Page 56 of Sully

Focus.

I needed to focus.

He was being a perfectly nice friend.

I desperately needed one of those.

I couldn’t go screwing that up by getting steamy fantasies in my head.

“I trust you,” I said, reaching for the ladder rungs and starting to make my way up.

It wasn’t until I felt Sully behind me that his words really sunk in.

He’d be right behind me.

Which meant that as I climbed higher, his head was basically in my butt.

At least that realization motivated me to go up more quickly, completely forgetting all about the steepness until I was suddenly at the top.

He’d taken me to the glass room that sat on top of the biker clubhouse.

Not only that.

He’d had it set up with blankets and pillows. As well as a carafe and mugs.

That must have been what Nave was doing.

Setting this all up for us.

My heart felt like it grew five sizes, threatening to break free from the confines of my chest; it felt so full.

“Wow,” I said, suddenly glad Sully was focused on my butt and not my face as more embarrassing tears filled my eyes.

“If Brooks or Fallon asks, this never happened,” Sully said, sounding like he was smiling.

“Are we not supposed to be here?” I asked, crawling inside to allow Sully to come up with me.

“On a normal night, no one cares. But since we’re on lockdown, it’s supposed to be a guard up here. I kind of worked out a deal with Nave,” Sully said, turning to close the little trap door, then walking on his knees over toward where I was already settling against the pillow-lined wall.

“It’s really pretty up here,” I said, looking out at the lights of Navesink Bank, then tilting my head up to look at the starsoverhead. “This would be the perfect reading spot. A nice little book light. Tea. A good book…”

“Well, we have hot chocolate,” Sully said, reaching for the carafe.

“Even better. I’ve only had six different kinds of chocolate today,” I added, accepting the mug he handed to me.

“Those are rookie numbers,” Sully declared as he poured my mug, then his own. “Should we toast?”

“To the best night I’ve ever had,” I said, meaning it down to my bones.

“It beat out midnight margaritas?”

“I loved that. But one hundred percent. Here,” I said, setting down my drink, then reaching into my pocket to produce the bracelet. “I made this for you,” I told him. “I can, uh, turn it into a keychain if bracelets aren’t your thing.”

“What? No. Put it on me,” he demanded, holding out his hand toward me. “Damn, way to show me up,” he said, eyeing it.

“I’ve had a lot of practice,” I told him. “I loved how I could tell who your bracelets were for based on the colors. You seem really close with the princesses.”

“I wasn’t expecting them when I joined the club. But they might be my favorite part. They’re the glue for this club. The guys are great too, don’t get me wrong. But the girls are the heart.”

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