Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 92069 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 460(@200wpm)___ 368(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92069 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 460(@200wpm)___ 368(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
“Okay. My suitcase is in the trunk.”
I got it out for her, brushing away her hand when she reached for it. “I’ll carry it,” I said.
“Thank you.” She followed me down the sidewalk to my apartment door and stood at my side while I unlocked it. A car drove past us as I was pulling it open, and I cringed when it slowed down. Hopefully, it was no one I knew—I didn’t need to be the subject of any gossip tomorrow.
“Go on,” I said impatiently. “Get inside.”
She held up the bottom of her dress and started up the stairs, while I took a moment to lock the door behind us before going up two steps at a time, her bag still in my hand.
I hadn’t left any lights on, so when I reached the top, I bumped into her from behind. She stumbled forward, and I instinctively reached out, catching her around the waist.
“Sorry,” she said. “It’s just so dark.”
It was dark. And I had her clutched against my bare chest so tightly I could smell her perfume again. Or was it her hair? Blood rushed to parts of me that didn’t need encouragement right now, and I let her go.
“Give me a second.” Sidestepping her, I moved to the wall and flipped a switch.
“Oh—oh, wow,” she said, moving deeper into the room and turning in a slow circle. “This is beautiful.”
“Thanks.” I turned on a couple more lights, suddenly wary of being alone with her.
“No fireman pole?” she asked, shooting me a smile over one shoulder that I found alarmingly seductive.
“Not anymore.” Trying to remain businesslike—not easy when you’re shirtless at midnight—I set her suitcase down and stood a good ten feet from her, crossing my arms over my chest. “You can stay on the couch. I’ll get you a pillow and some blankets.”
“Thank you.”
“If you want to use the bathroom, it’s through there.” I gestured toward the hallway leading to my bedroom and quickly folded my arms again.
“Thank you. I would like to get out of this dress. Could I borrow a hanger please?”
“Sure. In the closet.” I was hoping she’d head straight for the bedroom but instead, she came toward me and reached out, placing a palm on my shoulder.
“I really appreciate this.”
Heat rushed my entire body. “No big deal.”
“It is to me,” she said, and I was terrified she was going to hug me, but she didn’t. She picked up her suitcase and headed down the hall into my room.
When I heard the door shut, I exhaled in relief and went over to the chest beneath the front windows where I stored spare blankets. Since it was so warm, a sheet would’ve been better than a blanket, but my extra sheets were in my bedroom. I’d have to wait until she came out to get one. I stood there wondering if she was topless in my bedroom right this second, and my cock was hard in seconds.
The bedroom door creaked open again.
“Griffin?”
“Yeah?”
“Um, I need some help.”
“Help?”
“Getting this dress off.”
I looked up at the ceiling. Really, God? Really?
Cursing under my breath, I adjusted the crotch of my jeans and walked back to my bedroom, my heart beating an uncomfortably hard, fast rhythm. When I reached the doorway, I kept my eyes on the floor. “Is it okay to come in?”
“Yes. I’m sorry—this whole situation is awkward enough—but the zipper is stuck.”
Tentatively, I entered the room and saw her standing with her back to me, holding up her hair. A few more steps and I was close enough to reach for the zipper, which was concealed behind a column of what looked like fabric-covered buttons. Holding my breath, I concentrated on pretending the job was just another mechanical task, like tightening a bolt.
The zipper’s slider was tiny and definitely stuck, but I managed to grasp it in my fingers and get it moving—the dress parted and her naked back appeared. I stopped when my hand reached the curve of her waist. “Is that okay? Can you reach it from there?”
She let her hair fall and reached around her back, but I was standing so close she accidentally brushed against my crotch, which had a pretty good bulge going.
Gasping, she pulled her hand away and whirled around. “Oh God! I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay.” I cleared my throat and backed away. “I think you’ll be able to reach it now.”
She tried again and was able to grasp the slider without a problem. “I’m good. Thank you.”
“No problem.” I turned around and left the room, pulling the door shut behind me.
Out in the living room, I dropped onto the couch and tried not to think about her bare limbs, the scent of her skin, the brush of her fingers over my cock.
Stifling a groan, I laced my fingers behind my head and tipped it back, staring at the rotating ceiling fan above. Its whir was hypnotic, and I was so tired . . . my breathing slowed, my eyes closed, and before I knew it, I was out.