of my brother finding out about us. I was trying to be understanding, because I knew how much Josh meant to him. But maybe Wyatt had put my brother too high up on a pedestal. I knew Wyatt listened to Josh more than he listened to me or anyone else, and I knew he was afraid of disappointing him. Maybe he looked up to Josh a little too much—so much that he could be blind to my brother’s faults. Sometimes it felt like Wyatt underestimated his own worth—his strength, his loyalty, his kindness; all the qualities I admired about him—because he’d convinced himself he could never measure up to the best friend he’d canonized.
Maybe all this was my way of rebelling against the stricture Wyatt had imposed on our relationship. It had been reckless, what I’d done. But god help me, it had felt good.
It was hard, not being able to touch Wyatt. Even though his eyes had kept seeking me out last night to show me how much he missed me, I’d needed to physically feel the connection between us. To remind myself it was real.
Rain cast a quizzical look at me. “Y’all didn’t have a fight or something, did you?”
I shook my head. “He probably just left to hook up with someone. You know Wyatt.”
I felt guilty about deceiving them. If it had been up to me, I would have happily come clean to my friends and everyone else about our relationship. There was nothing I would have loved more than to tell the whole world about me and Wyatt. To finally fess up to the feelings I’d been hiding for most of my life.
“Oh!” Kaylee perked up. “I think he might be coming over here, finally.”
Once again, I watched my friends primp as they prepared for Wyatt’s approach. And once again, I did nothing. I didn’t need to primp in order to get his attention.
I caught a whiff of Wyatt’s cologne just before his hand covertly squeezed my ass as he eased past me. He didn’t acknowledge me though. Instead, he greeted Kaylee with a hug. Then Megan. Then Rain. Saving me for last.
As I watched him interact with my friends, I was relieved to see him toning down the flirting a few notches. It was one thing to keep our relationship private, but I didn’t want him leading them on and compounding their disappointment.
I had to admit he’d been doing a good job of abiding by the conditions of our agreement. Whenever he hugged a woman, he made sure his hands never ventured lower than her shoulder blades. I’d seen him give a lot of one-armed hugs tonight and squeeze a lot of arms and shoulders, but he hadn’t kissed a single cheek—or any other body parts for that matter. Good thing. I’d meant it when I said his lips were for me and me alone.
He didn’t murmur into any of my friends’ ears tonight, or play with their hair, or use any of his other signature moves on them. Although I’d seen him doing it with a few other women—including Brianna goddamn Thorne—intentionally trying to get a rise out of me. It had worked too. Every time I caught sight of him cozying up to another woman, my fingernails had bitten into the palms of my hands.
Wisely, Wyatt was being more circumspect with my friends, giving them the same brotherly treatment he used to reserve for me. The disappointment showed on their faces—except for Rain, who’d had a fling with Wyatt back in high school that had pretty well gotten him out of her system—but I was pleased to see he wasn’t toying with people I cared about.
When he’d finished making his way around the table, he finally turned his attention on me. “Hey you.” His gaze dragged slowly up my body, his blue eyes nearly feral by the time they locked onto mine.
“Hey you.” I fought to keep my voice light as I resisted the urge to ogle him back.
He pulled me in for a hug that was anything but brotherly. One of his thighs pushed between my legs as he fitted his hips against me, letting me feel exactly how happy he was to see me. His nose nestled into my hair, and I felt his hot breath as his lips grazed my ear. “You look so fucking beautiful tonight, I’m about to spontaneously combust.”
Heat pooled between my thighs, and I couldn’t help pressing against him to try and ease some of the