Page 17

CHAPTER 16

CLAY

TIGHT

I’m insane. I’ve seriously lost my damn mind.

I jog down the long driveway, enjoying the crisp, cool morning air against my skin and the sound of snow crunching under my running shoes. Ani runs steadily, heeling by my side with his snow boots keeping his paws warm.

We reach the end of the driveway and turn back towards the house, jogging back up the hill. Sure, our morning routine of running laps up and down the long driveway, even in the snow, might seem crazy. And yes, I’m wearing shorts because I like the feeling of the cold air on my achy joints. But that’s hardly crazy compared to what I did yesterday.

No. I’ve spent years building routine on top of routine, craving control over my life. I enjoy the very limited number of relationships I have to maintain and manage. Plus I love my space and having my privacy and solitude.

So yes, I must be crazy or maybe I suffered from a temporary moment of insanity.

I needed to make things right with Lizzy. It’s my fault she can’t stay in her condo.

But inviting her to stay here as long as it takes, to be in my space, is fucking crazy. Masochistically crazy.

She gets under my skin so damn easily when I see her in small doses. And I go and invite her to stay with me?

I need to stay focused with work because I’m clearly dropping the ball lately. I don’t need distractions.

“What the hell is wrong with me?” I mutter out loud between breaths. Ani quirks his head up at me and I snort a laugh .

After a couple more laps of thinking about that question, we head inside. I take Ani’s snow boots and my shoes off, putting them onto the tray next to the door. I flip on the lights and look around the kitchen and living room. I’m startled by the sound of pots and pans clattering on the floor.

Yep, I’m definitely a masochist.

On the floor, on her knees across the kitchen from me is Lizzy. She’s rummaging through one of the lower cabinets like a feral raccoon, whose contents are now scattered around her on the floor. She’s wearing some plaid sleep shorts and I can make out the curve of her ass and can’t look away from her toned legs.

Fuck. Me.

I can feel my blood pulsing through my body, but I don’t know if it’s from seeing her in this position or catching my breath from running. I clear my throat. “Can I help you?”

The clattering and clanging stops and she freezes in place. “Coffee.” Her voice is irritated but muffled because she’s still neck deep in the cabinet.

I stand there, looking around the kitchen, noticing all my other cabinets open. I can feel the vein in my forehead throbbing. This is the kind of shit that drives me mad. I can’t stand clutter and my things being out of order.

“There isn’t any,” I say, trying to hide my irritation. She shuffles away from the cabinet and looks over her shoulder at me. Her blue eyes stare at me like I have two heads.

“You don’t have coffee in this house or food for a sane person that doesn’t eat like a robot?”

I roll my eyes and snort a laugh, amused at the sight in front of me. I’ll give her this. She’s a wildcard.

“I feel like the answer to that is pretty obvious.”

She stares back at, raising her eyebrows and shaking her head at me, prompting me to explain .

“You’ve seen me almost every morning for the last few weeks buying coffee.” I gesture around the kitchen. “Clearly, I go out to get it.”

She sighs and hangs her head. “Of course, this house is too good to be true.” She stands and leans against the counter, crossing her arms just at the hem of her cropped t-shirt. I can’t stop staring at her. She’s wearing shorts with the waistband folded over showing off those hip bones. I suddenly want to reach out and grab her. With the way her arms prop her tits up, I have to look away before blood starts rushing to my cock. My running shorts definitely won’t do me any favors hiding that.

Masochist definitely sounds accurate right now. I’m into my brother’s fiancée’s best friend. She’s very off limits, but man she makes it hard when she’s in my damn house wearing that .

I walk over to the kitchen, slowly shutting cabinets and putting things away. “Next time, can you please wait for me to get back before you throw all my stuff around the kitchen?” My tone is rough and clipped. I don’t want to be mean, but I hate when my stuff is out of order and not where I expect it to be.

“Fine,” she groans. I reach her and lean against the counter next to her.

I look into those blue eyes, forcing her to crane her neck to meet mine. “Come on. Put some clothes on and I’ll take you for coffee and groceries.”

She rolls her eyes and tosses her head back and forth. “What’s wrong with my clothes?” Her lips curl into a smirk and points a finger at me, running it up and down. “You’re wearing basically the same thing.”

I groan and scowl at her. “Because my shorts don’t have half my ass hanging out and my shirt isn’t showing off my abs in the freezing cold. ”

She huffs a laugh. “Shame.” She turns away from me and flicks her ponytail, hitting me in the face with it. I watch, open mouthed as she saunters towards the hall to the bedrooms. “I’ll be right back.”

“Hurry up, princess.” I call back in a growl, glad she’s looking away as I watch her hips sway.

“You’re ridiculous. You know that, right?” I stand next to my truck, holding open the door and watch Lizzy practically have to jump out of the truck, kicking up a puff of snow when she hits the ground. “What? You said put on clothes and I did.”

When I said to change out of her pajamas, this isn’t what I had in mind. Pink leggings, a matching pink cropped sports top, a cropped hoodie, fluffy white earmuffs, and furry boots hardly seem practical with today's weather.

“Seriously? Do you own any tops that cover your stomach? You realize this is a ski town right and it’s still cold as hell?”

