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The smile returned to her face.
Oh, Alex.
He should know better than to issue a challenge when it came to her.
* * *
What. The. Hell. Had. Happened?
Alex asked himself that question for about the millionth time since he’d left Lola in the living room. He’d barely gotten any sleep because his mind had churned with thoughts of how everything had gotten out of hand with her. And how much more out of hand he’d wanted it to get.
Lola in a red-lace nightie had made his cock spring to life. Like he was some horny teenager sneaking a peek at a Playboy centerfold for the first time.
What the fuck was that all about?
As much as he’d chided himself about the constant state of arousal he’d be in with her around, he hadn’t really thought he’d be that much of a caveman. Yet he’d all but ogled her, for God’s sake.
It wasn’t as though he hadn’t seen her in shorts and a tank top before. Then again, she’d never been so scantily clad so close to his bed and a condom.
Tired of tossing and turning, he left before she was up and headed to the gym to work off some of his stress. Pete had turned him on to weight lifting a few years ago and had also insisted Alex join his bar’s softball team, when Alex had had a bit too much time and loneliness on his hands since Lola had moved away. It was either that or spend his nights playing Halo online and missing her like crazy.
Unfortunately, forty-five minutes of pumping iron and an hour of cardio did nothing to relieve the sexual tension. Only one thing would do that.
Or, more accurately, only one woman.
Lola.
Yeah. He was totally screwed.
* * *
Lola flitted around the kitchen, sipping the fancy coffee Alex had brewed in a French press she wouldn’t even begin to know how to operate. She flipped through the newspaper, a bundle of nervous energy. So much so, she’d gotten little sleep. Her new job started today. She could hardly wait to get to the office, but it was still a bit early.
Alex had left before she’d emerged from the shower. Too bad. She wanted to talk to him about what had happened the night before. In addition to thinking about her new position on the Marketing team, she’d lain in bed contemplating those searing looks Alex had given her. Once she’d busted him, he hadn’t been able to conceal them.
She couldn’t help but wonder how long he’d been hiding his attraction. Then realized she’d done the same for some time. Maybe not so much hiding an attraction, but the fact that she found him appealing in a hero-worship sort of way. Alex had always been her knight in shining armor.
Like when a wayward football had accidentally hit her in the face on the playground in the third grade. Alex had been there to pinch her nose, calmly and gently, while she panicked and cried. He’d sopped up the blood with the tails of his shirt, despite it being his favorite one.
Or the first time two boys had fought over her in junior high, each wanting to carry her books to class. Alex had swooped in and told them ice cream was being served in the commons area and they’d rushed off, arguing over who would bring a cone back for Lola.
He’d suffered a bit of harassment over the fabrication, but since Lola—one of the most popular girls in school—had stuck by him, no one had messed with him too much. At least, not that she’d been aware of.
Alex had always excelled at defusing tense situations, which was something she’d admired about him from the beginning. Despite his awkward phases, he had a very cool head on his shoulders. Sure, his transformation from nerd to hottie had been a slow one. Yet she couldn’t deny it had finally come about. He’d knocked her socks off yesterday. Even more so last night.
In his own way, Alex had been attractive while growing up, but Lola had never really mentioned to him that she thought he was good-looking, except in passing. Like when she’d ask why he only dated casually, instead of getting involved more seriously with someone.
Why hadn’t he gotten involved more seriously with someone?
Why hadn’t she?
For most of her life, Lola had had her fair share of admirers. But in her adult years, she’d never experienced that “gotta have him right now” chemistry with anyone. Yet the tingles had run rampant the previous evening. And continued to this morning.
Interesting.
Though not something she could dwell on at the moment. She dressed in her favorite two-toned, pewter-colored suit and Staci Kay purple-suede Mary Janes and drove the rental car to her new office.
Tiff, the admin for the department, met her at the receptionist’s desk and showed her around the architecturally appealing building, with its sleek lines and trendy furnishings.
