scent and body heat washed over me. “I guess I should have worn it up tonight.”
I started to lift my hair out of his way, but Bryan was faster. His warm fingers skimmed my exposed skin as he brushed the long length of my hair over my shoulder. A tremor shuddered through me from the unintentional caress.
“No, you shouldn’t have. I like it down. It’s so soft. Softer than I imagined.”
Bryan had imagined what my hair would feel like? That was news to me.
“Your hands.” I licked my dry lips, thinking about how I’d imagined his hands on me. Lots. “The pads of your fingers are rough.”
“Play calluses from my guitar,” he whispered.
“Of course,” I said, trying not to babble. “I should have guessed.” Shimmery sensations rippled over my skin as he fumbled at my back, searching for the ends of the delicate laces.
“Do you mind?” His warm breath spilled over me as he concentrating on his task, stirring wisps of fine hair at my nape. “The roughness, I mean?”
“No, not at all.” The scrape of his touch on my skin seemed to unravel nerve endings already completely frayed. I tingled everywhere. If his touch was a revelation, I wondered what his lips would feel like pressed to mine.
“Here it is.” Finding the ends of the laces, he tugged to tighten the loose crisscross binding.
The silk stretched tighter in the front over my breasts. My focus shifted to imagining his lips fastened around the now throbbing tips.
“Bryan,” I said, my breaths short. “You mentioned my hair. Did you ever wonder about anything else regarding me?”
His fingers stilled at my back. “Like what?”
“What it would be like to kiss me?”
“Don’t, Lace.” His voice was deeper than I’d ever heard it, and strained. He’d hinted earlier about War being a deterrent. Was War the only thing that had kept Bryan from ever trying anything with me?
I switched to a different approach. “My birthday’s this week.”
“I’m aware.”
“Did you get me a present?”
“No,” he said.
“Can you give me one now?”
“Not if it’s something that will cross the line of friendship between us.”
“My line or War’s?”
“Fucking hell,” he muttered, his fingers moving again. “Done.”
His hands splayed wide, spreading warmth at my waist. My pulse pounded below his hands, and between my legs, I was hot and wet. His grip flexed tighter. Silent anticipation filled the air, broken only by his breathing and mine.
When he released me, I turned around to find he was already halfway to the door. “What are you afraid of, Bryan?”
“I’m not afraid of anything.” His hand on the knob, he turned his head to give me a hard look over his broad shoulder.
“Back when we used to be real friends,” I said, edging as close to the truth as I dared, “I used to only be afraid of one thing. Losing you. Losing your friendship.”
“You haven’t lost me. I’m here. We’re real friends now.”
“Not true. Real friends confide secrets to each other. Their hopes, their dreams, maybe even a forbidden little fantasy like I just did. Real friends don’t lie to each other.”
His eyes flashed. “I haven’t lied to you.”
“You’ve honestly never wanted to kiss me? Never thought about it? Not even at that first party at my uncle’s house?” I said, but what I meant was before War stepped between us.
Bryan shook his head, the longer brown layers in front shadowing his gaze.
“Not even when I tripped on that first walk home from school? Not even earlier this evening before War came in?”
“No.” Bryan’s expression was solid steel, his eyes darker gray than green.
“Never?” I asked. My eyes burned, bearing the brunt of his denial. “Not even just one time to see what it would be like?”
“No.”
“Okay,” I said, wanting to cry, but proud of myself that my voice was firm and didn’t wobble like my stomach did.
I told myself it was good I hadn’t revealed more. I remained alone, the only one to know that I’d waited, maybe even put War off from going all the way, because I’d hoped Bryan might develop feelings for me.
War
“Where’s Lace?” Standing just offstage, I frowned at Bryan as he barreled toward me. Without her.
“In the dressing room.” His lips pulled back from his teeth, he snapped, “Go get her yourself. I’m through playing errand boy for you.”
Before I could get into it with him, Lace appeared, looking contrite, which set off all sorts of warning bells.
“Sorry I’m late,” she said, her amazing tits practically falling out of her top. A full skirt