Chapter 3

Amber.

Stay focused, Amber.

To be honest, it was hard to stay focused when a literal Greek god was sitting merely six inches away from me.

The point where our knees touched buzzed with static, and every breath I took pulled in the clean scent of his body wash mixed with something darker, warmer—pure male. It went straight between my legs.

When he'd mentioned the shower and the bed just now… fuck. Images flooded me: Trevor above me, sweat-slicked, those green eyes locked on mine as he gripped gray sheets.

No. No. Bad Amber.

I could feel his gaze burning holes in the side of my head, but I stared fixedly ahead at where Reese was chopping green onions onto two steaming bowls of noodles.

“For you,” she said, sliding one plate across to me and the other to Trevor, “and for you. Eat and forget all that shitty plane food.”

“This looks amazing, Reese.” I said. The aroma of the spices and the oil floating on top of the rich broth had my mouth watering.

Trevor didn't even say a word, instantly digging into his food. I'd barely taken a few bites before I was staring openly at him again, watching as the muscles of his throat worked to swallow the food. I watched as he wrapped his full lips around the chopsticks, his tongue darting out to catch a few stray drops of broth. Something glinted as he did that, and I had to squint a bit to…

Oh my—was that a tongue piercing?

Heat pooled low in my belly, and my thighs pressed together under the counter.

Reese cleared her throat softly beside me, and I quickly turned back to my own meal, slurping it down without really tasting anything.

"Thanks panda." Trevor said to Reese shortly after, and I turned to see his bowl clean.

“Panda?” I raised an eyebrow.

“Papa used to call me that a lot when I was little, and Trevor still won't let it go." She explained, shooting me a knowing look before turning to her cousin, “Glad you liked it.”

I finished my food in silence, choosing to ignore Reese and her wiggling eyebrows. I knew she knew exactly what was going on, but I'd be damned if I admitted anything.

After washing up, Trevor went back to his room, while I headed to Reese's.

“So you really have to go?” I asked her.

"I have to go, babe. Those photos won't deliver themselves, and there's that other package I need to pick up." She replied, doing the buttons on her coat.

“The forecast predicted heavy snow later today.” I reminded her.

"And I'll be in and out before the storm, easy peasy." Finishing up with her coat, she grabbed the photo frames from where they sat against the wall.

"You'll be fine, girl. There's food, books, and Netflix, and besides, Trevor's here.” She said, doing the eyebrow thing again.

“That's exactly what I'm worried about.” I groaned, burying my face into a pillow.

“What was that?” She asked mischievously.

Knowing I wasn't winning this war of words, I resigned. "I guess you win. Just stay safe out there, okay? If possible, try to get home before the storm."

"I will." she replied, leaving the room. “I'll keep you updated.

“Share your location!” I called out as I heard the apartment door close.

With a dramatic sigh, I left her bedroom. The living room was empty, with Trevor probably asleep in his bedroom. The clicks that echoed as I secured the locks on the apartment door seemed to carry a finality I couldn't explain.

“I guess it's me and the devil now,” I thought to myself, leaning back on the front door for a few seconds. It was early evening, I had nothing to do and was very likely to be stuck in this apartment with my best friend's insanely hot cousin.

What exactly could go wrong?

Deciding to go and let Trevor know that Reese had gone out and probably wouldn't be back till tomorrow morning, I made my way to his bedroom, my throat going dry at the sight that greeted me.

Holy. Fuck.

He was sprawled on his back, totally shirtless, with one tattooed hand flung over his forehead and the other lying on his pillow. His shorts had slid dangerously low on his hips, revealing deep V-cut muscles I really wanted to trace with my tongue. The deep grooves of his abs cast shadows onto the tattoos decorating his torso, his chest rose and fell with every deep breath he took. And those nipples… definitely pierced.

My panties were officially ruined.

I shamelessly let my gaze drift lower, wondering what other surprises he might be hiding. The room was dim, lit only by the city lights and the soft glow of string lights from the living room. If I stared hard enough…

A soft sound escaped him, and my heart slammed against my ribs as his hand twitched. I yanked the door shut and fled to the living room, my cheeks burning and an intense pulse throbbing between my legs.

Way to stay focused, Amber.