Under my palm, I can feel his heart racing. “Your heart beat?”
“We’re going through that can’t-get-enough-of-each-other relationship phase right now, Ry.”
“Ugh, I hate those couples,” I mumble and crinkle my nose. My eyes move up to his when I hear his deep laugh.
“Being around you makes my heart race, and I know yours does the same.” Colton smiles at me and continues, “Sometimes it’s so loud that I think people in New Hampshire can hear you.”
I hit his chest. “The sound of my heart beat does not cross state lines.”
“What I’m trying to say,” the grip on my waist tightens, “is that this is completely new to both of us. I’ve never felt this strong of a pull to someone before, and I don’t want us to get ahead of ourselves here.”
“I trust you,” I whisper.
He reaches up and traces my lower lip with his thumb. I part my lips as I stare up at him. As he is watching my mouth, I flick my tongue out and brush it along my lip. He exhales and shakes his head, taking a small step back. “You’re beautiful, Ryanne.”
“I’m a mess right now.” I don’t know how he can think I look beautiful at this moment. The hand on my lip falls to my side as he takes another step back.
“You’re always beautiful.”
“I think those gorgeous green eyes of yours need glasses,” I tell him. He disagrees with me but doesn’t say anything because he knows that I’ll have a retort.
“Take your shower. I’ll go keep Olive company.” He helps me off of the counter and walks out of the bathroom.
Closing the door behind him, I quickly undress and step into the shower. Letting the hot water cascade down on me, I let my mind wander. Dravin attacked me with truth serum, and I puked my guts out, but Colton stayed with me. In sickness and in health, I guess. Even this morning, when I was in desperate need of a good scrubbing, he still wanted to kiss me…to be near me. How did I get so lucky?
After I finish rinsing the conditioner out of my hair, I turn the water off, grab a towel off the rack, and step out of the shower. I clean the steam off the mirror and run another towel through my hair. I scrunch the ends a little even though I know that it will curl anyway. When my hair is dry enough, I get dressed and walk out of the bathroom. The room is empty, so I make my way downstairs.
“Hey sleeping beauty, feeling better this morning?” Logan asks me. I smile over at him; I’ve grown to love that nickname.
“Much better actually. Just a little hungry,” I tell him as I walk into the kitchen. Colton is standing at the stove. Liam, David, Bragden, Natalie, and Emma are all sitting at the table, eating breakfast.
I wave at everyone as I walk over to Colton. “What are you doing?” Turning off the stove, he hands me a plate with a hot omelet on it.
“Making you breakfast.” I look down at the plate and back up to him. He pushes the plate toward me. Normally, I wouldn’t have taken the food, but I am very hungry right now. I stand on my tiptoes and kiss him on the cheek.
“Thank you.”
As I sit down at the table, Emma turns to David and asks, “How come you never make me breakfast?” She shakes her head and looks over toward Natalie and says, “I knew I picked the wrong brother.” Resting her head onto her hands, Emma leans across the table and winks at Colton.
“Hey now,” I say to Emma. She just laughs at me but continues her conversation with Natalie. I start to eat the omelet because it has cooled enough. I didn’t know Colton could cook. The omelet has cheese melted in the middle with diced green peppers, tomatoes, and spinach sprinkled throughout. So simple, but so good. However, at this point, I could have eaten tree bark, and it probably would have tasted good. I finish off the omelet and place the plate in the sink.
The sink is full of dishes again, and I hate leaving a sink full of dishes. I start rinsing off the plates that are left in the sink and put them in the dishwater. Emma and Natalie come up behind me and help. The more hands we have, the quicker we’ll get this done. I can hear the guys laughing behind us. I don’t think I want to know what they are laughing about.
Emma splashes Natalie and me with water. We squeal and jump back. I smile at her and make it start sprinkling above her. Eh, we were almost done with the dishes, so I laugh and run out of the room before she can retaliate. She screams as it starts steadily raining above her. Natalie is sitting on the ground below the sink, laughing at Emma. All the guys at the table are facing them, laughing. Pulling my magic back in, I make the rain stop. She spits water out and turns toward me. In the doorway, I smile and wave at her, putting on my innocent expression. She laughs and starts shaking her head before leaving the kitchen and slowly walking upstairs. Liam gets up and helps Natalie off the ground. She is still laughing but accepts his hand and lets him pull her up. I walk back into the kitchen. “I think she forgot that I don’t need a faucet to get people wet.”