Page 72 of Dear Future Husband

He scrubbed a hand over his face and jaw like he was desperately trying to wake himself from a trance. “Nope, just wanted to check in on you. You hungry? Bear is making breakfast; I can tell him to cook you something.”

I swallowed, bobbing my head up and down, flirting with the idea of asking him what he was thinking. Or even better, just accidentally letting my towel fall from my hands, see how he handled that.

“Yes, thank you,” I said instead, smiling like a little devil with the ideas twirling around in my head.

He narrowed his eyes. His hand took up a spot on the door frame above my head as he leaned in delightfully close. “What’s going on in that pretty head of yours, May?”

I held his eyes with mine, not letting my smile waver as I shrugged. “Just thinking about how you might react if my towel just…slipped.” I popped my lips with the pronunciation and his eyes went ablaze.

That was my answer. He’d react in the best, most sensational way.

Trey bent down into my space, lips brushing by my ear. “Why don’t you and see what happens?”

Didn’t have to tell me twice.

I was ready to let the cloth fall, to kiss him with no barriers. Just skin on glorious skin. My fingers twitched and taunted with the temptation when a loud fist pounded on the bedroom door.

I jumped back, hands painfully latching to my towel.

“Turner, Maybelle. Bear has breakfast ready. Get your asses out here,” Larson bellowed from the other side of the door.

“Go to hell, Chad,” Trey growled back, and I couldn’t help giggling.

Larson replied with a curious, “Okay?” And a couple of mumbled remarks we couldn’t hear as his loud retreating footsteps echoed down the hall.

Trey faced me again. His features were tight as he put both hands on either side of the door frame and took full inventory of me still standing under him, trembling from the rush.

“Where were we?” he asked, and I smirked.

“I was about to get dressed and you’re expected for breakfast.”

His brows furrowed with obvious disappointment, lips rolling together. “Right.”

We remained like that for a beat. Like we could soak up every detail of the tension-filled moment as we both gave each other one last once over.

Me, with an overly sweet smile, shut the door and Trey, with a hand raking through his messy hair, left the room.

About a half hour later, my hair was a dry, frizzy mane that curled down past my hips.

I needed a haircut.

I walked up to the bathroom mirror to inspect my outfit in the reflection. I brought jean shorts for my outfit, not thinking about my already scuffed up knees and how they were super red and angry looking now. I considered wearing a pair of leggings instead, but it was too hot, and it would drag down the top I wore special for Trey.

I cleaned up my knees best I could, came up with a story about them being rug burns from falling in physical therapy. Then I headed out the door to the kitchen, which smelt like what I imagined the wordhometo smell like. A warm, buttery, cinnamon, vanilla and citrus combination that wrapped its comforting embrace around your senses and welcomed you in to stay.

Trey was sitting at the counter with Larson, while Bear was in a black apron whipping up pancakes with his back to me. When I exited the hallway, Larson was the first to notice and, by his growing smirk, I’d done well with my outfit choice.

Bear turned to face me, giving me the perfect view of the scrawl across the front of the apron that read,Mr. Good Looking is cooking. He grinned, one hand holding a pan of pancakes while the other held a spatula.

“Good morning. I love the team pride you got going on.”

At Bear’s acknowledgment of me, Trey finally turned to see me, and his reaction was everything I’d hoped for. His eyes were wide. A muscle in his jaw ticked while hismerciless gaze roamed up my exposed legs to the SDU football jersey Chelsea had fished out of his closet at home for me. It was his first season jersey that had his name printed across the back and his number thirty-three.

I spun to show off the name and number on the back, ecstatic with Trey’s focus on my every move.

“You guys like it?”

Larson and Bear both peered over at Trey, who was still silent, shamelessly gawking at me.