Page 45 of Time to Bounce

Athena stiffened and twisted, reaching for the door handle.

I caught her before she could get her hand on the knob, pressing her up against the door with my body.

Fuck, but she was in another damn dress.

Though this one was longer, all the way down to her ankles.

It was flowy, while also covering nearly everything.

The only real skin I saw were her toes peeking out of the overflowing material at her feet, her arms from about elbow down, and the V of her chest where her dress plunged down into her cleavage.

I’d been enraptured with it since I’d seen her wearing it a few hours ago.

I tried really hard not to inspect how well the material fit against her skin.

If she turned just right, would I see a glimpse of her nipple?

I…

“Are you there?” Callena asked.

Callena was a great person.

I liked her a lot.

Had I met her a few years ago, I might’ve gone for it with her.

But I hadn’t met her a few years ago.

I’d met her six months ago.

And that was after I’d met Athena.

Athena, who was angry and spitting mad, but still trying to keep quiet enough that Callena didn’t hear her.

“Yes,” I said as I placed my phone down on the bookshelf next to Quaid’s door.

I accidentally knocked over a photo of him and his wife and couldn’t have cared less.

Maybe I’d fix it on the way out.

“Okay, great!” Callena chirped. “Where would you like to meet?”

“Oh,” I paused as I ran one blunt finger down the length of the V along Athena’s chest. “I was agreeing that I could hear you. Not that I’d like to meet. I’m busy today, Callena. But thank you for thinking of me. You should ask Tyrone. I know he’d love to go.”

“Oh,” she sounded distant, but Athena whirled around, leaned forward, and bit me on the collarbone.

I hissed in a breath, loving the way she’d just done that.

I loved even more that when she pulled back, there was more than just anger in her eyes.

“I gotta go, Callena,” I said. “Bye.”

I didn’t bother hanging up.

Hopefully she did that on her own, because I seemed to have my hands full when Athena tried to twist out of my hold and once again reached for the door.

“Let me talk to you,” I urged. “I just want to talk.”