such a complete jerk.”
“It’s fine. No sweat at all.”
“But, Jason drove. Even if I could get him into it, there’s no way he’d let me drive his car home. Ever.”
I seriously hate this guy.
“Just stay here,” I say.
“Cohen, I can’t. It’s too weird. Right?” Maren says.
“Nope, it’s fine.” Okay, so it’s a little weird. But there’s no way in hell he’s going to be able to walk to the car, let alone drive. And there’s no way I’m hauling him downstairs. Jason stumbled upstairs like a drunken fool to do who knows the fuck what and passed out on the sofa in the loft. Maybe he and Ally had an argument? I don’t even want to know. I head back to the living room and toss a throw blanket over Ally. She may be a sneaky little brat, but I’m nothing if not hospitable.
Damn my parents and all those manners they drilled into my head.
“Where should I… Where should I sleep?” Maren licks her lips, and I try to read on her face what she’s feeling, but it’s a thousand different things: regret, embarrassment, exhaustion. I hate that this is the way she’s reacting to the first time she came to my house.
Honestly, before tonight, I never pictured Maren at my house at all. Now? I hate that she’s not happy here, even if it has nothing to do with me. And I hate the thought of the house empty of her, but that’s probably the bourbon and my general loneliness taking over my brain.
“You can take my room. Um, the mattress is the best, and I can hook you up with clean sheets, of course. I’ll crash in the spare room.”
“No. No way. There’s nice and then there’s just crazy. I will be more than happy to take the spare room. You should sleep in your own bed. Of course.” She leans so close to me, I catch that coconut smell and have to reach one hand out to steady myself on the wall.
“Nope.” I shake my head and my voice drops. “You’re my guest, and I’m not letting you sleep in the guest room. I won’t be able to get any sleep leaving you on that mattress.” She slides her hand along the smooth wood of the banister, but she’s looking at my arm. I want her to touch me so badly, I know I need to end this and get to the damn guest room now.
“You’re sure?” Her voice is barely a whisper.
“The guest room is better than fine,” I assure her.
I leave out the part about how the spare room only has a blow-up mattress crammed in the closet because it’s the one room in the house that isn’t put together yet. I usually crash at my parents’ or Deo and Whit’s. I don’t have guests…or didn’t until now.
And now that I’ve had her here as a guest, I’m feeling all beast in the castle. I hate the idea of her going tomorrow and tonight’s not even over.
She takes her hand off the banister and reaches out, her fingers hot on my skin, her eyes dark and sexy as hell. “Okay. But don’t worry. About the sheets, I mean. We’re all tired, and I’m not a germaphobe or anything. I really appreciate this, Cohen. I didn’t expect things to turn out this way. I feel really bad about everything.” Maren motions to Ally with her chin, but her eyes don’t break contact with mine.
I clear my throat, rub my neck, look away before she and I lock more than eyes and I’m in deeper than I need to be.
“No sweat. Room’s up at the top of the stairs to the left. Get some sleep,” I say, managing to keep my voice steady. Maren nods and avoids my eyes like she agrees that we should stop before…whatever might happen happens.
Damnit.
She turns away from me, and I watch that sweet little ass twitch its way up the small staircase. “Oh, Maren?”
She stops and turns to me with a hopeful look in her eye that shouldn’t be there. Not when her boyfriend is sleeping twenty feet away.
Regret chews through me, and, for a single second, I consider throwing caution to the wind and scooping her into my arms so I can join her in my king sized bed.
But I don’t. I can’t.
“It’s fine. No sweat at all.”
“But, Jason drove. Even if I could get him into it, there’s no way he’d let me drive his car home. Ever.”
I seriously hate this guy.
“Just stay here,” I say.
“Cohen, I can’t. It’s too weird. Right?” Maren says.
“Nope, it’s fine.” Okay, so it’s a little weird. But there’s no way in hell he’s going to be able to walk to the car, let alone drive. And there’s no way I’m hauling him downstairs. Jason stumbled upstairs like a drunken fool to do who knows the fuck what and passed out on the sofa in the loft. Maybe he and Ally had an argument? I don’t even want to know. I head back to the living room and toss a throw blanket over Ally. She may be a sneaky little brat, but I’m nothing if not hospitable.
Damn my parents and all those manners they drilled into my head.
“Where should I… Where should I sleep?” Maren licks her lips, and I try to read on her face what she’s feeling, but it’s a thousand different things: regret, embarrassment, exhaustion. I hate that this is the way she’s reacting to the first time she came to my house.
Honestly, before tonight, I never pictured Maren at my house at all. Now? I hate that she’s not happy here, even if it has nothing to do with me. And I hate the thought of the house empty of her, but that’s probably the bourbon and my general loneliness taking over my brain.
“You can take my room. Um, the mattress is the best, and I can hook you up with clean sheets, of course. I’ll crash in the spare room.”
“No. No way. There’s nice and then there’s just crazy. I will be more than happy to take the spare room. You should sleep in your own bed. Of course.” She leans so close to me, I catch that coconut smell and have to reach one hand out to steady myself on the wall.
“Nope.” I shake my head and my voice drops. “You’re my guest, and I’m not letting you sleep in the guest room. I won’t be able to get any sleep leaving you on that mattress.” She slides her hand along the smooth wood of the banister, but she’s looking at my arm. I want her to touch me so badly, I know I need to end this and get to the damn guest room now.
“You’re sure?” Her voice is barely a whisper.
“The guest room is better than fine,” I assure her.
I leave out the part about how the spare room only has a blow-up mattress crammed in the closet because it’s the one room in the house that isn’t put together yet. I usually crash at my parents’ or Deo and Whit’s. I don’t have guests…or didn’t until now.
And now that I’ve had her here as a guest, I’m feeling all beast in the castle. I hate the idea of her going tomorrow and tonight’s not even over.
She takes her hand off the banister and reaches out, her fingers hot on my skin, her eyes dark and sexy as hell. “Okay. But don’t worry. About the sheets, I mean. We’re all tired, and I’m not a germaphobe or anything. I really appreciate this, Cohen. I didn’t expect things to turn out this way. I feel really bad about everything.” Maren motions to Ally with her chin, but her eyes don’t break contact with mine.
I clear my throat, rub my neck, look away before she and I lock more than eyes and I’m in deeper than I need to be.
“No sweat. Room’s up at the top of the stairs to the left. Get some sleep,” I say, managing to keep my voice steady. Maren nods and avoids my eyes like she agrees that we should stop before…whatever might happen happens.
Damnit.
She turns away from me, and I watch that sweet little ass twitch its way up the small staircase. “Oh, Maren?”
She stops and turns to me with a hopeful look in her eye that shouldn’t be there. Not when her boyfriend is sleeping twenty feet away.
Regret chews through me, and, for a single second, I consider throwing caution to the wind and scooping her into my arms so I can join her in my king sized bed.
But I don’t. I can’t.
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