Scorched

Just two years later than when I’d tried.

Tanner

Okay. My mind was fully in a place it shouldn’t be, but I couldn’t help it.

Holy shit, Andrea had a body that went on for fucking days—the kind of body that knocked a guy flat on his ass and made him want to do stupid shit to get all up in that. How in the world I hadn’t noticed that before was beyond me.

Actually, I had noticed she had curves in all the right places before, but I had no idea it was that…yeah, that. None whatsoever. Sweet Jesus, those shorts? That shirt? My sweats suddenly felt tighter as the image of her formed in my mind, the thin material barely holding her breasts back.

And those breasts…sweet Jesus, God had blessed her in that department.

As I closed the bathroom door behind me, I realized I was a lucky man, because there was a pool at that damn cabin and that meant Andrea would be in a bathing suit. A smile pulled at my lips. Hopefully, a two-piece.

Though she’d seemed a little self-conscious when I first arrived, which blew my mind. Never would I have ever thought she lacked in the confidence department, not with that fiery attitude. But there had been that sadness I’d seen in her last night and that had haunted me most of the day, but I knew that sometimes when people drank, they could be happy or sad.

Glancing around her bathroom, I had to grin. Her personality was everywhere. The hot-pink-and-purple plaid shower curtain, a blue bath rug, and as I ended up at the sink, I noted a yellow toothbrush holder. Not a damn thing in there matched. I washed my hands and then dipped my head, splashing the cool water over my face.

Straightening, I turned off the water and let out a pent-up breath. She’d been right. I could’ve called or texted her, but I’d wanted to make sure she was okay after last night. I also needed to apologize for the shit I’d said at Kyler’s place and I’d needed to do that to her face. And I also wanted to dig in a little, figure out what the hell she had against me. Except the moment I saw those little shorts, I fucking forgot what the hell I was doing there. It was like being fifteen all over again. Damn.

But she really had no memory of kissing me last night. Man, that was a kick to the nuts. I had to laugh. Good thing I had an ego on me the size of a mountain.

Maybe three minutes, if that, had passed by the time I walked back into the living room, but when I looked at the couch I didn’t see her. Frowning, I came up behind it and my brows flew up.

She was curled on her side, her legs dangling over the couch and arms tucked under her chest. The frown slipped off my face as I leaned over the back of the couch. “Andrea?”

Nothing.

I started to grin. “Hey, Andy?” I raised my voice. “Babe?”

Her lips moved, murmuring something unintelligible. The girl was out cold. Shaking my head, I pushed off the couch and looked around, spying the bedroom door ajar. I could leave her on the couch, but that seemed fucking wrong. My momma didn’t put a whole shit-ton of effort into raising me, but she’d drilled in the whole “gentleman” routine.

Spinning around, I walked into her bedroom, snapping on the small lamp beside her bed. Déjà vu slammed me, except Andrea wasn’t drunk tonight. The shade looked like someone had taken a hot glue gun and stuck damn purple diamonds all over it. I hadn’t noticed that last night. Seeing that the bed wasn’t even made, I sighed and then straightened it up. Peaches. Shit. The comforter carried her scent as I flipped the corner back. Andrea always smelled like peaches and vanilla.

I didn’t look around her bedroom. I don’t even know why. Too fucking intimate after last night. She was still out cold when I returned, and when I knelt down beside her, she stirred a bit as I got my arms under her.

“This is becoming a habit,” I said out loud.

“What…what are you doing?” she mumbled.

“Taking you to bed.” I lifted her up, and as I cradled her close, her head lolled against my chest, and red curls spilled across my arm.

“Not…not in your lifetime, bud,” she replied.

I had to laugh again, shaking my head. Even half-asleep, she was a firecracker. I carried her back to her bedroom and placed her in the bed. Since she wasn’t passed out, she sort of helped me this time as I wrangled her legs under the comforter.

Although, she’d taken a sleeping pill, so I wasn’t sure this was even the real Andrea. Hell, who knew the real girl? I knew I’d barely scraped the surface with her, even after two years. I hadn’t even known she had problems sleeping. Never once had I heard her mention it, and Syd or Kyler had never said a thing to me about it.

It took everything in me to step back and to walk out of the damn bedroom, but there was no hiding the smile on my face or denying the swell of anticipation for this upcoming week.

Things…things were going to change between us.

Chapter 4

Andrea

Well, this trip was starting off super-awkward.

Sitting in Kyler’s Durango, I was seated right next to Tanner and I felt like we were the two annoying kids stuck in the backseat on a long trip. Which would make Kyler and Syd our parents. Weird.

An hour and a half into the drive, Syd’s nose was deep in her eReader, Kyler’s thumbs were thrumming along the steering wheel as he hummed to whatever song was playing, and I was doing my best not to think about the fact I’d drunkenly kissed Tanner. Biting down on my lip, I glanced at him.

Blue eyes fixed on mine.

Oh crap, he wasn’t asleep anymore. I quickly focused on the window and stared at…rolling green hills everywhere.