Page 116 of Fostering Chemistry
“It’s Thanksgiving. It’s a day for us all to be together and enjoy each other’s company,” he said. Then he grinned. “It’s also one of the few holidays that hasn’t been sexualized, so we should probably let it stay that way. You and I—we’ve waited a long time. I can wait one more night. Can you?”
“When you put it like that, yes. But I’m really looking forward to tomorrow night.”
“Me too.” God, when he looked at me like that… Was there anything sexier than a dark-haired man with dark eyes? Especially one who looked at you this intensely?
I took a step closer, and my gaze fell to his lips.
“Could we maybe… could I maybe have a preview?”
He smirked. “It’s a day for friends and family, so get in there.” He got that mock-stern look that was so hot. “I’m still your RA. Don’t make me pull rank on you.”
Half laughing, half reluctantly, I stepped back inside his room. He smacked me on the ass as I did.
“That’s not helping,” I said, but later I was glad he’d made that call because it was so easy to relax and joke around the three of them. I doubted I could be enjoying such an amazing meal if my mind was totally occupied by what was happening later.
What did actually happen later was TV—lots and lots of TV. Aaron made a fire, and Cody queued up a bunch of shows and movies to stream. Diego prepared some snacks none of us had room to eat, and we all piled on the couch in the little sunken seating area of the living room.
I spent my whole evening snuggled up next to them. They often touched my arm or stroked my hair, but it was done in a friendly, joking way. I was really glad that Diego had figured out we needed this.
I fell asleep in the middle ofThe Sixth Sense, which Cody had insisted we watch, largely because he liked the soundtrack. It seemed like a good movie, but it was late and I was in a food coma.
I woke up alone in the suite I had originally slept in the first night. Aaron had been in it last time, so I didn’t know where he was. I was too tired and comfortable to do much more than roll over and go back to sleep. It wasn’t until morning that I even thought to wonder which one of them had carried me in here.
“Where are we off to now?”I was sitting in the front seat of Aaron’s SUV. He was driving, and Diego and Cody were in the back.
“Well, not a store,” Aaron muttered. We’d already passed by several shopping centers, and the parking lots were jam-packed. I couldn’t say I’d never shopped a Black Friday sale because money had often been tight for the families I’d lived with, but it wasn’t my favorite way to spend the day.
Actually, I was rapidly realizing my favorite way to spend a day was with these three.
“Cody had an idea,” Diego said.
I would have twisted in my seat to look at him, but every time we made eye contact, it was like a jolt of electricity rocketed through me. This—thiswas the definition of sexual tension.
There’d be no more delays, and we both knew it. Tonight was the night I was going to sleep in his bed, and I couldn’t wait.
It was strange, though. In some ways, I’d had more experience with him than I had with Cody and Aaron before I spent the night with them. At that party, Diego and I had been all over each other, touching every body part that wasn’t completely covered, and a few that were. But since then, we’d stayed at arm’s length.
But now, it was like I could feel this connection—this chemistry—between us. This nervous energy that made me feel like I was about to boil over.
“What’s Cody’s idea?”
“Bowling,” said Aaron.
I laughed, thinking he was joking. Then Cody, who was sitting behind me, leaned forward and smacked my arm. “Wait, you’re serious?”
“Yes,” Cody muttered.
“Why?”
Aaron answered. “Well, first of all, unless there’s a Black Friday sale on renting shoes, it won’t be that crowded. Plus, Cody likes it. We went a few times last year once. He’s good.”
“Are you?” Cody asked me.
“I know which end of the lane to stand at and which end to aim at.”
“Clearly, you’re a prodigy,” Diego said.
Again, I refused to let myself look at him. Every time I did, it felt like he was undressing me with his eyes—or I was doing the same to him.
