AllFreeNovel
Share Us
His eyes went to her pouty lips, highlighted in red. Her big brown eyes were rimmed with smoky black makeup, her hair a loose waterfall around her shoulders. Her red dress hugged every delicious curve, ending right below her knees. The long sleeves and deep V was the perfect neckline for her large chest. The fabric showed the softness of her stomach, the thickness of her thighs, and goddamn if Archer didn’t want to get on his knees and pray.
He cleared his throat, trying to compose himself. He put his hands in front of his pants, an immature move at trying to hide his erection.
“Hi, if you let me in, I’ll take care of your smoke alarm.”
“Is this a trick?”
He gave her a cocky grin. “Do you want it to be?”
She rolled her eyes and opened the door fully. “If it means I never have to see your stupid face again, please.”
Archer picked up the stool and brought it in with him, heading straight for the white disc placed directly in front of her stove.
“This the fucker?”
“You know it.”
Archer watched her walk away, her ass the most glorious sight he’d laid eyes on… well, ever.
He shook his head. Jesus Christ, he needed to get his shit straight and stop creeping on the one girl he wanted nothing to do with and who wanted nothing to do with him.
Kicking the stool out, he climbed and twisted the smoke detector. It was definitely illegal to tamper with it, but he stopped caring a long time ago about following every rule. Breaking this one would not only save Molly and the firefighting crew time on an unnecessary call, but it would also ensure he and Molly rarely — if ever — saw each other.
Just how he told himself he liked it.
Archer placed the disc on the counter, trying to ignore the pit in his stomach at the idea of not seeing her regularly. He folded the stool, leaned it against the counter, and walked down a long hallway. The light was on in what he suspected was the bathroom, the door open and humming coming from it.
“Are you singing Let Me Love You by Mario?” He leaned against the doorjamb, watching as Molly leaned forward in the mirror and put on another coat of mascara. She glared at him through the mirror before turning, wand in hand, eyes flashing.
“So what if I am?”
He raised his hands. “Hey, now. That is a fucking banger of a song. I’m just surprised, is all.”
She scoffed and turned back to the bathroom counter, capping her mascara and getting her powder. Molly didn’t say anything, didn’t look at him as she finished getting ready.
Archer watched for a moment. He’d always loved watching women put on make-up. It was like they were showing a vulnerable side of themselves, with cream smeared on their cheeks or weird colors not blended on their eyelids. He thought it was sweet when women allowed him a view into their world, and he appreciated that Molly hadn’t kicked him out.
Not yet, at least.
“So I, uh, I left the detector on your counter.”
“Awesome, thanks.” Her lips were spread back while she reapplied her lipstick. She smacked her lips together, cleaning the edges with her finger, making a sultry face in the mirror.
And catching his eye.
He could swear there was a hint of pleasure in her face at catching him watching her sexy pout, but she didn’t give in that easy.
“I said thanks, you can leave now. You know where the door is.”
He pursed his lips and nodded. It annoyed him that, in some way, by fixing her smoke detector, he’d let her win.
She clearly liked to play games, and he just lost round one.
38
June re-read Dragan’s text, trying to figure out where he was taking her on their first real date.
While they still hadn’t had a conversation, he had texted asking her out and to dress fancy. She wasn’t sure how fancy — she hadn’t seen him in a suit since their high school Honor Society induction — and she could swear he only owned two well-worn button downs: one navy, one gray.
