Into the Tide (Cottonwood Cove #1)(16)

Nothing like a little morning wood to scare the shit out of your best friend’s little sister.

I’d completely forgotten that I had on nothing but a pair of joggers, and they left nothing to the imagination when your dick was rock-hard.

And mine was.

I chuckled because there wasn’t much else I could do in this situation.

“Sorry about that. It’s a morning thing.” I smirked.

It’s actually a Lila thing.

She shook her head as if she hadn’t realized she was staring and turned back to the stove. “Oh, no. I hadn’t noticed. I mean, of course, I noticed, because it would be impossible not to, but I wasn’t staring. Oh my gooooooood,” she groaned.

“There’s no shame in looking, Snow.” I shouldn’t have said it, but I liked seeing her all worked up.

A pink hue ran up the back of her neck, and I adjusted myself because this shit was getting painful. “Do I have time to grab a quick shower?”

“Yeah, yeah, of course.” She waved a hand over her head, and when I got to the doorway of my bedroom, I heard her shout. “I’d make it a cold one, Bear!”

I laughed my ass off as I stood under the freezing cold water. I was not proud when I gripped my dick and leaned my forehead against the wall and thought of the way Lila had just looked at me. All innocent and sexy. Curious and wanting.

Her body in those little running shorts and tank top.

The way I could see the outline of her perfect tits through the fabric.

How badly I wanted to touch her.

Taste her.

It didn’t take long to find my release, and I made a silent promise to myself that this would be the last time I allowed myself to fantasize about her. She was going to be staying with me. I needed to pull my shit together.

Maybe I just needed to get laid.

By someone other than Lila James, of course.

I’d make that my mission this weekend. I was probably just horny because it had been a while.

I slipped on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt and made my way out to the kitchen.

She’d just plated some eggs and bacon and toast, and damn if my stomach wasn’t rumbling.

“This looks amazing. I’m usually lucky to grab a piece of toast before I get out of here,” I said, moving to the fridge to pour us each a glass of juice.

“I’ll replace the groceries when I go to the store after work today,” she said, as we both sat down at the same time.

“Don’t be silly. We can share. Hell, if you’re willing to cook for me, I’d be happy to keep the fridge stocked.”

She smiled. “I’ll cook and shop, too. It’s the least I can do for you letting me stay here.”

I forked some eggs and groaned when I took a bite. Damn, she was a good cook. “Is there anything you’re not good at?”

She took a bite of toast and thought it over. “There are several things I’m not good at. That’s what I was thinking about on my run today. You know how Georgia lives that YOLO life? That might be something I should try.”

“What do you mean?” I devoured a piece of crispy bacon.

“I’ve been talking to Delilah, Sloane, and Rina about it, too. They think I should do sort of a bucket list while I’m home.” She raised a brow at me. “You know, things I haven’t done before that I’d like to start trying.”

What the hell was she talking about?

“What types of things do you want to do while you’re here? Maybe I can help? Because if you keep cooking like this, I’m never going to let you leave.”

She smiled and reached for her glass, taking her time with the fresh-squeezed juice. I watched the way her slender neck moved as she swallowed, and I had the sudden urge to kiss her there. To lick the sweat right from her body.

“Well, Bear, if you must know. Two nights ago, I got drunk for the first time. I’d never allowed myself to do anything so frivolous in the past, so that was a first.”

“Getting drunk is overrated. But everyone needs to experience it at least once in their life, I guess.” I chuckled. “So you’ve already got one checked off the list. What’s next?”

“Well, the most important thing is to get my dad into a program while I’m here. I’ve been researching this for a while, and I’ve talked to him about it. He’s open to it. We’ve tried everything else. Fighting, crying, more drama than anyone needs in one lifetime, and that hasn’t worked. So, it’s time to try something new. A Hail Mary of sorts, and I found a place on the outskirts of town that has really great success stories.”

I nodded. I didn’t want her to get hurt, but Tate James had yet to show any desire to get better. But I wouldn’t say that. I wouldn’t take that from her. Because if I were in her shoes, I’d do whatever it took for anyone in my family. So, I understood her need to keep trying. Travis was far past believing that his father could change, but it didn’t mean that she had to be.

“All right. Sounds like you’ve got a plan for that one. What else do you have on this list, Snow?” I took a long pull from my glass.

“I’d like to lose my V-card while I’m home.” She shrugged, and orange juice sputtered from my mouth all over the table. Did she just bring up her virginity so casually, as if she were discussing the weather and not the fact that she’d never had sex? That no man had ever had the pleasure of rocking her fucking world? Her head fell back in laughter before she looked at me as I tried to clean up my mess. “Have you never met a virgin, Hugh?”