Into the Tide (Cottonwood Cove #1)(58)

I moved to the front desk and told them my name as the older woman typed on her keyboard. “Yes, one king suite on the top floor with city views. We have all the wedding guests staying on one floor, per the Wayburns’ request.”

“Sounds great. Thank you.” I took the cardboard portfolio with the keys tucked inside and slipped it into the back pocket of my jeans as we walked toward the elevators. The guy who took our luggage said he’d meet us upstairs.

Once we stepped on, I looked up to see Lila eyeing me as she stood against the opposite wall from me. “Did you try to get two queen beds?”

“I’ve always preferred a king over a queen. I’m a tall guy. I need to stretch out.” I smirked.

“Did you ever call the hotel and ask for two rooms?” she pressed. It made sense. I’d been avoiding her for days, yet here I was, sharing a room with her. Trust me, I didn’t understand it myself.

The doors opened, and I motioned for her to step off without answering her question, just as the guy who’d taken our suitcases came walking out of our room and held the door open. I had no idea how he beat us there, but I slipped him some cash and thanked him for taking care of that.

Lila walked inside first, and I closed the door behind us. Floor-to-ceiling windows with views of the city spread across the far wall. A large king canopy bed sat in the middle of the room, reminding me that I’d made no attempt to change the sleeping arrangements.

And instead of feeling panicked, I felt anything but.

Lila hurried over to the windows and stared outside. “Wow, this is gorgeous.”

I was looking at a much better view as I watched her. As if she knew it, she slowly turned around. “So, we’re sharing a bed?”

“It won’t be the first time, right?” I said, my voice gruff.

“Yeah. You’re right.” She moved to the bed and sat down, but she winced a little, which caught me off guard. I’d thought she’d winced in the truck, as well, but she’d insisted she was fine.

“You okay?”

“Oh, yeah. I’m fine. Just sore from my run yesterday.” I was surprised she hadn’t gone for a run before we left today, but she’d been in her room all morning.

“All right. So, we’ve got a few hours before the rehearsal dinner. Is there anything you want to do in the city while we’re here?”

“I’m easy,” she purred. “What would you like to do?”

Oh, you can’t begin to comprehend what I’d like to do.

“We could grab something to eat. Are you hungry?”

“Sure. I could eat,” she said, her dark eyes searching mine.

I moved closer, my legs bumping hers as she sat on the edge of the bed. My hand reached for her fingers as I looked down at her.

“I heard what you said in the car. I want you to know that, okay?”

“Okay. So, are you going to stop avoiding me?”

“Yeah. I don’t think I can keep it up anyway,” I said, moving to sit beside her, but our hands remained intertwined.

“Why?”

“Because I can’t stop thinking about you. And I’m fucking trying, Snow. I’m trying to do the right thing. But it’s killing me.” There. I said it. It was the truth.

“The right thing for who? For Travis? For someone who isn’t even involved in this? It’s ridiculous, you know that, right? We’re both adults.”

“He’s my best friend. He’s your brother. So, he’s involved no matter how you look at it. And you being—” I ran my free hand through my hair and let out a long, tortured breath. “I don’t want to take anything I don’t deserve from you, Lila. So, this is complicated for a million reasons. Plus, you’re not staying, so we’re playing with fire.”

“First of all, me being a virgin is not an issue. You’re not taking something from me; you’re giving me something. I would much rather my first time be with someone I feel safe with and care about. I’ve had lots of opportunities, Bear. They just never felt right. But this does.” She moved to climb on my lap. “And since when do you worry so much about the future? Do you normally ask a woman how long she’ll be sticking around? Why is that playing with fire?”

“Because it’s you,” I said, tucking her hair behind her ear and breathing her in. I itched to kiss her. To taste her.

“I’m a grown woman. And I want you. We’ve always been good friends, and that won’t change. We’ll just be sharing something special while I’m home, and it’s no one’s business but ours. Nothing will change. We’re together all the time at work and home, anyway. So, to the outside world, nothing will be different. This is just for us.”

Fuck. She was saying all the right things.

“Just for us,” I said, my lips grazing her ear. “You sure about this? Because once we start, Snow, I won’t be able to stop. I’ve been fighting this for weeks.”

“I’ve never been surer about anything.”

That was all it took. My mouth covered hers. My hand tangled in her hair, while the other shifted her onto my lap so she was straddling me. But I felt the way her body flinched when she ground against me, and I pulled her back. Her lips were plump, eyes filled with desire, and dark waves falling all around her. So sexy and gorgeous I nearly came undone at just the sight of her.