Page 51 of Under Pressure

I know I look good. I’d narrowly avoided a group of older women who were tanning a few feet away from our group and had giggled so loudly while we were working on our sandcastlethat Aubrey actually heaved our giant umbrella from the sand and planted it directly in their view, blocking us off.

No reaction from anyone has ever had such an impact on me as this right here. Quinn’s pupils are still wide, swallowing up that soft blue-grey I can’t get enough of. I’m drawn to her in a way that I can’t begin to understand. All I know is that I’ve felt this pull from the first day I entered Blank Page, and it hasn’t disappeared since.

Is she finally feeling it, too?

Because if this photo is enough to spark this intense of a reaction from her, then maybe I’ve got a better chance than I thought.

“It’s a . . . nice castle,” she mumbles.

Afraid she’ll get spooked and run right out the door, I keep my movements slow as I lean closer, just enough that I can inhale her perfume. Even after one hell of a long night, she still smells so damn good. Like spice and fruit and woman.

I drop my voice, keeping it soft. “Yeah? You like it?”

“Very much.”

“What’s your favourite part?” I’m teasing her now, but I don’t know if she realizes it.

Her mind’s still running, working too hard. I lift my hand and tuck a chunk of auburn hair behind her ear, letting my knuckle run along the back of it. Her skin is so warm beneath my touch, and now that I’ve felt it, I don’t want to stop. It’s intoxicating, the way she makes me feel. I’m so desperate for a crumb that the moment she drops one for me, I’m licking it up and opening my mouth to beg for another one.

It should be terrifying. Maybe it is. Hidden somewhere deep beneath intrigue and desire, I should fear her and the tantalizing power she holds over me. Yet I know she doesn’t want it, and that settles me. Despite Kellan’s worries, I know she isn’t playing me. This isn’t some game she’s invented because if it were, she’d have won a long time ago. The thrill would have worn off by now.

Her throat works as she swallows. My tongue tingles with the urge to lick up the side of those muscles so I can learn what she tastes like. I ache to touch her properly, let alone get my mouth on her. There’s no way I wouldn’t be shooting into my pants the moment she let me.

Ifshe lets you, says the annoying voice in my head.

Ignoring it, I clear my throat. The strained noise is enough to snatch her from the spell she was under. I can’t decide if that makes me relieved or annoyed that the moment’s over.

I can’t take my eyes off her. She pulls back, throwing her guard back up without hesitation, and I make no move to stop her. After the night she’s had, I wouldn’t trust her to do anything else. It’s a familiar sight, and that’s settling in some weird way.

Still, she doesn’t try to run.

Locking my phone, I adjust her bag again. “Let me show you your room. We need to at least get a couple hours of sleep.”

“Thank you,” she says distantly.

The guest room is at the end of the hall, directly across from mine. I pop the door open and gesture for her to step in before following and setting her bag on the king bed.

My mom chose the furniture for both bedrooms and the office that I’ve only stepped foot in a couple of times. From the black light fixtures, matching wrought-iron bed frame, and single-drawer side tables, it’s very minimal. With all the sun this room gets, there was really no point in opting for lighter furniture. Now that I think about it, the colour scheme feels a bit bachelor pad.

I swallow the laugh tickling my throat and pat my thighs. “There’s a remote in the nightstand that controls both the blinds and the lights. If you want to shower, there’s a bathroom through that door over there, or you can use the main one down the hall. Do you need anything else before I head to bed?”

It’s a bit awkward between us now, and I can’t say I’m surprised. It’s not from the moment earlier, but rather the factthat she’s here, staying the night at my place when we haven’t spoken outside of the coffee shop before. Still, I’m not bothered by it.

I can handle a bit of awkwardness.

“No. I’ll be fine. Your room is . . .?”

“Right across the hall. If you need anything, you can just let me know. I sleep with the door cracked a bit. When are you wanting to head to the café?”

Her brows tug a bit. “I’ll need to call Ruthie before I go to sleep and let her know what’s going on. There’s no chance she isn’t already there, about to call anyway. So, I guess, whenever you want to drive me. Tomorrow is going to be a lot.”

“I’ll be leaving for the stadium at nine. If you’re good for that time, I’ll drop you off on my way.”

There’s a beat of silence before she turns, eyes jumping up to mine. Her hands are flush to her sides, but her fingers are moving, betraying her anxiety.

“How long am I staying here?”

“However long you want to. Tonight was mandatory, so I knew you were alright, but if you want to find somewhere else tomorrow, I won’t try to force your hand. Even if I want it to be here.”