Page 9 of Unbearable

CHAPTER 3

Bailey watchedFox from a relatively hidden spot under one of the tall trees near the entrance to the petting zoo. She knew he brought Ethan here most Saturdays when he was free.

She drank him in. The shaggy brown hair that always hung a little too long. The luminous green eyes that saw right into her soul. And then there was the body that wouldn’t stop. He had muscles that came directly from working in a labor-intensive job. No need for him to hit the gym.

For an entire long year, she had lusted after Fox Addams. But he was her sister’s boyfriend. It wasn’t right to want what your sister had.

She knew it could never be anything more than friendship between them. But that didn’t stop her dreams from being filled with him. If only she had met him first. However, her sister would have already stolen him away by now. She believed in the sister code. Her sister did not.

As if he could sense she was watching him, his eyes rose from where they were watching Ethan pet a goat to hers under the tree. She’d been busted.

It wasn’t her worst offense. She had once been caught staring at the front of his swimsuit at the beginning of summer. He hadgrinned, and she had burned a color similar to a firetruck. It was humiliating. It wasn’t like she was fifteen anymore. She was almost thirty for fuck’s sake.

He leaned over to Ethan, said something in his ear, then turned to saunter toward her. She should be mortified after being caught spying on him. All she was, though, was sad time couldn’t slow down.

It seemed a shame not to have more time to appreciate how his strong thighs propelled him forward. How his pecs bunched as his arms swung at his sides. The dimples that always appeared when he smiled.

“Hey,” he said, reaching her. He turned so he could keep an eye on Ethan. “What are you up to?”

“Oh, nothing. I was just driving by and noticed your truck in the parking lot.” That wasn’t a total lie. She had noticed his truck, but only after driving all the way to the park.

“Come join us,” he said.

“What if Brooke shows up?”

“Brooke never comes here,” he answered. “She claims the smell upsets her allergies. Come on.” He took her hand and pulled her out from under the tree.

She made it a point to never touch him if possible. It made her body tingle all over when she did. Her heart rate would also accelerate to the point of explosion status. Lately, it had become harder to avoid it. Like now.

He gave her no warning, just grabbed her hand. He even interlaced their fingers together like lovers. She giggled at the thought.

“Are you okay?” he asked, looking back at her.

“Yes. Just a tickle in my throat.” She made a big deal out of clearing her throat to prove it. Because almost thirty-year-old women did not giggle at their sister’s boyfriend holding their hand. She just needed to keep telling herself that.

“Mmm,” he said with a smile.

“Aunt Bailey,” Ethan squealed.Dodged that bullet,she thought, pulling her hand from his. “Come meet the baby goat.” She exchanged Fox’s cool, rough hand for Ethan’s sweaty, small one. “Its name is Buttercup.”

“It is?” she asked. Turning to look at Fox over her shoulder, she mouthed “save me.” He just smiled as she was dragged into the pen. She was then dragged through the pen with the rabbits, the one with the calves, and finally the one with llamas. They were Ethan’s favorite and her least favorite.

“Hey, sport. You pet the llamas, and Aunt Bailey and I will be right over there on the bench,” Fox finally said, pulling her out of the pen.

“Thank you,” she said, sitting down.

“Still not a llama fan?”

“Still not really a barnyard animal fan.”

“Fair,” he answered, his eyes still glued to Ethan. She admired how protective he was of her nephew. If he was like this as only the boyfriend, how would he act if Ethan was his? In the short time she had known him, she had had brief glimpses of how hard he worked to protect everyone within his sphere. “Not a lot of barnyard animals around growing up in Everett, huh?”

“No, not really.” They stood in silence for a moment watching Ethan sit on the ground with a tiny goat on his lap. “I can make an exception though where Ethan is concerned.”

For the briefest moment, he turned to smile at her. It took her breath away. He was handsome anyway, but it was a whole other level when he smiled.

“Thanks again for picking him up last night.”

“It’s no problem.” They lapsed back into silence again. It was always awkward with Fox. She felt like they were right on the verge of saying something important, but neither ever did. There was no question what held them back. It was always the elephantin the room when they were alone together. Brooke. “I should probably go.”