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“Mhm. My brushwork too.”
“You are one little colourful unicorn.”
“Shut up. I’m not little.” Reaching for one of the sneakers in the discarded pile, I threw it at him. And bull’s eye. I hit my target.
Sam picked up the shoe – the very small shoe. “You’re right. You’re more like compact. I could stow you with your clothes in these boxes.”
Okay, throwingthatshoe was like throwing gasoline on the fire. “In my defence, that shoe was in the ‘to throw-out’ pile because I grew out of it.”
“About damn time you stop wearing kid’s sizes. You’re what now, thirty?” He laughed at his own banter with what seemed to be a wince. That was when I noticed his hand clutching the side of his abdomen over where the shoe hit him.
“Shit, did I hurt you?” I dashed to him and pulled up his shirt. A red, swollen footprint was already forming on his skin. “I’m so sorry. I really didn’t think I’d hit you at all with my lousy aim.” I massaged the palm of my hand over the damage I’d done to his skin.
Shit, Lucy. He came here to help, practically done more than me and this was how I repay him? I feel so ashamed.
“You really should feel sorry. I got a low pain threshold, you know. This one hurts so bad. I think it might leave a permanent mark too.”
My hand stopped moving as soon as I saw his suppressed lips. And I was sure it wasn’t because of pain. “You’re not feeling anything, are you?”
He burst out into a loud laugh. “Of course not. You do realize I’m a big man, don’t you? A pinch would probably hurt more than your tiny shoe.”
Yes. Yes, I’m certainly aware of how big a man he was. A big man with a big sexy laugh and big chiselled abs that I shouldn’t be touching. I reeled my hand away from him to inspect the injury. The left side of his abdomen was bright red from all my needless kneading.
Sam’s fingers touched the faint mark of the sole embossed on his skin. Then he fixed down his shirt. “So, what’s left?”
Sleek move, Sam. It was getting a little too awkward in here.
“Let’s see.” The shelves and rails were all stripped clean of my stuff. I checked the drawers one after the other. Found a drawer full of small purses and wallets. “A box for these, please.” I opened another drawer. This one was full of my nightwear. Better if I just packed these myself.
Acting quickly before Sam returned, I found a large empty gym bag nearby and began transferring the drawer’s contents into it.
“Fucking hell.”
The sound of an empty carton box hitting the ground beside me startled me. I looked up to find Sam watching me. That was my cue to become all self-conscious. In my fluster and amplified rush, I missed my aim to stuff the garment in the bag. Never have I moved faster to pick something than at that moment but Sam was quicker. The white silk babydoll was already in his hands. I tried to steal it from him. He held it back and higher from my reach.
“Of all your clothes I’ve seen tonight, this is the least colourful piece. But fuck, this is dangerously sexy.” Sam held the dress to my body, imagining how it would look as he whistled a cat-call. “If you do ever sleepover at my place, bring this.”
“You wish.” I laughed as I reattempted to snatch the dress from him just when my attention wavered at the sound of a light knock.
Joe stood at the door, still in his work suit and coat. Excellent timing. Just perfect. He came home just in time to witness my nonsensical laughter at Sam’s sorta flirty game.
Joe looked around the closet, at the empty furniture and the boxes. Before his gaze fell on the silk fabric in Sam’s hands. He stepped further into the closet, stopping just before Sam. Took the dress from his hand and looked at it for a moment. Fuck me, this was super awkward. Two men were passing my lingerie around. Joe dropped the dress in the gym bag, with his eyes never leaving Sam and frowning at him as if warning him away.
Joe proceeded to his side of the closet. He opened drawers to retrieve his pyjamas and underwear. On his way back, he paused before Sam once again.
“Good job today.” Joe nodded at Sam.
“You too, Parker.”
And Joe left the room without another word or an extra stare.
A door shut in the near distance, then came the sound of the shower running. Phew, Joe’s gone.
Sam and I looked at each other and burst into a hearty laugh until I remembered the paper-thin walls and shushed at us both. Except we couldn’t stop laughing. We simply lowered our volume. Sam tugged me to him playfully and muted my giggles with his fingers over my mouth. I made to bite his fingers away in a childish move. Sam’s palm slipped to my cheek. The warmth of his skin alerted me to look up at him, really look at him and to see that he wasn’t laughing anymore. My own laughter died down.
“I was right,” Sam spoke lowly as he smiled down at me.
“About what?”
