“Ari, go to bed.”
That snaps me out of it.
“I’m having ice cream.” I don’t bother trying to hide my annoyance.
“Have it in your room,” he demands, his nostrils flaring.
“Maybe I don’t want… wait.” I look him over, finding he’s still in jeans and a hoodie, and he just came through the back door. “Where were you?”
“Go. Now.”
Dramatically rolling my eyes, purely to annoy him, I snag my water bottle and hop off the counter, my brother’s glare burning into my back as I curve around the countertop.
I bump Mason’s shoulder as I walk past him and he’s quick to grab my arm. His hold is gentle, but his eyes are hard and pointed at his best friend. “You have pajamas for a reason, Arianna. Wear them,” he grits out.
“Tell you what, when you start wearing a shirt in the gym, I’ll consider it.”
He frowns and I slip past him.
Mase can have his little tantrum all he wants. Meanwhile, I’m over here trying to muster up all the control I can find to keep from skipping my way up to my room, but the minute I’m inside it, I do a little happy dance.
Holy. Shit.
He couldn’t look away.
He couldn’t stay away.
I don’t even know that he realized it.
Maybe it was best Mason slipped in when he did. Had it been fifteen seconds later, he might have walked in on something else entirely.
Because Chase can’t pretend tonight was all me. It wasn’t.
He asked me to stay.
He stalked toward me.
He—
My door is pushed open, and I jump, spinning around.
“Chase,” I breathe.
“Forgot your ice cream.” His brows are drawn tight, and he blindly sets the treat down on the desk near my door.
I glance at the bowl, layered in caramel. “That’s yours.”
“Right.”
He spins, stepping out into the hall.
Frowning, I push it closed, but before it clicks, he’s there again, and then his hand is sinking into my hair, I’m spun and pressed into the frame.
He glares, his hand shaking, and then he says, “Fuck it.”
His mouth crashes down on mine and I gasp around him.
He presses closer, holds tighter, and when my mouth opens, allowing his inside, he groans.
And then he pulls away, his retreat is as quick as his kiss, and I’m left frozen, my hand in the air.
“Bitch!” is hissed, and my head jerks right.
Cameron peeks from the shadows, stepping out of the joining bathroom, her jaw dropped in awe.
I face her and we both quietly squeal, jumping onto my bed top.
My smile couldn’t be wider because I finally got a sign I’d hoped to find.
One that can’t be denied.
Chase Harper isn’t as immune to me as he would like me to believe… or had liked me to believe.
This was all him.
Where this man came from, I don’t know, and I don’t care.
His eyes are open and that’s more than I could have expected.
I smirk, burying myself under the covers.
Cam sighs. “Maybe we’ll both have a hottie to hump this summer.”
We look to each other and laugh.
May-freaking-be.
Today is one of those summer days in Southern California where the warm sun decides to pop out after lunch and disappears before you’ve even gotten the chance to eat. So Cam and I put our towels away and met Lolli and Payton downtown for tacos, while the boys stayed behind watching football highlights on YouTube.
As soon as we got home, Cameron went upstairs to paint her nails and I dropped onto the couch.
I’m just ending my phone call when Mason steps into the living room.
“Mom?” Mason wonders.
“Yeah. She talked to Aunt Sarah about Kenra and tried to check on Payton, but she didn’t answer. I told her she’s probably taking a nap.”
He scoffs a laugh. “Mexican food will do that to you.”
“And growing a human might add to that.” His lips twitch. “Dad said they’re about ready for their trip.”
“Good, they need to take a vacation now that we’ll be out of the house. Scoot over.” He taps my knee, so he can fit into the spot beside me, and throws his arm over the back of the couch.
“Did you just get out of the shower?” I take in his wet hair.
He nods, snatching the remote from my hand with a smirk. “Yeah. We got that new weight set Brady’s dad sent him all put together. It’s legit. Once we have a chance to haul his bench press out here, we’ll have everything we need, and won’t have to pay to use the gym downtown anymore.”