Page 41 of Control Freak

My heart fluttered, and I barely resisted the urge to nudge him with my shoulder. I never realized how touchy I was until I couldn’t reach out and communicate the warmth Holden stoked inside me.

“I like being here,” I said lightly. “But I should probably start looking for a place to rent if I’m not going back to St. Louis anytime soon.”

He whipped his head toward me. “Why?”

“This was supposed to be a few days to regroup. I can’t just stay indefinitely.” My shoulders crept up. “But I can’t really go home, can I?”

I still had my apartment there, and I’d have to pack up my things and move them—without catching Brick and Curtis’s attention. I really should have thought through all these details before I ran off into the night with Holden, but I’d been so scared.

His eyes softened. “There’s no rush, Shiloh. You’ve been under a lot of stress. Just…take some time.”

“I can’t ask you to sleep on an air mattress much longer,” I protested.

He shrugged a shoulder. “I’ve suffered a lot worse.”

“I don’t want you to suffer at all. Not because of me.”

His lips quirked. “Well, having you here is worth a little backache.”

I huffed, tossing my butter knife into the sink. “I knew you weren’t as comfortable as you pretended. You need to trade with me and let me sleep on the floor tonight.”

“I’m fine, Shy.”

“No,” I said flatly. “You’re not the only one who gets to care about someone’s comfort. This is your house and your bed, and I refuse to keep it all to myself.”

Holden paused in building another sandwich. “You feel strongly about this.”

“Yes. I know you want me to be comfortable, but I want the same for you.”

He nodded. “Okay. We’ll trade tonight.”

My shoulders relaxed, making me aware of how tense I’d grown. I’d pressed so hard on a sandwich I’d squished it. “Damn. I’ll eat this one.”

Holden picked it up and took a big bite out of it, chewing with a delighted hum.

I snatched it from his hand. “You don’t get to fix everything for me, Holden! This is exactly what I was talking about.”

He laughed as he picked up a different sandwich to eat. “Okay. Geez. You’re not going to let me be a controlling bastard. Got it.”

“You’re not a bastard,” I mumbled around a mouthful of bread, mayo, ham, and swiss. “Just a controlling…sweetheart.”

He rolled his eyes, but a smile spread across his face. “You’re going to make me blush.”

“Wouldn’t be the first time,” I teased.

He shook his head. “Dear god, I hope my brothers never hear this.”

“Too late!” Bailey called behind us. “Also, gross. I don’t even want to think about why making lunch has taken so long.”

Holden finished off his sandwich as I turned and winked at Bailey.

“They call it sandwich art, and you can’t rush art, sweetie pie. What else would we possibly be doing?” I batted my eyelashes innocently.

Bailey blushed and ducked his head. Oh yeah, I knew how to handle that one.

“Don’t flirt with my brother,” Holden grumbled as Bailey rubbed self-consciously at his red cheek.

I chuckled. “Oh honey, this isn’t flirting. I’d think you, of all people, would know the difference.”