Page 39 of Some Like It Hot

I glance down at Elise. Her lips have parted. She can feel my erection against her, has even leaned into it a little. Confusion clouds her expression.

“Wait—” Elise pauses and looks back and forth between me and Simon. “Oh.” Understanding dawns on her. “Ooohh.” Then she grins. “Well. This just all got a lot more fun.”

“It certainly did,” Simon says.

His voice is husky, but amused.

And while my body reacts positively to that, and to Elise snuggled up against me, my brain is struggling to catch up.

“I’m confused.” Not by the obvious—she and Simon clearly just rolled out of bed. But the logistics are baffling to me. “How…why are you here in pajamas?”

“I live above the bakery. I guess I didn’t tell you that since we just met.”

Now it all makes sense. “Got it. So you put some baked goods in the oven and then went back upstairs?”

She nods. “Exactly.”

“She brought me a sample to taste.” Simon waves the muffin in his hand. “Then the alarm went off.”

“Aren’t you cold?” I ask him. He’s not even wearing shoes.

“Freezing my bloody balls off,” he agrees cheerfully.

“Here, take Aidan’s coat.” Elise tries to give him my coat, but he waves her off.

“You keep it, love. Can’t have every man on the street staring at your chest.”

“I agree.” There is a crowd gathering now. A woman walking her bulldog, an older man with a newspaper tucked under his arm, a couple of guys in their twenties in chef’s pants.

“I’ll get you a blanket,” I tell Simon, stepping back and heading to the truck.

It doesn’t bother me that Elise spent the night with Simon. If anything, I find the idea hot as hell. Especially since they both seemed happy to acknowledge we all share an attraction. But I’m not sure what any of that means.

I grab a blanket as Shelly is coming out the front door. “No one inside,” she tells me. “Just a small stovetop fire. Kitchen towel. It had already gone out on its own.”

“Good. So no real damage?”

She shakes her head. “No. Just a saucepan as a casualty and some minor smoke.”

“Elise said something about chocolate.”

Shelly nods. “Glad your friend is okay.”

“Me too.” I return to Elise and Simon and shake the blanket loose so I can drape it over his shoulders.

I could have handed him the blanket to wrap around him himself, but I want the opportunity to invade his personal space. To cement for him my intention.

It’s a miscalculation though, because once I have my arms wrapped around him and we’re staring into each other's eyes, I want to kiss him. I want to walk him back up against the brick wall and claim his mouth with mine.

His eyes darken before drifting down to my lips.

“Thanks,” he says, huskily. “I’m impressed with the fire department’s prompt and thorough efforts.”

I release his shoulders. “I’m not even on duty. Just got off for the day.”

He grins. I realize the way my words sounded.

I clear my throat and Elise reaches out and squeezes my hand.

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