Page 11 of Rousing Renee

“This girl is on fire!” he sang out.

It threw me into a fit of giggles that had me clutching my stomach.

“Admit it. You love my singing.”

“Only if you admit you sound like two cats fighting in the night.”

“I won’t. This voice is angelic. You’ll regret not getting my autograph now because it’ll be worth billions in a few months.”

“A few months? What’s happening between then and now?” I swallowed the laugh that threatened to come through.

“I’m going to be cold… blooded!”

Facepalm. He’d gone from Alicia Keys to Rick James.

“Sir…”

“Watch your mouth. I may be drunk, but my ears still work, and I love the way it sounds coming from the tip of your tongue. If I didn’t think you’d hit me, I’d suck it off.”

“Off?” I choked on desire as it coursed through me.

“Your fucking tongue. I clearly chose the wrong damn friend. Can’t you feel that?” he asked.

“Feel what?” I was afraid to know what he meant.

“Come here, babygirl.”

Suddenly my mouth was dry. I’d tried to ignore the fact he was shirtless and every inch of him from the waist up was on display for me to see.

“I’m fine over here, Ez-Ezra.” I stuttered his name before being able to get it out.

“Then I’ll come to you.” He stood, but it took a second for him to steady himself. When he did, he took a few steps until he stood in front of me. “Feel this…” He ran his finger down the side of my face, and my entire body seemed to go aflame. “Do you?”

“Yes…” I breathed. “I do. What do you mean by ‘chose the wrong friend’?”

“Nothing, baby. Nothing at all.” He leaned down and kissed my forehead and then my temple. “Be safe getting home. I’ll be seeing you around.” And with that, he got back into bed and moments later, he was snoring like it’d never happened.

“What the fuck?” I muttered as I walked out.

Inside my own apartment, I stood in the mirror looking between the two places he’d kissed. There were no marks or bruises, but I could still feel the way he’d branded me with his lips.

“Yes, I feel how attracted I am to you. And you must be attracted to me, but we can’t go there, Ezra. Maybe in another lifetime,” I mumbled to my reflection. “He’s off limits.”

And that’s just how it had to be.

CHAPTER 3

Renee

This is insane.

I knocked on the door to Ezra’s apartment. I was just going to see if he was okay and then go to work. It was just a friend checking on a friend. Nothing more.

“Yeah?” I heard from the other side of the door.

“Hey, I just wanted to make sure you were okay,” I shouted through the door.

“Renee? One sec.” I heard some moving around and then a few minutes later, the door was opening to him in a hoodie and khaki shorts. “Come in, babygirl.”

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