Stealing Her (Covet 1)

I gaped. “That’s rude.”

“Don’t steal my towels.” Her gorgeous eyes narrowed into tiny slits.

“What about you?” I countered with a serious expression. “Can I steal you?”

She’d stared at me with such a stunned expression I immediately felt like an asshole for asking.

And then she’d blushed, her cheeks going bright pink as a slow smile spread across her face. “You should get ready.”

“I was waiting for you to shower.”

“Funny, since you never did before . . .” She got me there.

“Right, but you assumed I was him, ergo, it would be weird if I closed my eyes every single time you changed, just as weird as not noticing the little birthmark on your right ass cheek and—”

That earned me a pillow in the face. I caught it midair and grinned while she burst out laughing and made her way into the closet. “Get ready, Bridge, or I’m leaving you here.”

“Yes, Mom,” I teased.

And then I felt a stinging slap to my ass and jerked around. “Call me Mom again, and I’m grabbing that appendage you’re so proud of.”

“Like big things, do you?”

“You’re impossible!” Her blush grew.

I just shrugged. “Hey, this is me. If you want me to act like him, I can give you a stern expression and hole up in the office.”

Her face fell. I realized my teasing may have gone too far.

“Izzy, I’m sorry. That was uncalled for.” I moved toward her.

She shrugged. “Only because it’s true and I hate that instead of talking with me he’d go work.”

“Izzy, people grow apart, it happens, even to people who love each other.” I wanted to smash my face against the nearest blunt object. I didn’t want to be defending him, but I felt like I had no choice. On top of that, I wasn’t sure where the boundary was for me and Izzy. Was I allowed to touch her? Kiss her? Last night we’d kissed, but we’d been emotional and I knew she’d needed comfort.

Izzy sighed and put her hands on her hips. “Passing ships in the night, that’s what it felt like at the end, being reminded of all my appointments, checking on him while he worked, and feeling my heart break every single time he kissed me on the cheek and told me he’d be late to bed.”

“Look.” I searched for the right words and knew I would fail in being sensitive, but I wasn’t the sensitive one. “I know this is going to come off wrong but I’m just going to say it. He’s an idiot for ever letting you lie in that bed alone. If you were mine”—our eyes locked—“I’d never let you fall asleep without my arms around you, without my lips teasing you, and that’s the truth.” I sighed. “Let me just jump in the shower real quick.”

“Bridge.” She reached for me, her hand resting on my shoulder. “Thank you. For saying that.”

“I know it doesn’t change anything. I just don’t want to lie to you anymore.” I smiled sadly and slowly stepped away from her and into the bathroom. I needed space before I did something I couldn’t undo, something that would not only change my relationship with her, but my already unsteady relationship with him. “Be ready in five.”

She opened her mouth to say something.

I shut the door.

Shutting her out.

Knowing it was probably the wrong choice, but also very aware of my need to touch her, to kiss away her pain.

Disgusted with myself, I quickly took a shower, grabbed a pair of clean jeans and a T-shirt that was again way too tight, and then put a beanie on over my hair.

I really didn’t care if I looked like the evil twin. I just wanted to be comfortable and look like my old self. I snatched a pair of his aviator Ray-Bans and made my way out into the living room.

Izzy stared at me. Hard.

“What?” I frowned, putting on the sunglasses. “Are you okay?”

“Uh.” She grabbed her purse, dropped it onto the floor, grabbed it, dropped it somehow again, then finally adjusted it under her arm. “Yeah, sorry.”

“Nervous?”

She gulped. “Not to see him.”

I frowned and walked toward her, grabbing his wallet and his cell from the counter and shoving them in my pocket. “That’s cryptic.”

She shuddered and then reached out a shaky hand and pressed it to my chest. I instantly reached for her hand and held her ice-cold fingertips tight.

“You’re beautiful.” It came out as a whisper, and then she looked up into my eyes. “It’s not really fair.”

I couldn’t help the grin that spread across my face. “Are you complimenting me instead of threatening to poison me now?”

“Maybe.” She licked her lips.

I leaned down and kissed her, damn the consequences.

She stood up on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around my neck, returning the kiss, opening her mouth to me. I spun around, pressing her against the kitchen countertop. Our bodies moved against one another like we couldn’t get enough.