“Whatever. Don’t be such a baby. You were the one out running in shorts this morning. Come on, let’s go inside.”

She’s got me there.

When I walk into Finch, still in my running outfit, I see Hannah behind the counter. She cocks her head and gives me a curious smile, looking up at the clock and then back at me.

“I must be seeing things because you never break your routine,” she teases.

I grab the back of my neck. “Yeah, today isn’t routine.” Hannah laughs until Lizzy walks in the door and comes out from behind me, finding a seat at the counter against the window. Hannah’s eyes go wide and she grins .

“I think you already know Lizzy,” I say, my voice awkwardly ticking up a notch.

Lizzy waves from her seat to Hannah before turning to me. “I’ll take my usual.”

I nod and walk to the counter where Hannah is still sheepishly grinning at me. “What?”

“I don’t think I’ve seen you here with someone besides your sister or Kayleigh.” I palm my face and groan in frustration.

“No. It’s not like that. ” It’s too late and I can feel my cheeks start to heat with embarrassment, like I’m being caught redhanded by my sister or something.

“Ok, Clay.” She props herself up on the counter, still grinning. “So two nitros and her chocolate croissant?”

I nod and tap my card on the reader.

After grabbing our order, I walk over to Lizzy and sit next to her. She lifts her eyes from her phone and smiles wide when I set the coffee and food in front of her.

“Thank you!” She beams, grabbing the cold coffee and taking a way too eager gulp. She closes her eyes and exhales deeply. “Sorry about before. I am not a morning person. I definitely get hangry and snarky when I haven’t had coffee or food.”

“Really?” I prop myself up on one elbow and quirk an eyebrow at her. “I thought snarky was your thing twenty-four-seven.”

She rolls her eyes before taking a bite of her croissant, letting out the quietest whimper that sends blood straight below my waist again.

Jesus. What is it with her?

“These are so good,” she says, wiping a crumb off her lips. She eyes me again, but with curiosity this time. “So. Books. Romance books. Smutty romance books.” She looks like she’s about to burst from excitement, clearly ready to continue my misery.

“Yeah, and?” I answer, my tone shorter than I wanted it to be .

She holds a hand out, gesturing up and down at me again. “You, Mr. Tall, Gruff, and Grumpy, come in here, buy, read and collect smutty romance books?” She props herself up on her elbow, matching my pose, but tapping one very pink fingernail against those pouty lips, looking right back at me.

I groan. “Can we please not? I already told you.”

A soft giggle escapes her lips. “Nope, I feel like torturing you today after you flooded my condo. So, tell me more.”

I grab my coffee and take a long drink. “Well first, I already told you that I don’t like people. Books are fun and don’t let you down.” I take a deep breath, looking out the window at Main Street before turning back to Lizzy. “And second, like I said before, Utah has shitty porn laws and smutty novels are so much better. And lastly, I don’t really date.”

“You don’t seem like the type to have a problem finding a date, even with your scowls and charming disposition,” she says, smiling softly before looking back down at the counter. “You definitely had no issue picking me up at the bar.”

“You were an exception.” Her eyes meet mine, contemplating that statement before I chuckle.

“Seriously, how are you single? Employed, knows how to decorate, a sense of style, this .” She eyes me up and down.

I feel my jaw tense and my forehead crease. “I don’t need people. I’m fine by myself.”

She looks at me like she wants to pry more, but thankfully doesn’t.

“So, you were serious yesterday? I can stay with you as long as it takes to fix the condo?”

I slide my hand over, grabbing her drink and the croissant, getting her attention. She glares at my hand and then back at me. “I told you before. I promised I would make things right. I don’t take that lightly. So yes, you’re welcome as long as you need to stay.” I study her deep blue eyes, driving home my point .

“Fine,” she huffs before taking her drink and food back, carefully plucking them from my hands. “I’ll stay, even with your charming disposition . But I have one condition.” She taps her finger on her lip again, clearly pondering something. Oh my god, those pouty fucking lips. “Make that two conditions.”

“How are you so damn tight?” I chide, trying in vain to push her straight legs back towards her chest, stretching her hamstrings.

“I’m not tight. You’re just not strong enough,” she groans. Seriously, how did I get here today?

Dumb question. I know exactly how. I should have asked Lizzy for more details. Instead, I blindly agreed to her conditions.

Would I still have agreed knowing what I know now? Yes, but at least I would have tried to negotiate a better deal for myself.

Condition one: a coffee maker. Easy.

Condition two: helping her do her yoga on weeknights and weekend mornings. Not so easy.

As soon as we got back from the coffee shop, she wanted to dive right into it. And it’s definitely not easy, especially when it turned into me being pressed against her in every single suggestive way possible.

“You know, for someone that always wears matching yoga outfits, you suck at stretching.” I hold her legs there, watching as she folds her arms around the back of her thighs to hold the position.

“Very funny. I’m sure you’re as stiff as a board, Clay. I’d like to see you stretch.” That hit a little too close to home considering the situation in my shorts right now. But the joke’s on her .

“Move over." I kneel on the ground next to her, gesturing for her to get off the yoga mat.

Now, this should be fun.