Page 23 of (Un)Spoken

Her lip instantly found its way between her teeth. “Are you sure? I don’t want Cole?—”

“We’re just dancing, trouble. It’s a wedding. You have to dance for at least a couple of songs.”

With one last peek over my shoulder, she relented, placing her hand in mine. I tugged her close, letting her smaller frame nestle against my chest. Before we even started to sway, I knew this was a mistake. There was no way I’d ever forget this feeling of rightness—the smell of her perfume, her soft exhale as she laid her head against my chest; hell, even the way her hand fit in mine. Everything about Victoria Campbell felt like she was made for me.

She looked up, and her dark brown eyes consumed me. The rest of the world faded into the background and it was just us in this moment. As the singer crooned in the background, all I could see was her. Forget her being brave; I was the one who needed her strength, something to keep from falling for the woman in my arms.

The thought snapped open in my chest, letting long-buried emotions flood through my veins. For so long, I’d been coasting, letting fear of the world keep me from experiencing anything but the mundane. Dr. Kedir was right; I wasn’t living, not really. I’d been hiding, too busy being afraid to take any chances.

But here, in this moment, all I wanted was a chance—achance to show Victoria I was worth the risk, a chance to help her be brave, a chance to taste her sweet lips and make her breathless with need.

“Tor, I?—”

But before I could confess anything more, Cole stepped to our side, smiling at his little sister. “Do you mind if I cut in?”

“Oh, I…” Victoria’s voice trailed off as she stared at me, waiting to see if I’d finish my thought.

But my best friend’s presence doused all my bravery, reminding me she wasn’t just any woman. I couldn’t take any risks—not with her, not when I was still figuring out my own shit. If I brought her down with me, Cole would never forgive me, and with a limited number of people in my corner, I couldn’t risk hurting two of the best ones.

I smiled back at Victoria as I backed away. “She’s all yours.”

Staringout at the rippling waves, I tried to sort out my thoughts and strike Victoria Campbell from my memories. I recited the usual words and pretended she meant nothing more to me than Cole’s little sister. Still, the more time I spent with her, the less those sentiments rang true. She was quickly becoming my favorite sight, her smile lighting up even the darkest of moods. I wanted to spend more time with her, get another hit of having her in my arms. It was a high I never knew I needed, but now that I’d experienced it, there was nothing else I wanted.

As if she was as attuned to me as I was to her, I could feel her join me at my side, sighing softly as her gaze followed mine.

“How’s Cole?” I asked, not daring to look at her.

“Ecstatic,” she chuckled. “It’s like my brother’s been body-snatched, and they left behind this smiling, happy guy I don’t recognize. It’s a little jarring.”

I hummed in agreement. My words were still on the dance floor when Victoria buried herself under my skin. But instead of the discomfort I usually felt when people got too close, it was a struggle to keep my distance.

She glanced up at me, her smile faltering when she saw my expression. “Adam, are you okay?”

“Of course.” I gave her my best smile, the one usually reserved for the red carpet and interviews. But unlike those people, Victoria didn’t buy it, only narrowing her eyes further.

“Don’t give me that look, Rice.”

“I’m fine, Tor. You don’t have to worry about me. You’ve got enough going on with Cole.”

She placed her hand on my arm. “I can worry about youandcelebrate my brother. You might not know this, but I’m a fantastic multi-tasker.”

“Oh, you are?” I mused.

“Yup,” she said, enunciating the pop at the end of the word. “You’re avoiding talking about yourself.” When I shot her a look, she smirked. “Yes, I’ve noticed. You change the subject as soon as anyone asks how you are doing. But whatever’s going on, Adam, I’m here. And even when I’m not, I’m only a phone call away.”

I turned to face her fully, needing to get another hit of her smile. Her eyes widened slightly when they met mine. Without thinking, I dragged my fingers up, playing with a tendril of her hair. “I don’t want you to worry about me, trouble.”

“Too bad,” she said, but her breath was lighter than itwas moments ago, as if my presence was impacting her as much as hers was me. “You’re stuck with me, Rice. You weren’t able to get rid of me years ago, and now that we’re back in each other’s lives, you’re going to have to get used to me pushing you around.”

“Gladly,” I smiled. “I like it when you push me around.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” I answered. “It’s like those videos when a chihuahua tries to beat up a German Shepherd.”

She rolled her eyes. “I’m not short.”

“You are compared to me.”

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