Page 9 of Exposed

A shadow darkens my doorway, and I raise my head to see Lucy in an oversized t-shirt and what looks like nothing but panties underneath.

I grin, and my cock twitches. My night just got a whole lot better. Shutting my laptop, I set it on my nightstand.

Then, I take a good look at her. She’s not trying to seduce me. Her body is poised like she’s ready to bolt.There’s no hiding the slightly darkened circles under her eyes like she hasn’t slept well in a long time.

Her eyes roam over my bare torso. “I’ve never slept with a guy on the first date. Not that this is a date,” she stammers while she plays with the hem of her shirt, and it’s endearing. “You know what I mean. Usually I’m with a guy a little while before I go that far.”

Now I feel like a dick. She thinks sex is payment for staying here. “You don’t have to sleep with me, Pepper. Don’t feel obligated because I’m giving you a place to stay. There are no strings attached to you crashing here.”

She nods. “I know, but I’m lonely.”

Her admission hits me like an anvil in the chest. Who knows how long she’s been on her own. Her vulnerability makes her seem even younger.

“Come here,” I motion her to me with two fingers, then scoot to the side of the bed and pull the covers back for her to slip inside.

“Move, girl,” I coax Shani over with my feet.

“How old are you?” I ask, hoping she’s not a teenager. She looks young, but it may be her baby face and big doe eyes.

“Twenty-two. You?”

“Twenty-seven. I get lonely, too,” I confess. “Been thinking about getting a roommate.”

Her body is tense, and she clutches her hands in her lap. She’s not ready for sex, so I throw that idea out of my head. Well, I table it. Hopefully, we can come back to it at a later date.

“Did you grow up in Florida?” I ask.

“No. Is this twenty questions? I thought you wanted tohook up with me,” she comments with her brows furrowed.

“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t hope for it. But we don’t have to. We can chill together. Do you want to hook up with me?”

“Kind of. I mean, maybe.” She fumbles her words worse than an inept football player.

“If it’s not a resounding ‘yes,’ then it’s a ‘hell, no.’ I don’t want you to regret it in the morning.”

I don’t want her sleeping with me out of obligation because I gave her a bed to sleep in. Maybe it was a mistake to invite her into my bed, but I couldn’t help myself.

“You work tomorrow?” I ask.

“Yeah.”

It’s late, and she has to carry countless trays tomorrow.

“That settles it. Let’s talk a little, then go to sleep,” I decide.

She nods in agreement. “Okay. Where did you grow up?”

“Aveline, a small island east of here. Everyone was always in each other’s business. What about you?”

“I grew up far from here.” I don’t miss the fact that she didn’t tell mewhereshe grew up. This girl is full of secrets.

She rests her head against the headboard. “Can I tell you something? This bed is amazing.”

“How long have you been sleeping in your car?” I ask.

“Two months.”

“That’s a long time to sleep in your car.”

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