Page 43 of Game Misconduct

I wouldn't really mind kissing her. The image of her lips on the spoon returned, and I nearly groaned.

“Are you cold?” Vivi asked. Before I could respond, she held up the blanket and patted the spot right next to her. “We can share.”

I looked at where her hand lay and blinked. Right there.

Yes. I could do that.

“Thanks.” I scooted over, but she wasn’t satisfied.

“Come on, I won’t bite.” She met me in the middle, lining up our legs and arms so we touched from her shoulder to her ankle. The suddenness of it all made me still while she carefully spread the blanket out to cover both of us. “You can use the coffee table.”

She kicked one foot up and used it to drag the table a few inches closer so she could use it as a footrest. I did the same after toeing off my shoes under the table. She left her foot resting against mine, and I stared at the contrast of my plain black socks to her rainbow fuzzy ones. Once she was content, she sighed and her body seemed to melt against me.

I closed my eyes for a second, thanking the universe for ending my agony before the feel of her registered and a new form of torture began.

This was what it was like to be so close to something, or someone, you couldn't have. Like a steak dangling before a lion, just out of reach.

Vivi was my friend. She trusted me to maintain that relationship. I refused to ruin that. Even if it was so, so tempting.

Fifteen

Vivian

“You’re looking dashing this fine morning,” Kerry teased as she appeared in front of my desk with two steaming mugs. She offered one to me, and I greedily accepted it before taking a big gulp while she looked over my messy bun and wrinkled shirt.

“It’s a good thing you came bearing gifts. I’ll choose to ignore your insult.” I covered my mouth as another yawn escaped.

“What, or should I say who, kept you up so late?” She dragged a chair over and sat across from me.

“You know I was at the game.” I took another sip of coffee waiting for the caffeine to hit my bloodstream.

“A game that ended around nine. Plenty of time for you to get home and get a full night’s rest in.”

I yawned again. “Jess was driving, and everyone wanted to go out to celebrate again.”

“So you got home at what? Ten? Ten-thirty?”

I narrowed my eyes, “Since when did you become my mother?”

She grinned. “So, what happened?”

“Nothing.” I took another sip. “We went to dinner, ate, and got home around eleven.”

“We who?”

“Me and Jess,” I replied blandly.

“And what about Parker?” She finally got to her point.

“What about him?”

“How did he respond to seeing you in his jersey?” She wagged her brow.

I cringed. “How do you manage to make that sound dirty?”

She shrugged. “A gift.”

I rolled my eyes. At least our bosses were out this morning at an off-site meeting, so there was no one to catch us chatting.