Bait: The Wake Series, Book One(69)

“I'm not with Aly.”

“Casey, you don't have to lie to me about her. I have Grant and you have Aly. It's fair.”

Well, it wasn't fair, because I kept turning Aly down. I hadn't been with anyone since the last time Blake and I were together. Only she couldn't have known that. I wasn't about to touch on that subject. I couldn't stand to hear about her and Grant. That door stayed closed.

“It's true. I was just being a prick. We didn't get back together. I work with her and I see her a lot, but not like a relationship. She doesn't particularly like the situation, but that's the way it is.”

We sat there for a few long minutes, her body relaxed and then she said, “Good, I know that it shouldn’t bother me and that it isn’t my business, and we both know my situation, but it upset me. I’m sorry that I’m a hypocrite.” I didn't know how to take that, but the idea of her being jealous was both awesome and, as she even pointed out, ironic to me.

If only things were as easy to sort out on her side of the bed. But I had to leave that alone for the time, too.

We watched something on the discovery channel about Navy SEALs, which I wanted to watch, while we ate room service. It felt normal. We talked about her new job, which I already knew a lot about because I'm a creepy stalker.

We'd pulled back the curtains when we sat at the table and ate shitty room service. Well, mine was shitty. I ordered a steak that was overcooked and an undercooked baked potato. Blake ordered another BLT, citing you really could never go wrong with it.

We thumb wrestled for the remote and I only let her win the first time, since it was her room and I'd made her sit through a long documentary about the military. To be honest, I didn't watch much of it. I'd already seen it twice.

Since it was her turn, we watched the Food Network and she yelled at the television like it was a sporting event. “That's not real. It's not that easy,” she screamed. She was more entertaining than the show.

Some hours later, lying on our bellies facing the TV, and after we'd ordered ice-cream for six, it seemed, her eyes began to get heavy with sleep. I brushed the hair away from her face and we studied each other for a while.

Her small hands played with my hair. Her finger traced my nose, eyebrows, and lips. She started to hum when she exhaled.

I needed to leave. I couldn't let myself sleep in the same bed with her again.

I didn't want to wake up with her in my arms unless she was mine. And according to the ring she slipped back on when I was in the bathroom, mine she was not.



I let her study me for a little while longer before saying, “I think I'm going to go.”

She pouted and that alone almost changed my mind. But shit. There was only so much a man could take.

“No. Stay here.” She smiled and raised her eyebrows suggestively, trying to persuade me to abandon my reasons instead of her.

I placed a kiss to her forehead and lifted myself off the bed in a push-up type of way, trying not to look into her eyes again. They would cause the dissolving of my will.

“I'll see you tomorrow. We can do something tomorrow night, too, if you want? I'll take you out.” At that she thought. She liked that idea, but her excitement on her face was short lived.

“Okay, but you should just stay here tonight. You had that bad steak. What if you get sick? I know how serious food borne illness can be.” Blake lifted up on one arm and placed the back side of her hand to my face alternating from side to side. “Yep. I was right. You feel hot.”

She was so f*cking adorable.

“I'm glad you think so, honeybee.” I playfully said as I began to reverse, looking for my absentmindedly chucked shoes from earlier. “Like you said, we have an early morning and a long day.”

Her temper peaked. She was still trying to keep her voice animated and light, but I heard the anger growing underneath. “No. Stop putting your shoes on. I'll let you sleep. I was just playing. Promise.” She grew more resilient. “Casey Moore, get back on this bed with me,” she demanded and reached out to pull me on top of her, but I tugged away.

“Just stop. I can't stay. Okay? I'll see you in the morning.”

“You can't stay or you don't want to?” That made twice in one day that exact tone entered my ears.

“Calm down, Blake. I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight,” I said trying to qualm an escalating argument.

“Whatever. I need to call Grant anyway,” she said under her breath, but I felt it sear right through my back. I tensed and stopped as I was about to turn the doorknob, letting myself out.