Page 82 of Destined To Fall

“You’re really hot.”

Jeremy chuckles drunkenly.“Nice of you to notice.”

“Yeah, you’re real smoking. I’m putting you to bed, then cooling you off.”

“Party pooper.” I ease Jeremy back onto the bed, and he collapses against the pillows, muttering into them.“You’re so soft and billowy.”

I shake my head, chuckling as he gropes the pillow, and begin the hunt for ice, turning off the faucets on my way. I come back a few minutes later with a dish towel and a bag full of ice cubes.

“It’s so hot. I’m so hot.”

“Shh, this will help.” He swats at my hand, pushing the makeshift cold compress away.

“Naked. We should do that. That’ll help.”

I laugh—how can I not?—thenhe starts taking off his T-shirt, and I lose all train of thought. Until he grips his slacks, that is.

“You’re determined to give me gray hair, aren’t you? Enough with the stripping.”

“You should have come to dinner with my family,” he huffs, falling back on the bed, and I try not to ogle his bare chest any more than I already have. It’s carved to perfection, just as I’ve imagined.

“What?”

“I spent the whole time thinking you should be here. Or there?”

I smile, remembering the two-hour conversation about his eventful evening with his sister and father after Thanksgiving. He neglected to mention that tidbit.

“Even though it would have been weird.”

“Weirder than it already was?”

“Mmm hmm.” Closing his eyes, he mumbles, and I take the lapse in concentration to press the dish towel to his forehead.“You’ve slept with my father.”

“Jer—”

“But it doesn’t matter. Well, it does. It did. It should…I forget. Whatwas I saying?”

“Shh, you don’t know what you’re saying.”

“No, no. I know I still like you. My sister would like you too. You’re both…stubborn and…funny.”

“I prefer willful.”

“And have…have gooey centers.”

I laugh, readjusting the ice.“I don’t have a center, Jer. Gooey or otherwise.”

Opening his eyes, he takes my hand, pulling the compress from his forehead, and pierces me with such lucidity.

“Then why are you here?”

“Like I said, I’m a sucker for invalids. And I need my running crony.”

“I do like to watch your ass when you run.” His smile is impish as his eyes drift closed again.“It’s hypnotic.”

A snort slips out at that.“Trust you to be all adulatory when half delirious.”

“Mmm.”

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