Wyatt
“Holy shit,” I mumbled. I adjusted myself as I made my way to the kitchen.
Sadie had looked sexy. I shook my head in complete and utter confusion as I thought about what I’d just seen. She’d been wearing a black thong that left absolutely nothing to the imagination. She had an ass unlike any I’d seen on a woman before, and I certainly hadn’t expected that in my best friend. And that bra! Damn, I was going hard just thinking about it. Her nipples had been hard and poking through the thin material. I swallowed hard as I made my way into the kitchen. She had looked sexier than I’d ever seen her before.
What the hell was going on? I was pissed off that she was wearing those things. Not because I didn’t like them. I loved them. But I didn’t want to see them on her, and I certainly didn’t want any other man seeing her in them. She was too innocent and sweet, and I knew that she wanted love so badly that she could very well end up in a bad situation.
And any guy who saw her looking like that? Well, they wouldn’t be as strong as me. They wouldn’t be able to resist the goods she had on offer. They’d want to take her. And knowing Sadie, she’d think it was because they were in love with her when all they wanted would be to fuck her. I was going to have to talk some sense into her.
“Hey, what’s up?” Chet looked up from the kitchen table where he was reading a newspaper.
“What are you doing in here? It’s late.”
“Yeah. I just figured I’d spend some time in the kitchen.” He flipped a page of the newspaper. “You know, in case anyone needed something.”
“In case anyone needed something?” I raised an eyebrow at him. “What are you talking about?”
“I don’t know. In case Eloise or Arya got lost or something.”
“In case Eloise or Arya got lost at nine o’clock at night in our house?” I stared at him. “Really, Chet?”
“What? I’m just trying to be helpful.” He folded the newspaper and stood up. “They’re our guests, and I want to make sure that they have everything that they need.”
“So you just figured you’d sit in the kitchen reading.” I looked at the paper. “The Wall Street Journal? What the what?”
“Shut up, Wyatt.” He punched me in the shoulder. “Anyway, I’m going to my room.”
“Okay, then.”
“Why are you in here?”
“I’m just going to get me a beer and a beer for Sadie.”
“Oh, she’s staying over again?
“Yep. We’re going to watch a movie or something.”
“In your bedroom?” He raised an eyebrow. “Really?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You guys are watching a movie, or you guys are making a movie?” He chuckled.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You know what I mean. The sort of movie you wouldn’t want to find on the internet.” He winked at me.
“What?” I thought for a second, and then I realized what he was talking about. “Chet Hamilton, you’re such a douche bag. No, Sadie and I are not making a fucking porno movie.” But even as I said the words, I could feel myself growing hard at the thought.
“Eh, well, if it’s not you, it’ll be someone else.”
“Chet! That’s not even funny. Don’t even look at Sadie. Do you hear me?”
He held his hands up quickly. “It’s not me you need to worry about, bro. Every guy in town wants to get with Sadie Johnson. She’s the most beautiful woman around.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Dude, Sadie was always a pretty thing, and now she’s absolutely gorgeous.” He shook his head. “Plus she’s a cowgirl, she knows how to work a farm, she knows how to shoot a gun and fish and hike and hunt. She’s the perfect woman.”
“Whatever.” I sighed. “Don’t say that around her, please. I do not want that going to her head.”
“What? You don’t want her to know that there’s a long line of men that want to be with her?”
“Dude, she doesn’t need to get married anytime soon. She’s only 25 years old.”
“Oh, my God, Wyatt. You’re so stupid. You know that, right?”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“If you want her, then you need to make a move, and I suggest you make it fast.”
“What are you talking about? She’s my best friend. I don’t want her.”
“Yeah. Your best friend is in your bedroom, sitting on your bed or in your bed so that you can watch a movie together. Like, come on, dude. You’re twenty-five years old, not five. I mean, it wasn’t even cute when you were fifteen, let alone now.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Dude, you sleeping with a beautiful woman in your bed. You don’t wake up with a hard-on?” He stared at me. “Seriously, are you straight?”
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean, Chet? Of course, I’m straight.” I said to him and shook my head. “Sadie is my best friend, and I don’t look at her like that. She is a girl, but I don’t consider her a woman in that sense of the word.”
I flashed back to her, standing in my room in her bra and panties, and swallowed hard. That had been true up until this evening. Now I couldn’t get the image of her sexy body out of my mind. Fuck. I didn’t know what I was going to do, but at least she had on a t-shirt and boxers now, so it wasn’t like she’d be flashing me in that sexy bra and barely-there underwear again.
