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With a grumble, I set the paperback down and jump off the couch before stalking to the door and swinging it wide only to find my ex-stepbrother on the other side. A devilish grin lights up his face as if he’s thrilled to have disturbed my solitude.
“About time you answered.”
I bare my teeth and plant myself in the middle of the threshold, so he can’t saunter inside. “What do you want?”
“I’ve got a little extra time before practice and thought we could get a jumpstart on the project. The end of the semester will be here before you know it and I’d rather get as much done as possible before we start hitting the road.”
He’s right, damn him. Practice for the winter showcase will only intensify the closer we get to the date.
“Fine,” I mutter, wanting to make it clear that I’m not happy about getting stuck with him as a partner.
It’s only when his eyes meander down the length of my body that I remember I’m wearing tiny shorts that cling to me like a second skin and an athletic bra.
How is it possible for the heat of his gaze to feel more like a physical caress? It’s tempting to cross my arms over my chest to shield his view, but I’ll be damned if I give him the satisfaction of knowing that he made me self-conscious.
His voice drops a few octaves. “Are you going to let me in or what?”
The deep timbre of it is enough to send arousal flooding my core.
My mouth dries as I jerk my shoulders into a careless shrug before reluctantly taking a step back and waving him in. He saunters past me into the compact living and dining room space. I make sure to give him a wide berth as I head to my bedroom to grab my computer and the handout that describes the project in more depth.
“I’ll be right back.”
It’s only when I pick up the laptop from my desk and spin around that I realize Ford has followed me. His gaze travels around the room, taking in all the posters and photos that cover the walls. There are fluffy pillows on the queen-sized bed along with an oversized Squishmallow. There’s a ton of makeup tubes, bottles, and compacts cluttering the top of the desk along with a pile of discarded outfits from the weekend thrown haphazardly over the back of the chair.
“Let’s work at the table in the other room. It’ll be more comfortable.”
“Nah. Here is fine.”
Before the last word leaves his lips, he throws himself onto the bed and stretches out, stacking his hand behind his head. I hate how much the movement makes his biceps pop.
I force my attention away as my pulse quickens. “Don’t get too comfortable.”
My grumbled-out comment makes his simmering smile turn into more of a slow grin. It’s one that can melt the iciest of hearts.
Mine included.
I refocus my attention on the rubric. The sooner we get this over with, the quicker I can kick his ass out of here and get back to my novel. “We need to come up with a product and then develop a marketing plan that includes research, SWOT analysis, objectives, target market segmentation, strategies, an implementation plan, along with a way to measure and evaluate what we’ve done.”
“Sounds easy enough.”
I snort.
What it sounds like is a lot of work.
Even though I refuse to admit it to Ford, he’s probably spot on in his assessment of Cameron. I would have got stuck doing all the heavy lifting. And considering that I have four other classes, and I’m still fine tuning my routine for the showcase, I won’t have the time to take on a project of this magnitude alone.
My ex-stepbrother might be a lot of things, but a slacker isn’t one of them.
“The first order of business is to come up with a product we can sell,” I say.
Ford chews his lower lip as he stares silently at the ceiling. There’s a slight furrow to his brow. The urge to smooth it out is so strong that I have to tighten my fingers, so I don’t do exactly that.
The kiss we shared the other day nudges its way into my brain. I hate to admit just how much it’s been lurking there.
Unaware of the dangerous thoughts circling through my head, he says, “What about a product for kids who play hockey? Like a rectangular board that’s six foot in length and slippery. It can be utilized two different ways. One, you wear a pair of socks and work on lengthening your stride and two, you could use it with a puck to practice stick skills.”
He turns his head just enough for his gaze to fasten onto mine.
