Page 43 of Property of Fox

I head back towards my room. Keira’s singing getting louder and louder with each step until I open the door, and close it behind me to drown out her. Fox shifts slightly at the sound of the door closing, his eyes half-open, lashes grazing his cheekbones. “All good?” he asks, his voice a low rumble.

“You can’t tell me you didn’t hear her?"

“I can hear the chorus of her song. It’s a nice touch. Though, that part hasn’t happened yet,” he winks. “We could get to that if you don’t want to do the whole meet and greet thing.”

“Trust me, if we don’t go back out there, she will come bursting in here.”

Fox stretches and pulls himself upright, the sheet slipping down to reveal more of his skin. “Well, then, I suppose I’d better make a good impression,” he says, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed.

He stands and walks toward me, every confident stride accentuating the muscle behind his tattoos. My breath catches in my throat at the sight. He's so impossibly handsome that it feels like a crime to look at him. But more than just looks, it’s how he carries himself, like he owns every room he steps into. He grabs his jeans from the floor and hikes them up his hips where they sit deliciously low.

“On second thought, I think I want to stay here.”

“You can’t say shit like that to me.”

“Why not?” I tease, stepping back as he closes the distance between us. “You’re the one who said you’d wait in here naked.”

Fox cocks an eyebrow, his playful demeanor morphing into something more intense.

“I could still be naked,” he says, his voice dropping to a husky whisper. “The offer still stands, and I’m definitely not shy about it.”

I can feel my cheeks heat up as he closes the space between us even more. “Fox,” I manage, attempting to keep the playfulness alive despite the undeniable tension crackling between us. “This isn’t helping my nerves.”

“Good. Nerves are half the fun, aren’t they?” He steps in closer. I instinctively lean back against the wall, getting trapped between him and the wood paneling.

“BREA JUST HAD SEX!” Keira screams from the living room.

“Jesus Christ, Keira,” I yell back through the door.

“Bring him out, or I’ll bring this concert to you.”

I shake my head at her insistence to embarrass the shit out of me.

“I’m sorry. My friend is deranged.”

“It’s fine.” He cuts me off with a soft chuckle that reverberates through my chest.

“Maybe we can just?—”

“No ‘maybe.’ We’re already past that point, Brea.” His eyes flicker down my body in a way that feels both teasing and possessive. “Let’s go meet your friend, and then, you and I can slip in here and waste the rest of the day in that bed. Think you can convince her to let us have the house to ourselves?”

“I, uh, don’t know. Why?”

“I’m going to make you scream, firefly,” he whispers, his voice dripping with promise and desire. "What we did last night was just a taste of what I have planned for us in that bed."

My heart races at the implication of his words, the very idea of being wrapped up in him again making me dizzy. “You’re being ridiculous again,” I chuckle nervously.

He smiles, leaning in close enough that I can feel his breath against my ear. “And yet, you seem to like it.” He takes a step back, giving me just a moment to breathe as he runs a hand through his tousled hair. The action makes my pulse quicken again. Damn him for being so effortlessly captivating.

“Alright,” I say finally, forcing confidence into my voice. “Let’s get this over with.”

Fox laughs heartily, the sound filling the small room with an infectious energy that sends butterflies fluttering into my stomach.

As we make our way back to the living room, I can hear Keira’s voice rising over her chosen anthem. She’s now belting out lyrics with the kind of abandon only a true friend would muster without care for her audience.

I take a deep breath and follow Fox into the living room, where Keira’s dramatic performance begins to falter at the sight of us. Her eyes widen like saucers as she takes in Fox.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me, Brea. Him?”