Come To Me (Dare With Me #3) - J.H. Croix Page 0,46

Gemma,” Harley said, displaying not even an ounce of shame.

I shook my head, placing down my cards and bowing out of the round. “Spying? It’s a yoga class. I don’t know how much spying you can do.”

“Well, you like her, so…” Her words trailed off with a shrug.

“So, what?” I pressed. “If you’re wondering, it’s not exactly helpful for my love life to have you monitoring everything I do.”

“Ha! See, you said “love.” You are taking her seriously,” Harley said with air quotes before lifting her hands up in the air in triumph.

I groaned, glancing to Tucker who sat across from me. “Remind me to say no next time one of my sisters wants to come and stay for a few weeks.”

Flynn chuckled as he won this round, quickly gathering the cards and stacking them together to shuffle. “Okay, we’ll remind you. Then, you’ll tell us family means everything. You’ll also tell us you can deal with whatever they throw your way, no matter how much they pry into your life.”

I laughed as I leaned back into the couch cushions. “True story. Family does mean everything.”

“Precisely why all of us are waiting for you to take anyone seriously,” Flynn returned with a sly gleam in his eyes.

“Busted. Gemma and I had dinner. Once. We’re going to have dinner again though. I’d like to take things at my own pace if the group doesn’t mind,” I drawled.

I tolerated the continued ribbing that night, not just about Gemma, but about everything. Because family meant lots of teasing, and I was definitely not the only focus. I might bitch about it sometimes, but I loved my sisters, and I loved my friends. Family did mean everything.

Even though I played it off like it was no big deal, Gemma was like a soft breeze in my life. She filled all the spaces in my heart, even the spaces I’d thought were shut off and boarded up. Even though we’d only had one dinner officially, everything felt much deeper with her. It didn’t help matters that I couldn’t stop thinking about her. Not the way it felt to be inside her, or the way it felt to fall asleep with her wrapped in my arms. I was in danger of falling for this girl, and I wasn’t quite sure she was ready, or better yet, if I was ready. I didn’t like the tiny doubts that feathered along the edges of my mind over that stupid phone call I overheard.

I wasn’t that guy, the kind of guy who believed he needed to know everything. I wasn’t that guy who insisted a girl keep me up to speed on every detail of her life. But trust was an issue for me. The fact I was even wondering about anything with Gemma was a loud, blaring warning alarm in the back of my mind. She was starting to matter.

Gemma’s yoga class for staff at the resort the following evening was an exercise in sheer distraction. Her tone was calm and soothing throughout the class, and she didn’t lay a hand on me, not even once. And yet, every single time I looked in her direction, I remembered just how intimately I knew every curve of her body. I knew what she felt like when she flew apart. My body also knew what I wanted—more of her, and then even more. Getting Gemma out of my system seemed an almost insurmountable task.

To add to my distraction, Harley set up her yoga mat beside me. Throughout the class, she occasionally offered commentary. I loved my sister, but damn, she could be annoying when she wanted.

A little while after class, after Daphne directed Gemma into an available private room so she could shower and change, and after I obeyed my better angels and went back to the staff house to shower and change myself, we reconvened in the kitchen.

It felt as if she were my own personal true north, and every cell in my body rotated toward her. I could play it cool though. I sat at the counter, teasing with the guys and ignoring my sister’s pointed looks. I couldn’t tell if she wanted to grill Gemma and chase her away, or if she actually wanted me to have a shot. If she kept it up with her attitude, she was going to chase anyone away, even one of her friends.

I felt Gemma’s presence like a soft spring breeze when she stopped beside the counter. Her scent spun around