I recall the girls' wine-soaked advice: kiss him or jump his bones.The old Alisha would have already done it.Hell, the old Alisha would have climbed him like a jungle gym weeks ago.But now...
My eyes land on my phone, lying innocently next to the empty bottle of wine.Bad idea.Terrible idea.The worst idea ever.
"Fuck it."I grab the phone, dropping it twice before successfully unlocking it."I need an answer, and I need it now."
I squint at my phone screen, the letters doing a little dance as I scroll through my contacts.When did Cole's name get so hard to find?After three attempts, I finally manage to type:Cole?
I stare at the screen, my alcohol-soaked brain conjuring various scenarios.Maybe he's asleep.Maybe he's busy.Maybe he's...Oh, dots!Moving dots!My heart does a drunken somersault as I watch those three little dots bounce.
Alisha?
Just my name, but god—even his texts sound sexy.Get it together, McQueen.I let myself fall back onto the loveseat, almost sliding off.How should I respond?I'm still staring at the ceiling, watching it spin slightly, when my phone rings.
The sound makes me jump so hard I nearly drop it.With fumbling fingers and my heart threatening to escape my chest, I manage to hit the green button.
"Hey.Is everything alright?"His voice, deep and slightly concerned, makes warmth bloom in my chest.
"Oh, yeaaah."I try to sound casual but my wine-loosened tongue betrays me."Just enjoying my very, very tasty wine."
He chuckles, a low, sexy sound that makes my toes curl."Are you drunk?"
"Drunk?Nooo."I wave my hand dismissively at my empty apartment."Tipsy?Maybe.Possibly.Probably.I called for an emergency girls' night at my place."
"Oh?"His tone turns teasing, playful even."Why did you need that?"
"Because I've got a gigantic problem..."I bite my bottom lip, the wine dissolving what's left of my filter.Don't say it, don't say it, don't—"Oh, fuck it.You, Bulldozer, are my problem."
"What did I do?"
The genuine confusion in his voice makes me roll my eyes so hard I get dizzy."What did you do?What did you DO?"My voice rises with each word."You took off your t-shirt in front of a woman who hasn't had sex in ages.You can't fucking do that!"The words pour out now, unstoppable."Do you have any idea what seeing you like that does to me?How many cold showers I've had to take?"
"Alisha, stop."
"Oh, no, you will listen."The wine has me on a roll now."You, Cole Walker, with your stupid perfect abs and your stupid gentle hands and your stupid sexy voice—you affect me in ways I never thought possible, and it's driving me absolutely crazy."
"Huh?What?"
"Oh, for fuck's sake."I throw my free hand up in exasperation."Are men actually this dense?Fine, I'll use small words: I.Get.So.Fucking.Horny.Around.You."
The grunt he lets out is almost animal."Were you aroused this morning, against the wall?"
His voice has dropped an octave, and suddenly my mouth is dry."Yes..."
The sound he makes sends liquid heat straight through me.
"Sorry," I mumble, my wine-soaked brain catching up with my mouth."I know you and I don't fit together.We're so different.I don't fucking understand why this happens, but I can't help it."I take another breath, might as well empty the whole bottle of truth."God, I'm even having wet dreams about you."
His cough sounds strangled.When he speaks again, his voice is rough, strained."What happened in your dream?"
The question sends heat spiraling through me.Is he...is he actually interested?"We kissed," I admit, my drunk honesty making me bold.
I hear him inhale sharply, followed by the sound of his hand dragging through his beard.My fuzzy brain imagines how his lips would feel against mine, how his beard would scratch against my skin.
"How good was it?"His voice has dropped even lower, the gravelly tone setting my nerves on fire.
"Fucking fantastic," I breathe out."But how is that possible when it wasn't even real?"
"With a mouth like yours, it can only be magnificent."
