Chapter 31

Cherisse

WAKING UP NEXT TO KEIRAN was weird but nice. A trivial word for the fluttering in her stomach and the thudding in her chest, but it was all she could muster at the moment. Cherisse allowed herself to just look and drink in every bit of his face, so serene in sleep. That mouth that had infuriated her countless times but was oh so inviting. She’d wanted to slap the grin off his face so many times, but then she’d allowed him to kiss her, and that mouth became a tantalizing thing.

That delicious, mind-whirling kiss.

How did she get here?

She should be hustling him out of the room before the others came knocking or teasing him awake for a morning quickie to make up for last night’s aborted booty call. Yet, she kept mapping every bit of his face, a foolish grin on her lips.

“Now who’s watching who sleep?”

He stirred and opened his eyes, and Cherisse froze. They stared at each other for several seconds—Cherisse becoming increasingly aware that she’d never washed off her makeup last night, and it probably looked a smeared mess. The slow sweep he did of her body also reminded her that she was still in her underwear.

He carefully propped himself up and yawned. “Hi.”

“Hi.”

“Do you remember what we talked about last night?”

Of course, she did. But she understood his careful question. She’d been tipsy and had felt brave enough to speak her mind, even though she’d couched it all in the confessions game. For him, last night may have seemed like a drunken confession that didn’t hold any weight in the light of the day.

“I remember you owe me an invite to your mother’s pizza,” she said because how could she not tease when he looked so adorably sleep-rumpled? There was a line on his cheek from the pillow, and Cherisse thought it was the cutest thing.

She hadn’t felt this in a long while, this feeling of falling, of finding the littlest things about that person so cute, she almost couldn’t stand it.

“I remember it all, Keiran,” she assured him after a moment of silence. “And I meant what I said about you and me. I also remember what you trusted me with, and I won’t betray that.” She placed her hand over her heart. “Scout’s honor.”

His eyes dipped to her chest, where her lacy bra wasn’t hiding much, and his gaze heated.

“We don’t have time.” She didn’t have a clue of the time—where was her phone?—but it was best they didn’t try anything. No telling when the others would come a-knocking for breakfast before checking out.

“I know. I should go anyways.”

“Yeah.”

Neither of them made a move.

“I need to wash my face. My skin is crying for help after not washing this off last night and doing my routine,” she said the same time he said, “There’s something I need to tell you,”