it.
Chloe – apparently concluding that I'd been working out or something – looked up. Her gaze drifted to the open door behind me. "Aren't you gonna close the door?"
Why? Because cold air was flooding into the house? I didn't care. All I cared about was the girl in front of me. I wanted to gather her in my arms and make sure she was never cold again.
My thoughts were churning, but my voice was quiet. "Screw the door."
She stared up at me, and something in her eyes warmed, just a fraction. For a long moment, I had this crazy idea that somehow, it would all work out, that by some miracle, she'd fall into my arms and let me make everything better.
Silently, I begged her. Chloe, please.
But then, a different female voice drifted out my doorway. The voice sounded sleepy with a hint of sex. "Lawton," she called, "who's at the door?"
I froze, feeling the color drain from my face.
Fucking Brittney.
Reluctantly, I glanced behind me. And there she was, standing on the darkened staircase.
Naked.
Chapter 12
Desperately, I turned back to Chloe. The look on her face was everything I feared. And from where she was standing, she hadn't even seen Brittney yet. I shifted in the doorway, hoping like hell to block her view.
I knew exactly how this would look. Bad, just like it sounded. "Chloe," I said, "it's not what you think. I swear."
I heard movement behind me and stifled a curse. Chloe's gaze shifted to somewhere past my shoulder, and her jaw dropped. I didn't turn around, because I already knew what she had spotted – a certain naked blonde who, at this rate, I'd be strangling any minute.
I tried again. "Chloe–"
Whether she heard me or not, I'll never know, because another voice, sounding sly and possessive, drifted out the open doorway. "Oh," Brittney said. "It's you."
I turned to look, and there she was, standing within arm's reach. Yeah, it was bad, but not quite as bad as I'd originally feared.
From the distant shadows, all I had seen was bare skin. Now, up close, I saw tiny sheer panties and a matching bra. The bra was so thin, I could see the pink of her nipples poking through the nearly transparent fabric.
Knowing Brittney, I was supposed to be aroused.
I wasn't.
Instead, I was royally pissed off. I glared down at her. "You were supposed to wait upstairs."
She blinked up at me. "Oh. Was I?"
"And where the hell are your clothes?"
She raised her arms in a slow, seductive stretch. "Mmm…I dunno. Upstairs?" The way it sounded, she didn't mean upstairs in the guest room. She meant upstairs in my room, like we'd just been screwing or something.
A low, strangled sound broke into my thoughts. I turned to see Chloe turning away, like she was making a break for it.
Desperately, I grabbed her elbow. "Chloe, wait! Please?"
She whirled back to face me. Her face was flushed, and her breathing was ragged. "So this is why you invited me here? To throw this in my face?"
I gave her a pleading look. "There's no this ."
If this was anything, it was a fucking nightmare. I had to make it go away. Now. Before I lost Chloe for good.
I turned to Brittney. "Go on. Tell her. Right now."
Brittney gave me a slow, sleepy smile. "Tell her what?"
My fists were tight, and my muscles were bunched into hard, angry knots. So help me, I wanted to hit her. Through clenched teeth, I said, "You tell her right now why you're here, or the deal's off. Got it?"
She lifted a bare shoulder. "Whatever you say."
"And for God's sake," I said, "put on some fucking clothes, will ya?"
Her lips formed a pout. "But they're dirty. And besides, it took her forever to get here."
I was still holding Chloe's elbow. Her body was trembling. And somehow, I knew that this time, it wasn't because of the cold.
I turned back to Brittney. Through gritted teeth, I said, "You've got five seconds."
"Oh alright. Fine." Brittney looked to the ceiling and mumbled, "I'm here to apologize."
As an apology, it sucked. Still, I looked to Chloe, hoping that if
Chloe – apparently concluding that I'd been working out or something – looked up. Her gaze drifted to the open door behind me. "Aren't you gonna close the door?"
Why? Because cold air was flooding into the house? I didn't care. All I cared about was the girl in front of me. I wanted to gather her in my arms and make sure she was never cold again.
My thoughts were churning, but my voice was quiet. "Screw the door."
She stared up at me, and something in her eyes warmed, just a fraction. For a long moment, I had this crazy idea that somehow, it would all work out, that by some miracle, she'd fall into my arms and let me make everything better.
Silently, I begged her. Chloe, please.
But then, a different female voice drifted out my doorway. The voice sounded sleepy with a hint of sex. "Lawton," she called, "who's at the door?"
I froze, feeling the color drain from my face.
Fucking Brittney.
Reluctantly, I glanced behind me. And there she was, standing on the darkened staircase.
Naked.
Chapter 12
Desperately, I turned back to Chloe. The look on her face was everything I feared. And from where she was standing, she hadn't even seen Brittney yet. I shifted in the doorway, hoping like hell to block her view.
I knew exactly how this would look. Bad, just like it sounded. "Chloe," I said, "it's not what you think. I swear."
I heard movement behind me and stifled a curse. Chloe's gaze shifted to somewhere past my shoulder, and her jaw dropped. I didn't turn around, because I already knew what she had spotted – a certain naked blonde who, at this rate, I'd be strangling any minute.
I tried again. "Chloe–"
Whether she heard me or not, I'll never know, because another voice, sounding sly and possessive, drifted out the open doorway. "Oh," Brittney said. "It's you."
I turned to look, and there she was, standing within arm's reach. Yeah, it was bad, but not quite as bad as I'd originally feared.
From the distant shadows, all I had seen was bare skin. Now, up close, I saw tiny sheer panties and a matching bra. The bra was so thin, I could see the pink of her nipples poking through the nearly transparent fabric.
Knowing Brittney, I was supposed to be aroused.
I wasn't.
Instead, I was royally pissed off. I glared down at her. "You were supposed to wait upstairs."
She blinked up at me. "Oh. Was I?"
"And where the hell are your clothes?"
She raised her arms in a slow, seductive stretch. "Mmm…I dunno. Upstairs?" The way it sounded, she didn't mean upstairs in the guest room. She meant upstairs in my room, like we'd just been screwing or something.
A low, strangled sound broke into my thoughts. I turned to see Chloe turning away, like she was making a break for it.
Desperately, I grabbed her elbow. "Chloe, wait! Please?"
She whirled back to face me. Her face was flushed, and her breathing was ragged. "So this is why you invited me here? To throw this in my face?"
I gave her a pleading look. "There's no this ."
If this was anything, it was a fucking nightmare. I had to make it go away. Now. Before I lost Chloe for good.
I turned to Brittney. "Go on. Tell her. Right now."
Brittney gave me a slow, sleepy smile. "Tell her what?"
My fists were tight, and my muscles were bunched into hard, angry knots. So help me, I wanted to hit her. Through clenched teeth, I said, "You tell her right now why you're here, or the deal's off. Got it?"
She lifted a bare shoulder. "Whatever you say."
"And for God's sake," I said, "put on some fucking clothes, will ya?"
Her lips formed a pout. "But they're dirty. And besides, it took her forever to get here."
I was still holding Chloe's elbow. Her body was trembling. And somehow, I knew that this time, it wasn't because of the cold.
I turned back to Brittney. Through gritted teeth, I said, "You've got five seconds."
"Oh alright. Fine." Brittney looked to the ceiling and mumbled, "I'm here to apologize."
As an apology, it sucked. Still, I looked to Chloe, hoping that if
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