The Lies Between Us (The Devil's Dust #4)(16)

“I’ll have one of the guys come get it, take it to the club, and see about getting some AC in it or something.” He shrugs, walking back toward his bike.

I huff and follow him. I’m one who practices independence, but I’m not about to argue with air conditioning.

***

Even with the sun down, the air is still warm as it swims through my hair. Lip coming on so hard is not something I’m used to. It doesn’t help that he’s sexy as f*ck, and sweet to boot. He has this alpha thing going on when he thinks he knows what’s best for me. Even though it’s irritating, it’s flattering that he cares so much.

Lip slows down as we turn into a suburban area, houses lining up and down the road. They aren’t magnificent ones like those you might pass in some of the areas in LA, but they are nice compared to what I’ve lived in. He idles up to a light blue, one-story house with the porch light on.

He presses a button on a garage door opener and the door slowly lifts, loud and cranking with all its might. Inside there are shelves lined with tools, and what looks like a stripped motorcycle sitting on cylinder blocks in the center. Lip puts his feet on the ground and walks the bike and us into the garage, the door closing behind us. Climbing off the bike, I pull the helmet off my head, setting it on the seat.

“Well, this is home,” Lip states. I smile and follow behind him as he opens a door leading into the house.

The house smells of clean laundry and looks smaller than the garage. I smirk; just like a guy, more garage than house.

There are little lights in the ceiling shining just enough on the hardwood floor as he leads me down a small corridor.

“That’s the kitchen.” Lip points to the right. The walls look to be a light brown, the cabinets white and matching the appliances. A small kitchen island with two barstools sits in the middle of the room.

The house curves to the left, and Lip leads me into a small living room. The walls are white and lined with paintings of older motorcycles in black and white. A large flat-screen sits on a small wooden entertainment center in front of a brown fluffy couch and chaise lounge.

“Bathroom.” Lip points to a small room right in front of us. It’s nothing special, just a tub and sink. “This is my room.” He points to the left of the bathroom. I peer in and see a big bed with blue and gray blankets, plus clothes and beer cans on the floor.

“You can stay in this room.” Lip gestures to the room sitting opposite of his, putting the bathroom between the two. I step into the room he appointed as mine and Lip turns on the light. A small, full-sized bed sits in the corner with a white comforter. A little white dresser resides in the opposite corner, and a red guitar is placed on the other side.

“You play?” I question.

Lip shrugs and leans against the doorframe.

“Eh, I try but I suck.” He laughs, and I smile. Seeing Lip play rocker would be a sight.

Awkward silence fills the area between us.

“Well, it’s late. You were sweating pretty hard when I found you, so you wanna shower and get some sleep?”

I run my hand over the fluffy white blanket sitting on the bed. I never had something so fluffy before. Growing up, I had an old quilt that used to be my mother’s.

“That sounds great, actually.”

“I’ll go get your things then.” Lip turns to leave and I fall on the bed with a deep sigh. It feels wrong to be here, in a guy’s house I hardly know. But the cold air conditioning, the clean blankets, and company? It’s amazing.

I head toward the bathroom and shut the door. My body is nearly vibrating with excitement to dive into a nice, cool shower. I catch myself in the mirror and gasp. There’s a crease in my cheek from the shirt I was using as a pillow, my hair is sticking to my forehead from the sweat, and I have bags under my eyes. Damn, I look a hot mess.

I don’t even let the water get to its full heat before stepping under the showerhead. The cool water cascades down my chest and between my legs, and I can’t help but moan loudly. I grab the soap and squirt a shit load into my palm, and the smell of Lip invades the small tub. I close my eyes and inhale the tones of mint and spice before fingering it into my hair.

I shower till the water runs freezing cold. Climbing out, the bathroom door swings open and Lip crashes into me. I’m naked and wet and standing right before him, his arms full with a towel and what looks like a shirt. He lazily trails his eyes down my body and I swallow hard. I attempt to cross my legs and cover my chest when Lip suddenly drops the linens. We both lean forward at the same time to grab them and bump heads.

“Shit!” I wince. I grab a towel quickly and wrap it around myself as Lip turns his body, looking at the wall.

“Sorry, I thought you were still in the shower.” His words come out rough and heavy with lust. “I threw your clothes in the wash. You can sleep in one of my shirts tonight.”

“Thanks,” I whisper, clutching the towel around me tighter.

His eyes sweep toward me, giving me a once-over before turning and leaving.

My heart races in my chest and my hands shake with adrenaline as I shut the door. I lean over the sink, my fingers gripping the counter until my knuckles turn white. I raise my head, finding my reflection in the mirror.

“Holy shit,” I mutter.

I wait in the bathroom until the door to Lip’s room shuts. Peeking out, all the lights are off in the house, so I tiptoe to my room and shut the door. I look down at a Bud Light shirt of Lip’s that I’m wearing. It’s big; I’m practically swimming in the thing. I toss my head backward, the back of it hitting the door behind me.