I glanced at Trev and saw he was on the edge of his seat, ready to jump in at any moment. I was just glad the cameras weren’t being set up in the apartment until tomorrow, otherwise the TV producers would’ve been able to use this drama as fodder for the show. I’d barely spent a day with them, but oddly enough, I found myself caring about the group. Even Callum. He was basically Trev two years ago, so I knew there must’ve been underlying issues causing his behaviour.

“Neil’s right. You should leave me alone,” said Leanne, her voice a little wobbly. It was difficult reconciling this emotional girl with the stoic, badass chick I knew from the show. “I’m going to bed,” she went on and turned toward the bedrooms.

Callum went after her and Neil grabbed him by the shoulder to try and stop him. Trev jumped up from his seat and in a flash he was between the two men. “Let’s not start this series on a row, yeah?”

“I’m just trying to help Leanne,” said Neil, standing firm.

“And I just want to talk to her for a minute,” said Callum, turning and striding towards the bedrooms after Leanne. Both Neil and Trev went after him, but a second later I heard a door slam shut.

“Get out!” Leanne yelled. She and Callum started having an argument but the closed door muted what they were saying.

“Is it always like this?” I asked Paul.

He let out a quiet sigh. “Not always. It’s been worse the last few months.”

“Yeah well, that’s what happens when you sleep with your best friend,” said James, sounding tired. His words struck a chord with me.

Of course they did.

I knew exactly how sleeping with your best friend could ruin everything.

Ten.

Past.

“I said I love you,” Trev breathed, his eyes electric.

Conflicting emotions warred within me, all of them fighting for attention at once. Surprise. Fear. Apprehension. Excitement. Worry. I was terrified that even if he was telling the truth, it wouldn’t last very long. He was always so changeable, always so unpredictable. The things he wanted could flip from one moment to the next. The emotions he felt could change in an instant.

“Don’t just leave me hanging, Reya,” he pleaded, and I’d never seen him look so vulnerable.

“You love me?” I whispered, doing my best to hold it together.

He nodded, and his hands drifted downward from my cheeks, along my neck to rest on my shoulders. “I love you most of all.”

I slowly moved my head from side to side in disbelief. “This is a lot to take in.”

His lips curved in a warm, tender smile. “Then take your time.”

I love you most of all.

If that was true, then why did it always feel like I was last on his list? Why did it feel like everything—everyone—else took precedence over our time together? Trev slid his fingers through mine, lifted my case and bag with his other hand, and led me from the club.

“Where are we going?”

“I’m taking you home,” he answered.

I didn’t argue, mainly because I was too tired and my emotions had already been through the proverbial wringer this week. Trev flagged down a cab and I climbed inside while he called out my address to the driver. I stared out the window at the shining city lights, the streets busy with people as a thin drizzle dotted the windows of the black cab. I reached out and drew a heart in the condensation on the glass, wondering why my heart was always so unsure. Why was it so hard to know if someone was being truthful? Was I the problem or was he? Had my messed-up past made me incapable of trust?

Trev pulled my hand to his mouth and pressed a kiss to the inside of my wrist, distracting me from my worrying thoughts. He held my gaze as he began planting kisses down the length of my inner forearm. I hitched a breath at the sexy look in his eyes, mesmerised, back under his spell.

He shifted closer and tugged the strap of my dress down over my shoulder. I trembled when he brought his mouth to the hollow of my neck and licked, his lips making a journey south. A small sigh escaped me and the driver very loudly cleared his throat. We snapped apart and I pulled my strap back into place. Trev had me so wound up I left my coat back at the club.

I made a mental note to collect it in the morning and fixed my attention on the passing street. If Trev had his way we’d probably be shagging in the back of this cab, driver or no driver.

He paid the fare when we arrived at my flat and insisted on carrying my things inside. I was of half a mind to tell him to go home, but the other half won out. The horny half. As much as I resented him for his absence all week, my heart and body were greedy for his presence, especially after what he said back at the club.

My hand shook as I tried to slot my key in the door. After a few failed attempts Trev caught my fingers in his.

“Let me,” he murmured sliding the key out of my grasp.

I allowed him to open the door, and a moment later we were inside my flat. Since it was a studio, there wasn’t really anywhere to hide. I stood by my sofa and watched as Trev set my things at the foot of my bed. When he was done we just stared at each other for a long moment. The air crackled and fizzled between us.

I felt like things were still open-ended, like he was waiting for me to say I loved him, too. I did love him, I’d loved him for years, and was sure it was for far longer than he’d loved me. I was just too afraid to say it. Once it was out there, there was no taking it back. It felt like I’d be handing him the bullet to shoot me with, and I just couldn’t be that vulnerable.

He wore an intense expression when he finally spoke. “Take off your dress.”

My skin felt too tight as I swallowed. There was a vibe about him now. Something had come over him and I clenched my thighs in longing. He looked like he wanted to devour me. However, for some strange reason, I had an odd need to be defiant.

“No.”

His nostrils flared and the tiniest smirk crossed his features. “Take. It. Off.”

“Make me.”

His gaze travelled down my body and back up, his eyes going soft, intimate, like caramel. “Take it off for me, Reya.”

I couldn’t resist that tone, nor the way his voice caressed my name. My stomach quivered as I brought my hands to the straps of my dress and tugged down until my bra was exposed. It was bronze and lacy. Trev exhaled a loud breath where he stood on the other side of the room, watching me. I met his gaze and continued lowering my dress until it fell to the floor at my ankles.