She kept watching Zeus out of the corner of her eye while things were happening, although she tried not to be too obvious. Hope made a little whining noise, and Yasmine started scratching her ears, just as Zeus ran his hand down the dog’s back, which had Tiger immediately putting his head on Zeus’ lap to beg for attention. Zeus chuckled and began petting both dogs.
It was silly to be jealous of dogs, but Yasmine was, wishing she was the one being petted.
As the sexual tension started ramping up on screen, she really wished she was the one getting pets. Especially as her and Zeus’ hands on Hope kept brushing against each other. Her skin tingled with every tiny touch, going straight from her hand to her core as her whole body perked up with interest.
Zeus didn’t seem bothered by the show’s content. Even as the shower scene started.
His brow furrowed.
“Is he…” He chuckled. “Yes, he is.”
Completely unbothered but also completely focused on what was going on in the story. Well, almost completely focused. He turned his head to look at her, and Yasmine realized she was staring at him instead of sneaking a peek.
Her head whipped back around to face the television screen, cheeks burning.
When Zeus chuckled again, she had to hide the urge to hide behind a pillow or something.
Their hands brushed again, and her insides clenched.
She should have picked something else to watch.
The on-screen chemistry was way too much when seated on the couch with an incredibly hot guy she was wildly attracted to and who, for some reason, didn’t seem less attracted to her in her ‘don’t let anyone see me like this’ clothing.
She kept her gaze locked on the screen during the first sex scene, too scared to look away and look at Zeus again. Too nervous about what might happen if she did. The whole point of what she was wearing was to ward him off and make it clear to her brain that she wasn’t trying to start a relationship or anything… but it didn’t seem to be working.
Well, the first part didn’t seem to be working.
She wasn’t fantasizing about dating him, though.
Nope, her fantasies about him were all a lot filthier. She couldn’t help but notice his hands and how strong they were. Or the way he was intently focused on the show. What would it be like to have that intensity focused on her?
Probably really freaking hot.
If she wasn’t fantasizing about a possible future with him, and he was attracted to her even now, wasn’t that exactly what she wanted?
Granted, there was the issue of Claudia and the team, but if she and Zeus weren’t actually dating, it wasn’t like anyone needed to know that they were doing anything together. That could be her own private business. It definitely wasn’t Mason’s business. And while Yasmine would usually tell her friends about a guy… she was already doing the opposite with Zeus.
She could just keep that up.
Fucking, not dating.
Staying in the present instead of dreaming about a future that wasn’t going to happen.
Dressing down instead of dressing up.
Not telling her friends instead of telling her friends.
The reason she told her friends was that she’d eventually want any guy she was with to meet them. But that wasn’t what she was doing here.
The doorbell rang, and the dogs jumped into action, barking wildly, Hope seeming to follow Tiger’s lead. Yasmine jumped, her hand flying to her chest over her suddenly pounding heart. The sweet, friendly Tiger suddenly sounded quite vicious. Maybe she needed a dog more like that, in case Pete James ever came back. Most people wouldn’t want to tangle with a dog that snarled like that.
Zeus got to his feet, shaking his head.
“It’s just the food, you two nuts.” He walked over to the door and answered it, shoving the dogs behind him with his legs and keeping them from the delivery guy on the other side. Hope sat down, wagging her tail, while Tiger ran back and forth behind Zeus, making little whimpering sounds as if he was upset that he was being kept from the newcomer.
“I’ll get us new drinks,” Yasmine said, jumping up from her spot on the suddenly lonely couch. That would give her a minute to get her act together. “Is water okay?”
“Water is great,” Zeus said over his shoulder as he manfully moved the dogs aside, closed the door, and swiveled with all the food piled atop two pizza boxes. “Can you grab some plates too? I’ll get this set up on the coffee table.”