“I think you know exactly what I mean, Wyatt.” Chet chuckled. “She’s getting to you, isn’t she?”
“What are you talking about?” I was frazzled now.
“Dude, I saw the look in your eyes just now.” He grinned. “You’ve noticed that little Sadie is all grown up.”
“What?” I said.
“She’s sexy as hell. Come on, Wyatt. Let’s be real here. Every cowboy in the fucking state wants her.”
“If you say that again, Chet, I will sock you. Don’t you ever talk about Sadie like that.”
“Okay, then. Well, have a nice night, Wyatt, with your delusions.” He laughed.
“You’re a jerk, you know that?”
“I’m just being honest, but hey, if you don’t want to listen to me and you don’t want to listen to Mom …”
“What does Mom have to do with this?”
“You know Mom’s been hoping that you and Sadie will get together forever.”
“What? You’re stupid. No, she hasn’t.”
“Wyatt, how are you so clueless? I thought you were one of the smartest brothers, but you’re stupid. Or maybe you’re just stupid when it comes to love.”
“I’m not stupid when it comes to love, and no thanks, I’m not looking for love right now. Maybe you should start worrying about yourself, because Beau’s coupled off now, and Austin’s coupled up now, and guess who’s the next brother in line?” I gave him a hard stare. “Yep, you. So if I was you, I would be worrying about myself.”
“Mom knows that I’m never getting married.” He smirked. “Look at me. A man as fine as me shouldn’t settle down. That just wouldn’t be fair to all the women out there.”
“Are you seriously my brother, dude? I don’t know one woman who would care.”
“I think I know about twenty—including Sadie.”
“Sadie’s not interested in you, bro.”
“You want to bet?” He grinned. “I bet you if I asked her on a date, she’d say yes.”
“Don’t you dare,” I growled at him. I was pissed off at even the thought of him asking Sadie out. “If you ask her out or lay a hand on her…”
“You’ll what? You’ll beat me up? If you’re not interested, what do you care if I’m interested?”
“I’m going to stop you right there.” I grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. “You better think long and hard before you say anything else about Sadie. You hear me?”
“Oh, shit.” He took a step back. “You’re going to fight me for this girl?”
“She’s my best friend, and I will not have you disrespecting her.”
“I’m not disrespecting her.” Chet chuckled. “I’m just saying, maybe I can take her on a date, show her how a gentleman would treat her.”
“You are no gentleman, Chet Hamilton. I feel sorry for any woman that actually believes that you are.”
“Oh, Wyatt, Wyatt, Wyatt.” He shook his head. “I have many things to teach you.”
“Oh, yeah? Like—”
“Hey, excuse me?” a soft voice said.
We both looked over to see that Arya had walked into the kitchen.
“Hey.” Chet’s demeanor changed all of a sudden. “You okay?”
“Yeah,” she said in her soft voice. “I just came into the kitchen to get some milk for Eloise. She couldn’t sleep, so I was going to warm some up for her.”
“I’ll help you,” Chet offered quickly.
“Oh, you don’t have to do that.”
“It would be my pleasure, ma’am. A cowboy at your service.”
“Thank you.” Arya blushed.
Chet looked over at me and winked.
I just rolled my eyes. He was such a douchebag. Now I understood why he’d been sitting in the kitchen. He’d probably been hoping that Arya would show up. I surely hoped he wasn’t going to seduce her. The last thing we needed was drama.
I didn’t know Arya very well. She’d shown up recently with Eloise, claiming that my older brother Beau was Eloise’s dad, but that had all been a mistake. Beau had never even met Eloise or Arya’s sister, who was Eloise’s mom, but we’d let Arya and Eloise stay because they had nowhere else to go. They were both sweet and good people, and I was glad that we could help them.
But Mom and Dad would not be happy if Chet tried to seduce Arya. He did have game, but he left way too many broken hearts. I was almost positive that there was an “I Hate Chet Hamilton Club” somewhere in the state from all the women who had dated and been dumped by him.
“Well, goodnight, guys.” I grabbed the two beers and headed back out of the kitchen towards the bedroom.
“Night, Wyatt.” Arya gave me a sweet smile.
“Night, bro.” Chet winked at me again. I just ignored him.
