Page 111 of Rough Around the Hedges

The shower.

Huh.

Well,thatwasn’t clean anymore.

I did my business and brushed my damp hair using the brush Oliver had given me earlier. I’d almost whacked him when he’d pulled out a backpack of necessities after he’d led me to this cottage on the estate, but it’d ended up coming in surprisingly useful.

A hairbrush, shampoo, snacks, water… it was hardly the end of the world, but this sneaky bastard had always intended on getting me into bed tonight. He’d tried to deny it, but this little bag of tricks gave him away.

I walked back into the bedroom, adjusting my towel, and grabbed my hairband from the bedside table so I could plait my hair. Oliver was lounging on the bed with his head propped up on his hand, and his gaze followed me as I moved around the room.

“Going somewhere?” he asked when I grabbed my bra.

I eyed him. “Um, home?”

“It’s almost midnight.”

“And?”

“It’s pitch-black out there.”

“Ah. Don’t worry, I’m more likely to get attacked by a badger than a person.” I paused. “I’d rather the person, though. Badgers are feral little fucks.”

His eyes darkened at my words. “I’d prefer neither. Stay here.”

I froze, holding the unclasped straps at my waist. “What?”

“Stay here,” he repeated.

“I didn’t even stay with you the night we met, and I liked you then. What makes you think I’ll stay now?”

He sat up. “Then I’ll go back to the main house and come and get you in the morning.”

“No, that’s too much of a hassle. I’ll just go now. It won’t take me long to get home.” I dropped my chin to focus on my bra, but it was yanked out of my hands, and Oliver’s arms snaked around me from behind.

“Stay,” he murmured, brushing his lips over the sweet spot just behind my ear. “I really will leave if you want me to, but I don’t like the thought of you driving home this late by yourself.”

“Then maybe you shouldn’t have kept me here this long.” I prodded his hands.

“Yes, yes, it’s all my fault.” He pressed his face into the side of my neck and squeezed me back against him. “So, stay? Please?”

Who was this clingy Oliver?

And why did I like it?

What was wrong with me?

I sighed, succumbing to his pleas. “Okay, I’ll stay.”

“Do you want me to go?” He nuzzled his face into my neck, and my heart skipped a beat.

No.

I didn’t. I didn’t want him to go at all.

For one night, I wanted to give in to my actual feelings. I wanted to stop pretending that I absolutely hated him. I wantedto let myself feel what it would be like to stay in his arms, what it would be like if we could have a normal relationship.

It was a dangerous thing to do, and I knew that. Fantasising about things I couldn’t have was a one-way ticket to some serious heartache, but right now, I didn’t care.

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