The Summer I Fell (The Six Series) Read Online Free PDF Page B

When he let go of the waistband, he stood, putting his hands against the countertop, caging me in as his eyes sought mine. I could see his pupils dilate. The vein in his neck stood out, pulsing in time with his heartbeat. His jaw flexed once, and then again, as he stepped forward, lining his body up with mine.
    He leaned in, and I closed my eyes on a quick intake of breath. A bolt of electricity zipped through me when I felt his nose brush against mine, and I waited. Would he kiss me? My lips tingled as he drew in a deep breath, making it feel like he’d pulled every bit of oxygen from the air around us. His hand came up, cupping my neck with fingers. They were warm and rough against my skin. The catch in my breath stalled him, and I found myself reaching out to grab a fistful of his shirt as I trembled. Ace’s hand slipped from the counter to my hip. I tilted my lips close enough that they barely touched his. He shuddered as his lips moved lightly against mine with the barest hinted whisper of touch. It wasn’t a kiss—it was torture.
    “Yo, Ace!” Jared yelled down the hallway. “We got a fire goin’. How many hot dogs y’all want?”
    Ace jerked back and dropped his hands. “I’m sorry… I don’t know why I did that. I shouldn’t have done that.” His voice was a hoarse whisper. His words, while apologetic, sent a knife through my heart. Ace didn’t want me. He was just being a typical guy.
    I turned my back on him and grabbed my jeans, using the excuse of folding them to look away and give him his escape. I cursed myself for being such an idiot. Ace had seen me almost naked. He was only reacting like any other hormone-driven guy and when he realized what he’d started, he’d shut down when reality crashed in on us. Or I should say, when Jared’s big-ass mouth opened and reminded us of who we were and where we were. The kick in the ass of it was that we’d left the door wide open. Anyone could have walked in on us while Ace helped me get my pants on.
    “Ace, what the hell, man? Is everything okay? Is Riley okay?” The tone in Jared’s voice changed as he jogged down the hallway.
    I didn’t want to face Jared after what had happened, or really, what hadn’t happened with Ace, so I grabbed a washcloth from the cabinet behind me and moved around Ace to get to the sink. He backed up to put some room between us and shoved his hands in his pockets, putting his head down so I couldn’t see his face. Jared came to sliding halt, as he grabbed the doorframe. His eyes darted between Ace and me, taking in the scene.
    “Is everything okay?”
    I turned the sink on and wet the washcloth, giving him a smile in the mirror. “Everything’s fine. I just wanted to wash my face, Mr. Impatient.”
    Jared rolled his eyes and stepped into the bathroom. Putting his hand on my shoulder, he forced me to turn around. When I did, he bit back a wince as he grabbed the washcloth from my hand, wiping the cool cloth along the cut under my eye. I hissed at the contact.
    Before I could say anything, Ace pushed off the wall. “She can do that herself, ya know.”
    It sounded harsh coming from him. The Six always joked, argued, and grumbled at each other, but his tone was one I’d never heard him use before on his friends. Jared’s eyes darted to look over my shoulder. His mouth kicked up at the corner before he answered, “The rules have changed, brother.”
    Ace swore under his breath and stormed out of the bathroom.
    I caught Jared’s wrist and stepped back from him. “What was that about?”
    Jared chuckled. “Ace doesn’t like his own rules.” He shrugged and handed the washcloth back to me with a wink. “Hurry up. We got a fire rollin’ and dogs on.”
    He walked out before I could reply.
    I took a few minutes longer to collect myself. It wasn’t very often I had a moment of peace with the Six around. They hovered whether they realized it or not, and all that testosterone at once could be suffocating. I ran the