I headed back to the bedroom and opened the door. Sadie was sitting on the bed, skimming through the channels. She looked up with a smile, her long blonde hair hanging past her shoulders. Her face was so familiar to me. So sweet. So pretty. But now I saw her in a different light. I saw that sexy side of her. I saw that vixen in her. I shook my head, trying to erase the thoughts from my brain.
“So,” she said, as she jumped up. “How about we watch Bridesmaids?”
“Bridesmaids?” I groaned. “Just the name tells me I’m not going to like it.”
“No, I’ve seen it before, and it’s really funny. I think you’ll like it.”
“Really?” I said as she headed over to me. I couldn’t help noticing the way the fabric of the t-shirt stretched across her breasts. I handed her a beer, and she popped off the cap and took a swig. As I stared down the long expense of her neck, I had to fight a sudden urge to lean down and kiss it.
I could not believe the thoughts that were running through my head and turned away from her. What the fuck was going on? Was I going out of my mind? I never thought sexual thoughts about Sadie.
“Wyatt, please,” she interrupted my thoughts.
“Sure. We can watch Bridesmaids,” I conceded as I sat down on the edge of the bed. “If it’s not good though, we’re watching something else.”
“Give it 50 minutes, and if you hate it, we’ll watch something else. Okay?”
“Sounds good to me.”
I leaned back against the headboard. Sadie sat back next to me, her long legs stretched in front of her. I licked my lips as I stared at her bare skin. Shit. Why was I all of a sudden noticing how long and slim her legs were?
Then my eyes landed on a strip of leg hair. I laughed, mainly in relief at the distraction. “Oh my gosh, Sadie.”
“What?”
“You didn’t shave well, did you?”
“Huh?” She was staring at me like I was crazy. I reached down and ran my fingers along the front of her leg up the small patch of fuzz on her thigh.
“You forgot this part,” I said.
She giggled. “Oops. Yeah, I was trying to be fast in the shower, and I must have skipped over that.”
I stared at her for a few seconds, my fingers still on her leg.
“Sadie, how are you going to seduce a man if you can’t even shave properly?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” She looked at me with beguiling eyes.
“I mean, if you can’t shave your legs well, how well are you shaving everything else?” I’d meant just to tease her, but as soon as the words were out, I realized I was getting into dangerous territory.
“Shave everywhere else?” She raised an eyebrow. “What are you talking about?”
“You know.” I nodded down towards her crotch.
“Are you asking if I am clean-shaven?” She raised an eyebrow. “Really, Wyatt?”
“What? I’m just curious.”
“That’s none of your business.”
“Why not? We’re best friends. We share everything.”
“I’m not going to share if I have a wax.”
“So, do you?” I really wanted to know.
“Wyatt, seriously? Why are you asking me this?”
“I don’t know. I’m just curious. Anyway,” I said. “I could have checked it out when you had your thing on earlier, but I was being a gentleman.”
“What do you mean you could have checked it out?”
“When you were facing me, I could have seen if there was any hair there.”
“Really, Wyatt?” She hit me on the shoulder. “That’s so inappropriate.”
“What? I’m just curious. Do you go and get waxed, or do you shave yourself, or are you au natural?”
“Fine. You really want to know? Yeah, I do.”
“You do?”
I realized I was way too invested in her bush status. I didn’t even want to think about Sadie as someone with a pussy. The thought of it made me squirm, but the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to know and the more I actually wanted to see it.
I was wading into dangerous territory and I needed to stop.
“Yep. I had a Brazilian wax when I was in Idaho,” Sadie replied.
“You did?” I said blankly.
“And don’t even ask, Wyatt Hamilton. I’m not going to show you.”
I laughed, throwing my head back. “I wasn’t going to ask you to show me,” I lied, because a part of me had wanted to see if she would say yes. “Come on, turn on the movie.”
“Fine. Are you going to keep the lights on?”
“Yeah, let’s keep the lights on for now.”
I didn’t really like watching movies with lights on, but turning the lights off would make it too dark and too intimate. And right now, I did not need to be in the dark with Sadie Johnson. I didn’t want to do anything that would put our friendship at risk. I certainly didn’t want to touch her and see how she’d react. Even though I was feeling an attraction to her that I’d never felt before, I knew that I had to fight against it. Sadie Johnson was too important in my life. She wasn’t someone that I could just mess around with. She deserved so much more than that.