Page 33 of Weston

Nixon raised his hands. “I’d never tell you you’re wrong,” he said, and we all laughed at that. “I don’t want to end up at the bottom of a river or anything,” he joked.

Gareth grunted, which was as close to a laugh as anyone was going to get with my surly, intimidating friend.

“Oh, stop it,” Savannah said. “Gareth is not scary at all.”

I nearly choked on my water, setting it down quickly.

“Not everyone is as fearless as you, babe,” Hendrix said, leaning in to kiss her cheek before returning to his meal.

“Plus, working for Ethan is probably ten times worse, right?” I teased.

“Ethan may be an asshole half the time,” Savannah answered. “But he’s always been nice to me.”

“That’s because you’re a woman,” I said.

“At least he’s upfront about it.” She shrugged.

“I’m only scary to the wrong people,” Gareth said so matter-of-factly it was hard to tell if he was joining in on the joke or being deadly serious. “You’re all good in my book.”

Brynn laughed at that along with Savannah and Liberty, but it was hers I heard over all the rest. The sound had a direct line to my heart, tugging on it in the warmest way anytime I heard it.

One week.

It had been a long fucking week.

Days of seeing her in the office, seeing her in my house in the morning as she briefed me on my schedule before heading into the marketing firm for the day. We’d agreed to wait two weeks to make sure our feelings weren’t fueled by only lust, but I knew I didn’t want to waste one more second waiting.

I knew what I wanted, and it was way more than sex. I wanted Brynn on a primal level where our lives were intertwined in all the right ways. Friendship, sex, work, passion, support. I wanted it all.

But I had no idea where she stood.

There were only a few times I’d caught her looking at me with that sense of longing that made me want to haul her over my shoulder and work it out for her. Other than that, she’d been normal, falling back into our usual rhythm like nothing had happened.

And fuck, that terrified me. The idea of her telling me the allure ofushad fizzled out made me anxious in a way I never was. I jumped out of planes and explored live volcanoes forfunfor fucks’ sake. I didn’t do nervous or anxious or scared.

But when it came to Brynn? Everything was different.

I knew it would be better for us both if she was the strong one, if she decided what happened between us was a fun night, but nothing more…that we were better off as friends. Because I’d kept my feelings for her in check for years for that very reason. She’s the one person in my life I couldn’t afford to lose.

But here I was, watching her laugh and chat with Hendrix and Gareth, her ease and grace so damn attractive. Everything about her was attractive to me, from her tenacity in her personal and business goals to the way she made drinking coffee a more intense sport than the NFL. She was perfection wrapped up in a gorgeous package that seemed tailored specifically for me, and somehow, I was the idiot who’d asked for two weeks tothinkwhen she called and confessed she couldn’t stop thinking about me.

It had been hot as hell, having her talk about me with that hint of desperation I’d always dreamed about. And of course, I’d ruined that. If I’d been a smarter, more selfish man, I would’ve jumped in my car and given her all the reasons in the world tokeepwanting me.

“Dessert for anyone?” the waiter asked, drawing my attention off Brynn for a few seconds.

“Yeah, Weston?” Hendrix asked, laughter all over his features as he looked from me to Brynn and back again. “You craving anything sweet?”

“No, I’m all set, thanks,” I said, the rest of the table waving the waiter off. I shot a glare to Hendrix, who was arching a knowing brow in my direction.

Fuck, he could see it, the tension between me and Brynn. I could tell by the way he kept silently asking me a question before glancing casually at Brynn. Luckily, she was wrapped up in a conversation with Liberty about her and Nixon’s latest family adventure they were planning for the off season.

I gave Nixon a subtle shake of my head, silently letting him know I’d explain another time. Because as of right now, there was nothing to tell. Nothing that I could share, because I didn’t know what Brynn wanted, and until I did, it was no one else’s business.

“Heading out,” Gareth said long after the check had been paid and all our plates cleared. He shook my hand again, clapping me on the back before heading out of the restaurant.

Nixon, Liberty, Hendrix, and Savannah did the same, the six of us lingering in the hotel lobby saying more goodbyes than likely necessary. It was hard when we rarely got to see Hendrix, but I was hoping our schedules would align for the holidays.

“It’s always so good seeing them,” Brynn said after they’d headed to their rooms.