Depended on whether or not they were ready to kill each other by the time they got here, but I nodded. “Any room works, really.”
“How about this one?” He strolled down the hall, stopping between the last two. The room he normally stayed in was directly across the hall. I couldn’t help but think he’d hear anyone who came in and out of this room. Not that I’d have any traffic.
Him on the other hand? I sighed. It would be like a bus stop.
When I nodded again, he nudged the door open and headed in, placing my suitcase on the deep brown bedspread. “I was thinking about heading down to the main lodge to get dinner. You want to come with?”
It would probably be a good idea for me to stay back and give him space, but I was hungry and I…well, I wanted to spend time with him. “Sure. When do you want to head down?”
“In about an hour or so.” Kyler headed for the door and stopped, glancing back at me. He looked like he was about to say something, but then his lips tilted up in a half-smile as his hand tightened around the strap on his oversized duffel bag. “See you then.”
I waited until he’d shut the door behind him before I dropped onto the bed and stared up at the wooden beams. I really needed to cut this shit out. I’d made it this long without letting my attraction get in the way. This week couldn’t be any different—I couldn’t risk destroying our friendship. Lusting after Kyler was only going to end one way: a broken heart.
And a whole lot of sexual frustration.
Chapter 5
Sydney
After dragging my stupid butt off the bed, I opened my suitcase and dug out my toiletries. In the bathroom that was the size of my dorm room, I freshened up the best I could. I wanted to take a shower, but my hair was way too long and heavy to go through the annoying drying process again.
While I untied the pigtails, I noted there would be no need for blush. My cheeks were still flushed and my eyes a bit too big as I threaded my fingers through the links. Freeing one braid completely, I leaned forward as I moved onto the other side, staring at my face. Was that a zit popping up on my chin?
I sighed. Why not? Perfect.
A splattering of freckles covered the bridge of my nose, and my lips were grossly bare. They needed some color. My best feature—or at least what my mom always told me—was my eyes. They were a bright shade of blue that stood out against my dark lashes and hair.
Finishing with the braids, I shook my head, happy to discover that my hair fell in tousled waves down my back instead of looking like I’d taken a crimper to it. I rummaged in the makeup bag, pulling out a tube of mascara and lipstick. After a few swipes, I went back to the bedroom and started toeing off my boots. If I couldn’t shower, then I could at least put something fresh on.
After yanking out all the clothes I’d brought with me, which was way too much for a week, I realized I didn’t have anything remotely sexy with me. A bunch of jeans and sweaters. There was a cami that I could wear under a cardigan, but I’d freeze my ass off in that. Then again, I really didn’t own anything sexy. And seriously, who was I trying to impress?
Kyler, whispered an evil, bitchy voice.
That evil voice wasn’t helping.
Pulling off my jeans, I left them on the floor and tugged the bulky sweater off, letting it join the messy heap. Standing on the tips of my toes, I held up a pair of dark skinny jeans. These could be cute with a turtleneck. Not that the evil, bitchy voice in my head was right or anything. There could be a hot ski instructor at the lodge for all I knew and maybe my bedroom would turn into a train station instead of a bus stop and I—
The bedroom door suddenly opened. “Tanner just called. He said…”
My heart stopped and the jeans fell from my suddenly boneless fingers. Oh, my God…I couldn’t even think. I just stared at Kyler. There I was, standing in my bra and panties. Couldn’t forget the knee-high snowman socks, because they provided oh-so much coverage.
Both of us were frozen, struck absolutely immobile by my nakedness. Time stopped, and kyler…he kept staring at me. I couldn’t remember the last time he saw me naked or at least half-naked. Not since I’d developed breasts, probably, and they weren’t much to stare at. Someone once said more than a mouthful was a waste, but I sincerely believed that saying was made up by girls with small breasts like me just to make ourselves feel—oh dear God, my brain needed to shut up.
Heat infused my cheeks and traveled down my neck and then even further south, to the edges of the white lace, because Jesus H. Christ, I couldn’t have been wearing something sexier than a white bra and striped boy shorts.
Fuck. Me.
And those were the worst two words to even think, because now I was thinking about that, and Kyler was still staring at me like he’d never seen a chick in bra and panties before, which I knew was so not the case. But he was staring at me in a way I had to be completely imagining after years of hopeless wishing, because there was a heat in his eyes, an intensity that felt like a caress against my flushed skin. My lips parted as my pulse sped up, pounding through every point in my body.
He stared like the way he’d said Paul stared at me.
Kyler had never looked at me like that.
The muscles in my tummy tightened and there was sharp sensation snaking down my spine. My knees felt wobbly.
“Jesus.”
His voice was a hard explosion that jarred common sense into me. I dove toward the bed, yanking an oversize sweater off it and holding it to my front. “Don’t you know how to knock?”
He thrust his fingers through his hair. “Shit.”
I stared at him, my entire body burning for two different reasons. Shit? That’s all he had to say? Not ‘Baby, I want to lick your body’ or ‘Ew, cover that shit up.’ At least with that last one, the word ‘shit’ became a viable part of a sentence.
And then Kyler laughed—laughed so hard I thought he was going to physically hurt himself. “I’m sorry,” he gasped out. “But you should see the look on your face.”
My mouth dropped open. “Get out.”