“That was fun.” I pat his chest and duck under his arm, escaping that look and that tone.
He clears his throat and a breathy laugh follows. “Uh, yeah. Athletic is probably more like it.”
Suddenly feeling a pinch of awkwardness blanket the room, I grab the robe I had left on the couch earlier and hastily tie it around my body, heading straight for the kitchen. I hear Caleb’s feet following me.
“Hydration?”
“Please.” His voice sounds as rough as mine. I dive into the fridge and grab a bottle of water, passing it to him before grabbing my own. When I settle against the counter, watching Caleb copying my stance opposite me, I note his boxers arenow in place, and with the soft relaxed smile on his face, any perceived awkwardness I seemed to have imagined is gone.
“Come with me next weekend,” he says, pulling me from my dazed perusal of his face.
“What?”
He brings the bottle to his lips and lazily sips, and I drink from mine as I watch his sparkling eyes fill with some kind of happy emotion I haven’t seen before. I make an effort to look away, pretending to pick lint off my robe.
“The charity gala, be my date.”
“Ha!” I almost spit my water. “Not on your life, hotshot.” I take another long pull of my water before placing it back on the counter, still avoiding his gaze like my life depends on it. I go to step past him, but his arm reaches out, gripping my jaw and forcing me to look at him.
“Why not?” Deep frown lines mark his pretty face in a way I’m not used to seeing on him and I feel my own frown pulling down.
“More like,why?” I respond, jerking my chin from his gasp and pushing at his chest to get some much-needed space between us.
“Because we’re good like this.”
“Like what?” I sigh, and this time I am able to step around him, avoiding the way his deep blue eyes melt the insides of me and threaten to break through some of my carefully constructed emotional walls, weakened only by that goddamn magic penis. I continue to bury, block, hide, and mask the tingly feeling in my chest, the light, airy, and flipping feeling that floats through my stomach, through my whole body when he has that look on his face.
Or maybe it’s just gas.Again?I really needed to reassess my diet.
“C’mon, Rosie. Our chemistry is insane, don’t tell me after whatever that was”—I turn to him and he gestures to the lounge window—“that you don’t think this is something different.” Humor and frustration line his words, and I don’t know what planet his orgasm shot him off to, but there is, under no circumstances,something differentgoing on here except some really great boning.
I spin, collecting his clothes and then head back in his direction, smacking the clothes into his waiting arms before stepping back, crossing my arms, and pulling on the mask, hiding andprayingthe obvious jittery feelings he elicits aren’t visible.
“You agreed to my rules when I agreed to break my one-time streak for you. We’re friends who have sex. Nothing more, nothing less. There are no dates, there is no getting to know each other, there is no emotional connection, Caleb. You agreed. Are you changing your mind?” I tilt my head, smiling playfully at him as I watch him try to work out what he wants. I mentally start to count. If I get to five and he hasn’t made a decision, I’m calling it. I can’t afford to be the one who destroys our friend group, and I refuse to be the one to lead the other on.
“Caleb, you either get on the same page, or this ends.” I drop my smile. I see something pass over his face, but he blinks and it’s gone, his typical boyish grin spreading across his face.
“I agreed to your rules, Rosebud.” He steps closer, bopping me on the nose, and I swat him like an annoying fly. “Friends who fuck. Nothing more, nothing less,” he says quietly against my lips. And before I know what he’s doing, he leans forward and kisses me. Softly, gently, before pulling back just so and whispering against my lips, “Sleep tight, Rosie.” He nips at my jaw then strides out of my apartment before I can say anything in response.
I don’t know how long I stand there, but the quick buzz of my phone on the couch pulls me from my daze. I blow out a few candles on my way over and then grab it to read the message.
Sex Pest:
World-class pussy btw. A++
Also you swear like a Spanish sailor when you come. Hot as fuck ;)
A loud laugh rushes from my chest and I have to clamp a hand over my mouth to mute it.
Oh boy.
I might be in trouble here.
CHAPTER 18
all booked up…with unwanted emotions
Caleb
