“Trust me…,” he interjected. “I’ve been staring at you enough these past few days to know what you’d look like without your clothes on.”
I burst out laughing. “Quit before you get yourself into trouble, Anthony Hahn.”
He chuckled. “I know you meant to scold me, but why does it sound hot when you use my full name? I think you should say it again.”
I rolled my eyes and fought back a smile, deciding not to say anything at all.
“Do you have any idea what I’d do to you if you’d let me?” His voice was so serious that I paused with my sponge at the back of my neck, imagining it.
“Nope. But why don’t you tell me,” I said by accident…kind of.
His tone was different when he answered – deeper, breathier. “Or….you could let me show you?”
At first I couldn’t even think, imagining the way his hands would feel against my skin, remembering what it was like to kiss him, but then I sobered up quickly. I didn’t want to mention Kira’s name out loud because it would ruin the mood, but in the back of my mind, I knew that neither AJ nor I were willing to put any of these words into action because of his relationship. However, he wasn’t acting like any of that mattered at the moment. All he seemed to be focused on was me.
“You should let me come over,” he managed to say without sounding like he was begging.
I rinsed my sponge and pulled the plug to drain my water. “Or not,” I said playfully while blowing out my candles. “Besides, you’re probably already stretched out on that super-comfy air mattress of yours,” I joked as I wrapped myself in my favorite purple towel and walked to my room to find some pajamas.
“Let me come over,” he said casually once again.
I looked at myself in the mirror over my dresser while I listened to the silence on the other end of the phone.
“AJ….”
When he didn’t respond, I cocked my head to the side. “You’re serious, aren’t you?” I quickly realized that our game had transitioned into a real-life dilemma. I honestly thought he was just talking junk for hell of it.
“I’m definitely not playing,” he laughed softly. “Is that a yes?”
His persistence did something to me.
“I….wait…come over for what?” I asked naively.
This amused him even more. “Because I’m tired of wondering.”
I ran my hand down the side of my neck anxiously while trying to deny how badly I wanted to give in and invite him over. The moment we shared in the hallway the night before confirmed that the chemistry I thought we revisited on the dance floor at the reception wasn’t a fluke. The spark between us was still very much present…making him coming here a terrible idea.
“Wondering what?” I finally asked, biding myself some time while searching for a substantial response.
AJ’s next statement made my heart stop cold in my chest, sending me into a frozen state of shock when he replied with a challenge of sorts: “Open the door and find out.”
Chapter Fifteen
Sam
Instantly, my eyes darted through the dark living room, to the entrance of my apartment. Sure enough, a shadow blotted out the sliver of light that should’ve been streaming beneath the door from the hallway. With silent footsteps, I crept to the window and peered down to the street below. Seeing AJ’s car parked beside the sidewalk gave me a hot flash.
“But….,” I stammered. “When did you…I thought…”
“Are you gonna let me in?” He asked, shutting me up instantly.