Needing Happily Ever After - Elena Aitken Page 0,34

to fight his feelings for a few days now and it was a fight he was losing—badly. For reasons he couldn’t even begin to explain, he was having feelings for Katie that were a whole lot different than just friends.

“Let’s get going.” He pulled himself away from Katie and hefted the last two bikes into the back of the truck before securing them and hopping down.

“Everyone else is going to meet us at the trail head. Logan, are you jumping in with us?”

Damon really hoped he would say no. Any chance he could get Katie alone when she didn’t have her head stuck in a book was a bonus. But of course, Logan nodded and the next thing he knew, the three of them were crammed into the front of his truck, which, as it turned out, wasn’t too bad because the length of Katie’s leg was pressed up against his.

With them both wearing sport shorts, they were skin to skin, and despite the fact that it was an innocent touch, Damon’s body reacted hard and fast. He forced himself not to look down at her lean, tanned thigh because he was pretty sure he wouldn’t be able to keep himself from touching it. From squeezing it possessively just to feel her beneath his hand.

Damn.

He needed to stop thinking about Katie that way. It was only going to drive him crazy if he let himself go too far down that path. She was his best friend. That was it. She was doing him a favor. An epically huge favor, but that’s all it was. A favor and he needed to remember that.

Damon did his best to concentrate on the road and the easy drive to the trail head where the others were already waiting. He kept himself busy unloading the bikes and handing out the helmets that Katie and Logan had dug up in their barn. It turned out they had what felt like an unlimited supply of bikes and gear, even if some of it was seriously outdated. Damon had looked on while Katie had given each bike a quick once-over to deem it good enough for an easy ride in the mountains. She gave out simple instructions to Sarah and Brody, who’d never ridden the trails before, and a quick refresher for Faith, who’d been living in the city too long. And the whole time he watched her, Damon couldn’t help but feel a rush of warmth towards her. She was really good at explaining things in a way that was both simple but not condescending, and she clearly had a passion for it. She was going to be crazy successful with her new business venture. Of that, he was completely certain.

“Okay, if everyone is ready, let’s get going.” Katie stood with a helmet under her arm and looked at everyone in turn. Her gaze landed on Damon last.

He couldn’t help but grin in a way that he could feel was totally goofy and ridiculous. He was proud of her and even though that felt ridiculous to admit, he couldn’t help it. He was.

“Logan, why don’t you lead, and I’ll bring up the rear for a bit?”

“Sounds good, sis.” Logan took off and everyone else fell into line behind him as Katie popped her helmet onto her head.

“Your turn,” she said to Damon, who was still watching her. She did a double take. “What?”

“Nothing.” He shook his head, but the grin on his face still wasn’t going anywhere. “I’m just really impressed.”

Her face turned a cute shade of pink as the blush crossed her face. “With what?”

“You.” He knew he shouldn’t, but he couldn’t help it, so he reached out to clip her bike helmet under her chin. “You’re a total natural at all of this. And you look damn good doing it.”

Her blush deepened as Damon let his fingers linger a little. What he really wanted to do was pull her close for a kiss. A real kiss. One that wasn’t for show, one that wasn’t for anyone’s benefit but theirs. Instead, he forced himself to pull back. “I guess I should get going or we’ll be too far behind.”

What. The. Actual. Fuck?

Katie tried to process what had just happened. Had Damon really just looked at her that way? Like he wanted to get her alone and— What did it mean? Did it mean anything?

No.

Of course it didn’t. He’d simply told her he was proud of her. They were best friends. That’s what best friends did.

But did