Page 102 of Study Buddies

And then that led to a thought that hit me like a ton of bricks.

I was still trying to process when I heard the knob of the bathroom door rattle.

Steam poured out when opened. “Lucas, I just thought of something. We?—”

My voice abruptly cut off as I caught sight of him. He’d put back on his black jeans, but the rest of him was bare. His flat stomach. His broad shoulders. His strong arms.

Wow.

Had I ever seen him shirtless before? I was pretty sure I hadn’t because I would’ve remembered this sight. A flutter danced low in my stomach as my heart rate jumped around.

Lucas was drying off his upper body with a thin white towel, and though I had all the time in the world to pull my gaze away, I didn’t manage it. He stopped dead when he caught me staring.

“It was really steamy in there, so I didn’t want to put my shirt on yet.” He jerked his head in the direction of the bathroom, where I could see that the mirror was fogged up. “What were you saying?”

“Oh. Um. It’s just that I—we—I mean we should have?—”

He frowned, the towel in his hands stilling as he stared at me, possibly wondering if I was having a stroke.

“We don’t have anything to wear to bed,” I got out in a rush. “I should’ve thought of that at the shop, but I didn’t, and now… now I don’t know what to do.”

Before the shower, he was the nervous one, but now that I was, he was calmer and steadier. “Probably not very comfortable to sleep in jeans.” His gaze dropped to my legs. “But you could wear my t-shirt, though it’ll be pretty big on you. And I’ll just sleep in my boxers if that’s not going to bother you.”

“It won’t bother me.” My voice was a little faint, but he didn’t comment on it. “I’ll, um, I’ll go get ready.”

I fled for the bathroom, closing the door behind me even though it was hot and humid in there. I needed a moment. Sharing a bed with him was one thing. It was a big bed, and there was plenty of room. Sharing a bed while not wearing very much—that was something else entirely. But, as much as that idea freaked me out, in both good ways and bad, he was right. Jeans wouldn’t be comfortable. I doubt I could even fall asleep that way.

But I didn’t see how I’d be able to fall asleep next to a nearly naked Lucas, either.

As I washed my face and brushed my teeth, I tried to get a hold of myself. Lying next to him in a big bed wasn’t even as intimate as lying next to Jayden in the hammock. Except—it felt like it was. Men and women hadsexin beds, unlike hammocks where they’d probably end up tangled up and possibly in traction if they tried it.

But still, this was Lucas. My friend. A good guy. A good guy with surprisingly sculpted biceps, and an eight-pack of abs, and that sexy five o’clock shadow…

Crap.

This was bad. I shouldn’t be thinking about him like that when I was about to climb into bed with him.

I pulled my bulky sweatshirt over my head. Lucas’s white t-shirt was hanging on the hook behind the door, and when I picked it up, I caught the scent of his aftershave. It was something familiar, a scent I couldn’t quite identify, but I liked it.

When I put it on, it covered me almost to my knees, so I felt brave enough to unhook my bra and pull it out from the armholes. There was no way I’d be able to sleep with it digginginto me. I kept my jeans on, though. I’d take those off right before climbing into bed.

The lights were off when I came out of the bathroom. The room should’ve been dark, but there was a beam of light coming from between the heavy drapes, presumably from the parking lot.

“I couldn’t get it to close all the way," Lucas said. He was already in bed, the covers halfway up his bare chest. Was he really only wearing boxers?

“It’s fine. Like a nightlight.” I moved to the other side of the bed.

“Or a spotlight,” Lucas grumbled, and I chuckled.

It took me a long moment, but finally, I got brave enough to take off my jeans. Then I quickly hopped into bed, pulling the cover up as fast as I could.

Except now the sheets and blankets were stretched out between our bodies like the top of a tent—with nothing between us.

I scooted around, turning on my side to face him, acting like I was seeking out a more comfortable position, but really, I was surreptitiously tugging on the covers so that there was some slack between us. That made me feel a little less exposed. And it also allowed me to stop thinking so much about his body.

Mostly.

I closed my eyes, relaxed my muscles, and I let my mind drift.

---