Lotus by Jennifer Hartmann

Author:Jennifer Hartmann [Hartmann, Jennifer]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-04-19T16:00:00+00:00

Watching Oliver transition into tipsy territory has been an amusing development that has kept my smile in place all evening. I had been reluctant to leave his side, but once the eggnog kicked in, Oliver found his footing and his confidence… and Uncle Rory.

Luckily, Oliver looks glued in on the tale I’ve heard recapped approximately eight-million times throughout my life. I don’t pick up on any distress signals, so I give him his space, observing from afar and sipping on my own cocktail, letting the alcohol warm me.

That warmth turns into white-hot heat when Oliver meets my gaze from across the room. He sensed me. He felt my eyes on him.

Uncle Rory keeps blathering away, not noticing the fact that Oliver has zoned out of the conversation and is having an entirely separate one with me from ten feet away. It’s silent and wordless, our eyes doing the talking. I have no idea what mine are saying, but I sure as hell know what his are saying, and it causes me to clamp my thighs together as my center throbs and tingles in response.

Oliver takes a slow sip of his beverage, his stare still hot and unwavering. The alcohol is making him bolder—this much is obvious. He’s never held my gaze so long; so unabashed. So unapologetic.

Fuck, I need a breather.

Pulling a small smile onto my lips, I quickly turn away and head up the stairs to hide out in my old bedroom while I collect my bearings. Confusion and alarms are fusing with a potent attraction I can’t seem to ignore any longer, and I’m being torn in two different directions. Logic and reason beg me to retreat, terrified to taint our friendship and turn it into something we can never come back from.

Casual sex is one thing, but my relationship with Oliver is anything but casual.

It’s everything.

The risk of permanent damage is too great, and I refuse to cross that line.

Closing the door behind me, I pace over to the dresser and lean forward, palms down, trying to slow my heartbeats to a more manageable rate. I press one hand to my chest and close my eyes, centering my breathing until it settles and a calm washes over me.

The click of a door latch pops my head up, causing my heart to dance erratically once again when I spot Oliver standing in the doorway with those same flame-filled eyes I saw downstairs. “Hi,” I croak out, clearing the hitch in my throat.

He shuts the door behind him and moves toward me, his steps heavy with purpose. “Hello.”

Turning to fully face him, hip propped against the dresser, I slick my tongue across my lips. “Sorry to abandon you. I just needed a minute.”

“Are you all right?”

Concern twists at his features, melting me. “I’m fine. The crowd was getting to me.”

“I haven’t upset you, have I?”

My tender smile and quick shake of my head has Oliver softening with relief, his proximity closing in on me. “Of course not.”

“Good.” He returns the smile, just as tender, maybe even a little timid.

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