“Thanks.” I gave him a half smile.
“You’re welcome.” He kissed the tip of my nose and stepped into the hall. “Now go do something with yourself. You look dreadful.” He pulled the door closed in my face.
I shook my head. I should be used to that by now.
What was I going to do with myself today?
I stretched out my aching muscles and cleaned up my apartment before showering. My stomach grumbled, reminding me I hadn’t eaten more than a little moo shu in the last two days. I opened the refrigerator, and scanned the shelves. Not even an egg.
Great.
I let out a huff, gathering my belongings to make a trip to the store when my cell phone pinged with a text.
Come open the door.
I stopped cold in my tracks and felt all the blood drain from my face.
Blake.
He was here? Opening the door just a crack, I peered out with one keen eyeball. Nothing.
What the hell?
I peeled back the door and poked my head out, looking around the empty hallway. He must have sent the text to the wrong person. Feeling a sense of relief, I locked the door behind me, smiling at his choice of names for himself, but with an ache in my belly at how we’d left off.
“Hey, James.” I waved.
“Hi there, Miss Eva.” He returned my greeting with a warm smile.
I hurried out the front door and tried unsuccessfully to stop short before tripping over the broad shoulders seated on the top step.
Blake twisted, dropping the bags he had clutched in his hands, and caught me as I fell over his shoulder and onto his lap. “Whoa,” he huffed out, just as surprised as I was. His eyes twinkled mere inches from mine. “I gotta say, I’m starting to like the way you come down a flight of stairs.”
Am I dreaming? I squeezed my eyes tight and reopened them. Nope, still there, and the hardness forming beneath me told me this was definitely reality. Warmth swarmed my cheeks, and I squirmed in an effort to move away from it.
A low growl emanated from his chest. “I strongly advise against any movement like that unless you want a very public display of exactly what it is you do to me.” He trailed his thumb along the piece of exposed flesh at my waistline, and my hips inadvertently twitched. Our faces were so close, he jutted his nose upward, tapping my own, and gave me a wink.
Sudden awareness of what was going on washed over me. I peeled my arms from around his neck and scrambled awkwardly off his lap, hopelessly trying to avoid his happy member. On hands and knees, I continued to clamber off the ground as he sat, calmly staring, dimples in full effect.
“You really are trying to kill me, I’m convinced,” I said, brushing myself off.
He threw his head back and let out a hearty chuckle, “Au contraire. I’m trying to do exactly the opposite.”
I planted my hands on my hips and narrowed my eyes at him. “What do you want?”
“Exactly what I said I wanted.” He stared up at me like I should know what that meant.
I didn’t.
He must have seen the question in my eyes because he stood up, grabbed the bags he’d tossed, and held them out to me. “I’m here to feed you.”
My mouth dropped open. Feed me? I thought we had established that whatever this was, it was over. “I’m sorry, did I miss something? I thought we were fighting.”
“We were.” He shrugged. “I got over it. And I told you, as your BFF I’m deeply concerned for your well being.” He placed a hand on his chest and forced the corners of his eyebrows together, making a show of looking overly troubled. “Now come on, chop-chop, bring me inside.” He stared at me expectantly.
I balked. “Inside? Like, my apartment?”
“Yes, inside. Like your apartment,” he repeated tiredly. “You’re gonna have to get with the program, Angel. You’re a little slow today.”
Maybe I was, but I’d missed the part where I’d agreed to be alone with him behind closed doors. Nevertheless, I found myself wearing a dazed expression and doing exactly as he said, walking up the stairs in a clouded haze, and holding the door open for him as we made our way back into the lobby.
I unlocked my door and stepped inside, signaling with my hand for him to follow me. When he stepped over the threshold, I immediately felt like Alice crowded into a small room in Wonderland.
He looked massive standing there, barely inside my doorway. I opened my mouth to tell him he should leave, but he scooted past me and made his way over to the bar that separated my living room and kitchen, and placed the bags down.
Blake unloaded the contents with his back to me, and my traitorous eyes roamed over his masculine body, from his silken hair, past his broad shoulders, down his sculpted back, and landed on the tightest, roundest, most perfect ass I’d ever seen.
He turned, and I jutted my eyes upward, but a knowing smirk played across his lips.