Page 21 of Playing By The Rules

“I want to. It’s the least I can do. You made us dinner, I’ll clean up.” Her hand falls away from my arm and I grab her plate, stacking it on top of the two I’m already holding.

“Oh. I should, like, wipe down the counters.”

“Stay where you’re at,” Blair tells her brother. “I’ll take care of it.”

“Well, if you guys got this handled, then I think I’m going to take a shower.” Knox stands, pushing his barstool in.

“Didn’t you already take one after practice?” He did. I know he did.

“Yeah, I did, but it lasted for all of five minutes.” His expression turns sheepish and I realize I don’t want to know what’s going to happen in that shower. He can go right on ahead and do whatever it is he needs to do.

“Go take your shower,” Blair chirps. “We’ve got this.”

I take the dishes to the sink and turn on the water, waiting while it gets hot. Blairs puts away stuff in the fridge and tosses a few things in the trashcan. I’m aware of her every movement, growing tense as she draws closer, and next thing I know, she’s standing right next to me at the sink, grabbing a dry wash rag and dipping it under the water, leaning into me as she does.

She’s pressed right up against my side, warm and soft, and fuck, her scent. I can’t take it.

“I hope you enjoyed dinner,” she says softly.

“It was good,” I say as I open the dishwasher, scooting away from her. “Thank you for making it.”

“Just trying to show off my culinary skills.”

“I thought you were trying to keep us from eating too much junk food.” I start rinsing off the dirty dishes with hot water, loading them up one by one.

“I was hoping I would dazzle you with my amazing cooking skills, but I guess you’re immune.”

She’s teasing, but not, so I remain quiet as I finish loading the dishwasher, then grab a cleaning brush from the dish drain and start scrubbing the glass baking dish she cooked the chicken in.

Blair sighs, folding the damp washcloth before she starts wiping the counters clean. “See? Immune.”

“Blair.”

Now it’s her turn to ignore me, and I keep scrubbing the dish, taking all my aggression out on it. I’m holding my breath when she draws closer yet again, doing my best not to inhale her delicious scent, but there’s no fucking use.

“What perfume do you wear?” I ask, like the idiot I am.

She goes still, leaning against the counter as she watches me. I finally give in and reach over to shut off the water, turning so I’m facing her.

“Why do you care?” She sounds suspicious. Like she’s on to me.

I shrug, desperate to play off my question. “I don’t know. Thought I might buy some for my mom. Her birthday is coming up.”

The very last person I want wearing the same perfume as Blair is my mom.

Blair’s smile tells me she knows I’m full of it. “It’s by Gucci.”

Of course, it is.

She lifts her wrist to her nose, taking a deep inhale. “It’s hard for me to smell it anymore, which is a shame because I love it. I am definitely the type that wears perfume for me and not for anyone else. Though if you think I smell good…”

Her voice drifts, sounding vaguely suggestive, and I tell myself to ignore the part of me that stirs.

“Uh huh.” Gucci what, is what I want to ask her. She’s being way too vague.

“It’s in a turquoise bottle. Gucci Gorgeous.” She frowns. “No wait. Gucci Flora Gorgeous. Jasmine.”

“Gucci Flora Gorgeous Jasmine?” I repeat as a question. That’s a mouthful.

Source: www.allfreenovel.com