He raises his eyebrows. “I have to say this a surprising development.”
My face flames red. “Unless you don’t want to! I didn’t mean that we have to, I just thought after last night, maybe—”
He leans so close to me that I stop talking. “After last night, how could you think I would have any objection to this arrangement? I want nothing more than to take you to bed…” He trails off, his hand landing on my thigh and inching higher and higher. “I want nothing more than to kiss you, taste you, take my time with you.”
My core is about to spontaneously combust, and if I don’t get out of the car soon, I’m going to be dry humping him again, and that just wouldn’t be classy—not in the parking lot drop-off lane. “So that’s a yes?”
A flash of something in his eyes makes me nervous. “Andi, you’re gorgeous. You know I want you.” He slips his hand underneath my shirt, his fingers brushing against my stomach. “But I like you too much to not be honest.”
“I’m not asking for anything more,” I say, feeling the sting of rejection before it hits. I try to ward it off. “I’m just volunteering my opinion that we should have sex. If you don’t want to, just say no. It’s not a big deal, honestly.”
“I don’t know if I’m going to get traded or not. Jocelyn hasn’t even decided if she wants to take me on as a client, so everything’s up in the air. I just can’t get into a serious relationship right now.”
“I understand that. I don’t want one either.”
“I know you say that, but—”
“Look,” I interrupt. “I have to get to class, but I’m an adult woman. I make my own money, follow my own passions, and sleep with whomever I want. If you don’t want to get involved with me, that’s fine. I was just offering because based on what happened last night, I thought we might have a good time, but if you’re not interested, just say so. I’m a big girl.”
“I am interested—”
“Hold on, please,” I interrupt. “I know you don’t want a girlfriend, and if I say I don’t want to date you, I mean it too. This is a two-way street, got it?”
“Understood.” He nods. “To be clear, whether or not I end up in Los Angeles, we are not agreeing to do anything more than hang out and have some fun together.”
“Exactly,” I say. “We’ll have some fun until the wedding, and then I’ll come back to LA and focus on school and comedy while you focus on hockey. No pressure for anything.”
“No pressure.”
I extend a hand, and eventually, he extends his own with a smile. As we clasp hands, he hesitates. “What is it this time?” I ask. “Don’t tell me you’re backing out now.”
“I completely forgot one of the reasons I showed up this morning.”
“It wasn’t to bring me coffee?”
“It was, but…I came to tell you that my flight home is tomorrow. Yes, I realize this is horrible timing, but when I saw you, I forgot everything I’d come to say. I have to head back to the Cities for preseason training.”
“Oh.”
“I want to see you again,” he says. “Are you sure you can’t come out to the party tonight?”
“I’ll call you after my show,” I tell him again. “That’s the best I can do, sorry.”
He shakes his head. “I understand, I just…” He looks down at his lap, where there’s a distinct outline of his magical staff, and it is raring to go. “Do you see what you do to me? I need to see you tonight—or better yet, skip this class. We only have twenty-four hours left together until I leave. After today, I probably won’t see you until the wedding.”
“Crap!” I glance at the clock. “I’m late again!”
I fling open the door, wave, and hightail it toward the building. My brain isn’t thinking. I realize once I near the doors that it might’ve been rude to leave him like that, all ready to go after driving all the way over to see me. I run the few steps back to the car, knock on the window, and gesture for him to roll it down.
He does, and I stick my head in there. “Sorry to run,” I say. Then I point to the outline in his pant leg. “Hold that thought, okay? We’ll find time. I promise.”
“We’d better,” he says. “Or I’m taking you with me tomorrow.”
“That’s kidnapping.”
“Get to class before I kidnap you right now,” he says with a wink.
I laugh then wave as I make my way to the front doors.
I walk into the room five minutes late and receive a death stare from my professor.
Worth it.
CHAPTER 24
Ryan
That girl catches me off guard more than anyone in the country. On the planet. In the whole damn universe.
Last night after Andi left, I went upstairs to take a shower—a cold one. It didn’t work, even after I took care of myself twice.
This morning, it happened again. Another cold shower, a frustrated breakfast in which both Lilia and Lawrence told me to pull the stick out of my ass and stop acting like a jerk, and I knew I had to see her. I didn’t care if I had to drive across town; the only cure for my mood was the sight of her smile, the curve of her lips, those lights blinking on in her eyes when she caught sight of me standing at the car.
I hadn’t bargained on her updating our entire arrangement, but what can I say? Maybe my fingers are magic. I’m sure her mouth and her hands are magic, too. I certainly intend to find out.
Currently I’m sitting in traffic with a hard-on that won’t quit and the image of her smile burned into my mind.
Friends with benefits, I think to myself. I like the sound of it.
Except the friends part. I don’t want her as a friend; I want her all to myself. I’m possessive, and having her part time just isn’t going to work for me.
So, I have between now and the wedding to find a way to prove it to her.
I’ll start with tonight.
Andi can’t come to the party because she has a show; well, I’ll bring the party to her.
“Lawrence,” I speak into Lilia’s bluetooth—she let me borrow her car today since mine’s still dented and damaged, but I won’t tell Andi that. “How do you feel about kicking off the festivities at a comedy club tonight?”
“What?” he asks.
“Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.”
CHAPTER 25
Andi
I’m standing backstage and my nerves are shot.
I can hear people out there. Real, live people.
Something is wrong. There are never people at my shows.
“What the hell is happening out there?” I ask Lisa, who’s primping next to me backstage. “Did a group of tourists get lost and end up in here?”
Bartender Rick calls backstage. “Andi, are you almost ready to go on? You’ve got a full house tonight.”
“Why, Rick?” I turn to him, throwing my hands up in the air. “Why do we have a full house tonight? I didn’t bring anyone. You didn’t either, did you, Lisa?”