Chloe: You don’t have to do this. We can cancel the sightseeing trip and Ethan will never have to know.
She was giving him an out. He should take it. Instead, he typed:
Theo: I’m not canceling.
Chloe: Why? I know you don’t want to go with me.
Why?Because he’d promised his best friend he’d watch out for his grown-ass sister. That’s why. And it was her ass he couldn’t stop thinking about.
Theo: Who said I didn’t want to take you?
He did want to “take” her but not sightseeing.
Propping his phone between his ear and shoulder, he grabbed his jeans from the bed and slid his legs inside.
Chloe: Oh, please.The message was followed by an eye roll emoji.You looked like you’d rather have your hair braided.
Theo laughed. She was right. There were dozens of things he’d rather do than go to an overly expensive tourist trap. But it wasn’t because he didn’t want to see Chloe, it was because he didn’t know if he could keep his hands to himself. Still, he wasn’t canceling. He’d made a promise, and he’d see it through.
Theo: I’ll be at your apartment in 15 minutes. Be ready!
He stared at the phone waiting for her to argue more, but it remained silent. When he was sure she wouldn’t reply, he finished dressing and called for a driver to meet him in the garage. He usually liked driving himself, but even he found the Empire State Building too much of a hassle.
Fifteen minutes later, Theo was waiting out in front of Chloe’s building. What the hell was he doing? He should have canceled like Chloe had suggested. Best to get this over with; he sent her a text.
Theo:I’m here.
A message pinged back a few seconds later.
Chloe: You still haven’t changed your mind?
Theo: No.
Chloe: Fine. I’ll be down in a minute.
Theo didn’t have to wait long for Chloe to arrive. When she spotted him, she gave him a small, shy smile that made his chest squeeze tight. Dressed in jeans, a loose-fitting gray V-neck sweater, and a long black coat, she walked toward him like a model on a runway, not a woman on a busy New York sidewalk.
Oh God! He’d never been so scared to take someone out in his life.
A gust of wind blew a lock of her long dark wavy hair in front of her face, and she gathered it in her hands and twisted it so it sat over her shoulder like she’d done in the club. And like whathe’ddone in the club, he zeroed in on her creamy smooth neck. The same neck he’d kissed, running his tongue over her racing pulse. He needed to stop thinking about that night, or he’d never be able to get through the next couple of hours.
As she stood in front of him, he pushed away from the car and swung the back passenger door open. “Let’s go.” The words came out harsher than intended.
Chloe’s eyebrows rose at his tone. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
“I’m here, aren’t I?” Again, his tone was sharp.
“Okay… I think I’ll go back inside.” She turned to leave.
Theo grabbed hold of her wrist before she walked away, turning her around. “I’m sorry.” His voice softened. “I’ve had a lot on my mind… with work.” More like with the gorgeous woman standing in front of him making him hard just looking at her.
She glanced at his hand on her arm. “We really can cancel.”
“No, I want to take you.” And he did. They’d once been friends. Sure, he’d mostly hung out with Ethan, but there’d been times when they’d all hung out together. She was fun, and they’d always gotten along. Why couldn’t this be two friends catching up after so many years apart? There was just one thing making this situation not your normal “catch up,” and he needed to say something so they could move on.
He dropped her wrist and slid his hands in his pockets. “About the night at—”
She held her hand up. “Please, can we forget about it? Nothing happened.”
