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He straightened and ran his hand down his chest. “Nah. Got some buddies waiting on me at the bar next door. Gonna head on over there.”
Holly’s jaw dropped. So, he’d made a backup plan in case she wouldn’t sleep with him? One that included getting further smashed and probably finding some equally sloppy girl to fall for his lack of charm and take him home.
Lovely.
“Had fun tonight, Holly. I’ll call you, and we can make plans for next weekend.”
She nearly snorted. “You do that,” she muttered.
“Huh?” he asked, glassy-eyed and swaying.
“Just said I had a good time too. Have fun with your friends.”
Thirty seconds later, she was behind the wheel of her vehicle and cruising home, happy to be alone and done with the date. If only all problems were that easy to wiggle out of.
Such as the problem of not being able to say no to a request from her father. Either of her parents, really. “No,” she said out loud to the image in her rearview mirror. “See, it’s easy? You need to learn to tell your parents no. You’re twenty-freakin’-four for God’s sake.”
The drive home took about fifteen minutes. As soon as she stepped into the apartment, she kicked off her heels and stuffed her aching feet into fuzzy slippers.
“Hi, baby boy,” she said to Biscuit as he sidled over with his leash dangling from his giant mouth. Holly chuckled. “You trying to tell me something, B?” She clipped the leash on his collar and headed back out. After a quick doggy leg lift, the pair was trudging back up the stairs.
Downside to a dog and a second-floor apartment. Many trips up and down the stairs.
Holly came to a stop outside her unit, but her attention was fully trained on LJ’s closed door. It was then she remembered they’d made plans for the following evening. Friendly plans, a party with his friends, but seeing as how she now knew that party was probably a biker party, she needed to beg off. The epic fit her father would throw if she was caught at an MC party might cause an earthquake. Then there was the fact she was absolutely terrified at the prospect of walking into a biker den. The stories her father had told throughout the years made those parties sound like sin personified and not in a good way. Drugs, orgies, violence, the works.
Not for her.
There was just one problem. If he opened that door and invited her in, she’d be alone with LJ, at night, after a terrible date where she was feeling slightly vulnerable, unsexy, and lonely. A dangerous combination when presented with a man who’d been responsible for at least three sex dreams that week.
“Should I knock, B?” she asked the dog who just stared at her with soulful eyes. Holly sighed. “You’re no help.” After another few seconds of mental back and forth, she stepped in front of LJ’s door and knocked twice. Might as well rip off the Band-Aid. The alternative consisted of hiding under the covers when he came to collect her tomorrow night, and that would just make her look like a bitch.
It didn’t take long before the sound of LJ’s heavy footsteps approaching the door had her heart racing. This was a mistake. Her breathing kicked up in anticipation of seeing him, and she swore her nipples puckered, but was too afraid to look down at the thin fabric of her dress. How could just the thought of seeing a man send her body into such a tailspin?
The door swung open and there he appeared, filling—completely filling—the space with his oversize body. Wearing a pair of faded black sweats hanging low on his hips, the V-line all women drooled over stood out. Inches above that sexy V extended a set of ripping abs Holly had only ever seen in magazines and movies.
“You need something, sugar, or you just wanting to look at a real man after spending a few hours with Dicky?” One eyebrow rose, and he lifted both arms, gripping the top of the door frame.
“How’d you know—?
“Who your date was with? I might be a piece of shit biker, but I’m not stupid. Figured out your pops set you up with his asshole deputy, Richard Schwartz.”
Jesus, was it normal to find a man’s armpit hair a turn on? Because Holly swore to God, LJ’s armpits were sexier than any part of any other man she’d dated.
She blinked and literally peeled her dry mouth apart. Her face burned. There was no bluffing her way out of this. He’d caught her staring and totally zoning out. What had he said? Something about knowing she went out with Rick? Time to steer this conversation in another direction so she and Biscuit could return to their apartment.
Alone.
“I, uh, just wanted to talk to you for a minute if that’s okay.” Thank God for Biscuit’s leash giving her something to hold in her hands or she’d be wringing them for sure. Being under LJ’s intense focus would make a girl sweat on a good day, but now, when he was clearly pissed off, she had to fight the urge to turn tail and flee.
