Page 17 of Strip Bare

God, this was awkward. I’d never really had to speak with her one-on-one like this and I had no idea what to say.

“So…” I began and then let out an audible breath of relief when I spotted Kit and Ryan heading our way. “Oh, thank god,” I muttered and Jamie’s dark eyes glittered with amusement.

My initial relief didn’t last though, not when my gaze locked with Kit’s and stayed there, like he commanded gravity, sucking all the air out of the room. I blinked first, reaching absently for the shot Kat was passing me on her way back from the bar and slugging it back quickly.

“Is that Xander?” Ryan said, oblivious to what was going on between me and Kit. “We should ask if he wants to join us.”

Before I could offer a single word of disagreement, Ryan was striding over to Saylor and Xander and then doing a double-take when he looked at her and probably noticed her resemblance to me.

Kit sat down next to me and it felt like I was a live wire, my body hyper aware of the scant space between our bodies, my hair raising on my arms. I shuffled away slightly, trying to give myself some space to breathe air that didn’t smell of him, but he moved with me.

I frowned before looking up to see why—Xander and Saylor were scooting onto the bench next to us.

“You don’t have to sit here,” I said to them both and Xander raised an eyebrow. “You can go back to your date.” I threw a look in Ryan’s direction and he winced.

“Ah sorry. I just—you have to be Leo’s sister, right? I mean, you’re practically identical.”

Saylor grinned and held out her hand for Ry to shake. “Saylor. And yes, we get that a lot which I’ve always found weird considering I’m clearly a lot prettier than Lee-Lee.”

To anyone else, Saylor’s words might have seemed flirtatious. But I knew that she was simply being her usual, confident self.

Kat caught my eye and mouthed Lee-Lee excitedly and I gave her a deadpan look in return.

“Where’s Liv?” I asked casually, attempting to divert the conversation, and Jamie frowned, the expression looking too serious on her usually care-free face.

“At home in her room last I checked. She didn’t want to come out. I think Bryn’s with her.”

“Thanks again for letting her stay with you,” Kit said smoothly and even the sound of his voice had my body tensing as I fought to keep myself in the present, rather than remembering the way that same voice had sounded when he’d told me he wanted me to beg for him. The conversation flowed around me and I didn’t take any of it in, too busy trying to ignore the warmth of Kit’s body, the occasional brush of his hand.

I snapped to attention when Saylor reached for one of the shots Kat had brought to the table earlier, leaning across Kit to snag her wrist. “What are you doing?”

One blonde eyebrow rose. “Drinking. Or, I would be if I wasn’t currently having a conversation with you.”

I glowered. “You’re not twenty-one.”

“So?”

“So,” I repeated, “it’s illegal, and I don’t really want to have to explain to Mom and Dad how their kid daughter got trashed with my friends.”

Saylor rolled her eyes and I could feel the stares of everyone at the table as they watched this battle of wills. “Kid daughter? You realize I’m like, two years younger than you. That means I’m old enough to have a baby, join the army, buy a gun, but alcohol is where this great country draws the line?” She scoffed and I released her hand, frowning when she tossed back the shot effortlessly. “Is it really any wonder he wants to be a lawyer? You’ve got the biggest hard-on for the rules, it’s insane.”

“Please don’t ever say hard-on to me again,” I mumbled as I sat back in my seat and jumped when Kit’s arm curled around my waist beneath the table.

“You two are cute,” Jamie said, her full mouth curving in a way that suggested she was only partially joking. “Makes me wish I had a sibling.”

“Take mine,” Saylor and I said at the same time and then glared at each other. I wasn’t sure if it was my bickering with my sister, or the comfort of Kit’s arm around me, but for a second, it felt like everything was going to be just fine.

CHAPTER SIX

“You know, there’s more to life than studying.” Saylor scrolled on her phone opposite me at the breakfast bar as I recapped my highlighter pen.

“Thanks for the advice,” I said dryly and sighed when she didn’t look up. “I’m sorry.”

That got her attention. “For what?”

I looked away, clearing my throat awkwardly. “Not calling. Or texting. Or visiting.”

“Well when you list it all out like that…” She laughed. “I get it. Communication is not your strong suit and I know you get caught up working. Plus, the phone goes both ways.”

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