made a good team and liked a lot of the same food, so it came naturally.

Now, I stepped behind the bar at The Dock to retrieve the envelope of cash that needed to be dropped off at the bank.

Suddenly feeling eyes on me, I looked up and scanned the restaurant. It only took a moment to find Dylan, who was watching me while he chatted with Jamie at the hostess stand.

“Did you get more flowers?” a male voiced asked from behind me.

Heart lurching, I spun, finding Michael and his two friends sitting at the bar. “What?”

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