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I want to snap and let go. I want to kiss Derek—this Derek—more than I’ve wanted anything in a long time. It’s like I’m split down the middle, with half of me running as quickly away from him as possible, and the other considering climbing him and holding on for dear life. But most startling is the realization that when I look at Derek, some corner of my heart still saysmine.Will that ever go away? Do I want it to?
I smell him and I need more pressure. I need to taste his mouth and see if it’s the same. He’s always been a drug that zips through my veins and alters me. This moment is no different.
His hands flex at my waist and my thighs tense around his hips. I breathe out and he breathes in like it’s what he’s been waiting for. Like he’s also struggling against the need to have just a little sample. But god help me if this happens…if we really give in to the tensions gripping us—there will be no stopping. No going back. We’ll still have to work together through whatever consequences our actions bring after the dopamine wears off. And as far as I remember, Derek Pender hates me these days.
It’s a sobering thought.
And just as I’m not sure who instigated this closeness, I’m not sure who pulls back first either. I just know that one second I’m drowning in desire and the next, Derek steps away as I push back farther onto the counter, putting much needed space between us. I press my hands to my overheated face and Derek watches me, taking one last look at my mouth. When his eyes meet mine again, I can tellhe feels the same way I do.This was a mistake.And one we will never acknowledge.
Derek roughly rubs the back of his neck and then walks away. The glass crunches under his shoes. “I’ll get the broom.” He glances back at me and his eyes snag on my top before quickly darting away. He clears his throat. “And you can…borrow one of my shirts…if you want.” He must also be feeling pretty off-kilter from that almost-kiss to be showing me any kind of consideration.
“I’ll be fine until I get home. Besides, I think the smell of chicken broth suits me. Maybe it’ll become my new perfume, what do you think?” I attempt a joke, but my voice still sounds thick with…well…desire.
“Up to you. But if you change your mind, my room is upstairs. Second door on the right.”
“Really,” I say with a small laugh. “I’m not so high-maintenance that a little chicken broth smell is—” But I cut off when I finally look down at my broth-soaked T-shirt, and I realize why he’s avoiding looking at me now. The material has gone pretty much see-through against all my good bits. What a day to wear a thin rainbow print bralette. And there’s definitely a nipple situation happening now too.
“On second thought, you should never shit where your gift horse lies.” I slide around to the opposite side of the island.
“That’s definitely not how the phrase goes.”
“Close enough.” I hightail it upstairs, ready to shed my soaked shirt along with all this pesky sexual tension.
I blow out a heavy breath as I sweep up the last of the glass. I think it’s safe to say this night is not going at all how I anticipated. No—Idon’t have a date, but I wanted Nora to think I did because apparently I’m petty AF. Why do I even want her to feel jealous? That wasn’t part of the revenge plan.
Except this whole night has backfired because Nora is Nora. I forgot she never backs down from a challenge, and instead, she bends it to her will before painting a rainbow on it. And that has me remembering her sexy rainbow print bra.Awesome.
Nora wasn’t even miserable cooking. She hummed the entire time, and even talked to the ingredients like they were her friends—she was sorry to cook them, but they were dying for a noble cause.That woman brought so much life to my house in such a short period of time.
I lingered at the top of the stairs just listening to her buzz around my kitchen before realizing I was sinking into dangerous territory. That was when I took a shower. A cold shower. But then I made herdrop that glass measuring cup, and that’s when it all really went to hell. I had my fingers in her hair again. My hands on her thighs—her hips. The feel of her skin under my fingertips. Her mouth against my lips. I can’t quite call what happened to us against that counter a kiss, but it sure wasn’t not-a-kiss either. All I know is whatever it was, it was devastating. Memories, emotions, and desire all rushed me. And then quickly leveled me until I thought I was going to lose control andreallykiss her. That can’t happen. At the last second, I thankfully found my senses and enough willpower to pull away before that brush of lips became something much more.
And now, in an ironic turn of events, Nora is upstairs putting on my clothes while I’m down here doing the job I invented to annoy her. Somehow, she’s taken everything I planned and flipped it on end. Typical Nora. I need to get her out of here so I can get my thoughts in order again. I’ll annoy her more tomorrow—but tonight, she’s got to go.
There’s a knock at the front door followed by a rapid ringing of my doorbell. It’s enough to prepare me for my worst nightmare.
“Shit.” I turn the heat down on the stove so the pasta stays warm before going to the front door.
Through the frosted glass, Jamal’s glittering eyes peer at me. “Honey, we’re home! Don’t leave us standing out here in the frigid cold!”
It’s sixty-two degrees outside.
“Go away,” I tell him and the other guys who are now pushing into view beside and above Jamal’s head. Not a chance I’m letting them inside right now. They can’t know that Nora is upstairs or who Nora is or even what Nora has been doing here tonight. It’s all bad. It’s all going to end with them roasting my ass into oblivion.
“Dude, let us in,” says Nathan. “I smell something garlicky.”
“We’re gonna need some of it,” Price adds.
I brace a hand on the door, afraid they’ll push their way in somehow even though it’s locked. “Not tonight. I’m busy.”
“With what? You don’t have a life anymore. Don’t even pretend you have a woman in there.” Jamal has his face pressed fully against the glass to get a clear view of my house and then the look on my face. “Wait…youdohave a woman in there?” He howls an excited laugh. “Nah—we for sure need to come inside now.”
He smiles a warning before his finger hovers over the doorbell. “Last chance. Either you let us in, or we get her to.”
“No, you can’t—”
He mashes that doorbell over and over in rapid succession.
“Assholes!” I grunt, and then flip the deadbolt to let the leeches in. “There, are you happy? You’re inside. Now don’t pee on the carpet or chew up any of the furniture. My date isn’t here yet, so you can only stay a few minutes.”
