“Sure, I’m free.” I returned to reading my menu, but inwardly, I was still freaking out. Would Allie suspect my attraction for her brother? Would she be able to read it all over my face as soon as I looked at Cannon? For that matter, might Cannon give the game away? He hadn’t exactly been subtle about wanting to fuck me . . .
The waiter came by and we ordered, and then it took me a moment to realize Allie was speaking to me.
“Have you signed up yet?” she asked.
“For?” I chewed on my lip, wondering exactly how much of this conversation I’d missed while having dirty thoughts about her brother. I’m a terrible friend.
“The new dating app I told you about.”
I groaned. That app wasn’t for dating so much as no-strings-attached hookups. But I didn’t think Allie had gotten that memo along with the rest of America. Before she’d met James, Allie had found some success with it, going out with four different guys in as many weeks—and spilling all the juicy details about each encounter. Even though she was in a serious relationship now, that didn’t stop her from wanting to live vicariously through me.
“I know you ultimately want to find true love one day . . . we all do. But this is just practice. While you’re waiting for Mr. Right, that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy some hot sex.”
“I don’t know, Allie. I’m not really comfortable with the idea of banging a perfect stranger.”
“He wouldn’t be a stranger. You’d e-mail, text, and chat first. Nothing would happen until you were comfortable.”
I fiddled with my napkin while I felt Allie’s gaze on me. My last relationship had ended over a year ago, and I hadn’t been with anyone since my ex. I knew she was trying to help me—and God knew how badly I craved sex sometimes—but it was still irritating to feel like the subject of an emergency intervention.
Did she think all my problems would go away if I jumped on some magical healing cock? A one-night stand wouldn’t be helpful or even fun for me; I just wasn’t wired like that. I’d be a nervous wreck, convinced I was going to end up on the evening news because my date was a serial killer, or worse, that he’d see the dimples in my butt and freak out.
She leaned in closer and placed her hand over mine. “It’s just to get you back on the horse. I worry about you sometimes, Paigey. All you do is work these days.”
I went to the gym sometimes too, but I doubted that was going to get her off my back. “I’ll think about it,” I said as two massive salads were delivered to our table. Seriously, who could eat this much salad?
I felt my to-do list growing. Not only did I need to resist Cannon’s charms, but I needed to find a way to keep Allie off my back about dating, go to a charity gala with her and my new secret crush without her discovering anything, and choose a new office manager at work. My stomach tightened, and I pushed the uneaten salad around on my plate.
My lunch with Allie was supposed to calm me, but I felt more anxious than ever.
Chapter Seven
Cannon
“Found a place to live yet?” Peter asked.
Peter was a nurse anesthetist at the hospital I work at. He was a few years older than me, and in some ways, he treated me like a little brother. We met my first week at the hospital and just clicked. When he got married to his boyfriend of a decade last year, I was one of the groomsmen. And when I needed a place to crash after getting evicted from my apartment this week, he offered to let me crash at this place. But I knew that wasn’t a long-term solution. I didn’t want to impose on the newlyweds.
I nodded. “I’ve been staying with my sister’s friend Paige.” My sister’s very hot friend who I wanted to nail. I was pretty sure I’d been walking around all day half hard. Guess it was a good thing he hadn’t noticed.
“Gotcha.” He nodded. “How’s that going?”
“It’s good. It’s just taking some adjustment. I just moved in yesterday, and I’ve lived alone for a while, you know?” And now I had to deal with the soft feminine scent of her shampoo in the bathroom, and watching her parade around in yoga pants and talk in gibberish to her dog. She was maddeningly hot and she didn’t even know it.
“I still don’t understand,” Peter said, bending down to tie his bright purple tennis shoe. “How could they just kick you out of your place?”
He was right. My rent check was always on time, and I was quiet and neat. But the personal drama that tagged along with me was apparently more than my landlord wanted to handle. I shrugged. Having your place vandalized four times in six months and broken into twice was a bit excessive.
“Doesn’t matter,” I muttered. I actually liked being near Paige. Maybe too much.
“So, tell me about your new roomie. Do we like her?” Peter grinned.
“Fuck off,” I muttered, stalking away from Peter and his laughter echoing in the halls of the hospital.
? ? ?
True to her word, Paige returned home from work a few minutes after five.
“In here,” I called from the kitchen. Enchilada hovered around my feet, poised to snatch any fallen scraps.
She set down a laptop bag on the dining table, her gaze reluctantly dragging over to mine. “Hi.”