Page 35 of Let Me Keep You

“You’re gonna make some guy super happy one day if this is the kind of treatment you provide.” I take a sip. “Oh, wow. The good stuff. You’re really trying to butter me up.”

I follow her into the living room.

She looks at me curiously when she plops down on the couch. “You okay?”

Waving her off, I sit next to her. “I’ll tell you later.”

“Okay, you better.” Everleigh goes to the kitchen, then returns a couple minutes later with a huge bowl of fresh popcorn drizzled with butter.

Once we’re both settled and comfortable on the sofa, Everleigh scrolls through the photos.

“Oh my God, you took two thousand pictures?”

She stuffs her face and nods. “This is why I couldn’t decide!”

Shaking my head, I watch as she goes through them. “They’re all so good. If the boutique doesn’t work out, you should be a photographer.”

“Are you flirtin’ with me already?”

“You wish.” I laugh. “Oh, I love this one of Katie where she’s looking off in the distance.”

Everleigh scooches closer. “Yes, me too. She looks gorgeous. Every woman in a hundred-mile radius is gonna want this outfit. And you in that red skirt, you sexy little firecracker.”

“That’s a good one,” a deep voice says from behind us, and every hair on my neck stands up.

Everleigh jumps, and Tyler chuckles. She grabs a pillow and throws it at him but misses.

“I’m sad I wasn’t invited to the slumber party.” He smirks, walking toward the kitchen.

That’s when I notice he’s shirtless, his joggers hanging low on his hips.

I chug my wine, though the image of his ripped body and the way the muscles cascade down his back are now burned into my memory. Fuck.

“Well, you’re the one who didn’t want to look at two thousand pictures with me,” Everleigh counters. “You snooze, you lose.”

My mouth falls open. “So I was your third choice? I’m offended!”

She snorts. “Third time’s the charm, baby.”

Tyler returns to the living room, sipping a beer. I avoid looking at him because I don’t think I’ll be able to pick my jaw off the floor before he notices.

“Welp. I’ll leave you two to it.”

“Mm-hmm.” Everleigh continues to scroll through the pictures.

When I look up, he’s already staring at me, and I stop breathing.

Tyler blinks, breaking our contact.

I clear my throat. “Good night.”

“Night,” he says, then leaves the room, taking all the air with him. If Everleigh notices my reaction, she doesn’t say anything, and for that, I’m grateful.

“How about this one?” she asks, bringing me back to reality.

It’s one of Katie and me laughing our asses off at something Everleigh said without a doubt.

“Yes, I love that one! It’s perfect and looks so natural. The only thing it’s missing is you in there with us.”