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His heart pounded as he walked to the couch. Temptation tingled in his fingers to pick her up and bring her back to his bedroom. Of course he couldn’t do that with Amelie in there.
He couldn’t do it even if she hadn’t been. Sleeping with her would be wrong.
Some of the ache inside won when he brushed a light hand on her cheek. She stirred, her eyes opening, startled.
He didn’t regret touching her, only that he frightened her awake.
“I’m back. Amelie wore you out, uh?” He laughed, hoping to ease the slight terror in her eyes.
A short laugh left her lips. “I didn’t mean to fall asleep. Sorry.”
He backed away as she sat up.
“Did you have a nice time?” She stood up slowly, rotating her shoulders and neck as if saying his couch was too uncomfortable to sleep on. He wouldn’t dispute that. He’d fallen asleep drunk and high on it too many times to count.
“Besides losing all my money, yep. It was good to see my friends again.”
“Good.” She avoided eye contact as she walked around the couch to grab her coat. “Well, Amelie was an angel. Great bath, took her bottle like a champ, and loved storytime. Fell asleep without an issue.”
When she turned around, she jumped. He startled her again, something he hadn’t meant to do, but he couldn’t resist following her. Perhaps he shouldn’t have stopped behind her so close.
“Thanks for watching her.”
She nodded. “Anytime. I don’t mind.”
He might take her up on that. Not that this had been a test, but it proved he could trust her. If she had wanted to steal Amelie again, this would have been the perfect time to do it.
“I need my purse.” She pointed to the counter where it sat. He was boxing her in.
With a grin, he stepped back. She jaunted to the counter, grabbed her purse, slid on her shoes, and had her coat zipped up as if she were in a race of some kind.
Definitely eager to get out of his apartment.
Because he was acting like a fool. Getting in her space, making her nervous. He had never forced himself on a woman before and he wasn’t about to start.
He put his hand on the door handle but didn’t twist. “Valentine’s is on Monday.”
Her eyes widened. “Yep, it is.”
He cleared his throat, hating how nervous he felt to be in her presence. A few hours with his friends, saying shit, and he was seeing Genevieve in a whole new light. One where it wouldn’t be a big deal to sleep with her. To see the magic he knew they could create between the sheets. Maybe he shouldn’t go back to the next poker night. He’d never be able to resist her otherwise, not with them nagging in his ear it was just sex. Do it. Well, they wouldn’t anymore if they believed she still had a boyfriend. Which she did. As far as he knew. A good reason why he had to stop that thinking in its tracks.
“The bar will be crazy busy. I should help.”
“Oh, right. Yeah, of course.” She laughed, swiping a lock of hair behind her ear. “I can watch Amelie.”
“I mean, it’s Valentine’s, so if you have a date or something, I can find someone else. Shit, of course, you do. With your boyfriend.”
Her boyfriend would be an idiot if he didn’t take her out.
“No date. No boyfriend.” Her cheeks tinted red.
“Not even Julio,” he teased. Genevieve never brought him up again, but the guy crossed his mind way too much. So much he despised it, thinking of things they did together.
She cracked up laughing, then stopped, putting a hand to her mouth. Her eyes glided to the hallway, afraid she had woken up Amelie. They both stood silent for a beat, waiting for a cry to erupt. When one didn’t, her lips curled up before speaking quietly.
“I’m done with Julio. But maybe I’ll bring Chase with me.”
What. The. Hell.
