Page 23 of Stick Work

“This was fun.” Her voice is light but tired. “But now I need a long, hot shower.”

“A shower… and then bed,” I say, my voice low, almost a command.

In the stillness of the night, her throat makes a gurgling sound as she swallows. “Yeah,” she murmurs, her voice softer now. “Bed.”

“Bed,” I echo, the word lingering between us and teasing my cock.

She glances at me, her lips twitching. “Acting like we’re a real couple.”

I tilt my head, a smirk on my lips. “Without the direct benefits.” Her eyes spark with something I can’t identify. A challenge? Curiosity? Maybe both. Before I can stop myself, the words are out there: “Unless…you think…”

7

Taylor

I laugh it off like he’s teasing, because he is teasing, right? I mean, he has to be teasing. He knows as well as I do we can’t do anything, and that sudden kiss was only because his grandmother was watching. Sure it was the hottest kiss I’d ever experienced, and sure it left me achy and needy and confused, but it was just for show, which means I need to get my hormones under control. I almost snort as I continue to laugh, because when it comes to improvising, no lessons were needed in that moment.

The man kissed me like it was his damn job.

As I practically bend over laughing, Elias goes statue still, just staring at me as I make a fool of myself. Just as I pull myself together, my laugh about to die down, he grins from ear to ear, letting me know he was playing. Thank God.

Or not.

He walks away and opens the door. “Let’s get inside.” I step up to him on wobbly legs, and he adjusts the towel around me to keep me warm. The house is quiet when we step in, the only sound coming from a TV in the back room.

“’Night,” he calls out, and I do the same. His parents both return the good night and wish us a good sleep as we head upstairs. I’m still shivering, but now I think it’s because I’m about to crawl into bed with the man who was just joking about us having…sex.

Ack.

“Go jump in the shower first,” he tells me as he knots the towel around his waist.

“I’ll be fast.” I hurry to the shower and quickly turn it on. Once it’s hot, I jump in and remember I left my body scrub in my bag. I pick up a bottle from the shower tray and pop it open. God, it smells like Elias. If I wash myself with this and go to bed, I’m going to smell like him all night and that’s a temptation a girl doesn’t need.

But, since I have no choice, I pour it into my hands and run them over my body. The pleasant smell envelopes me and while I want to linger, Elias is waiting to wash up, not to mention the fact that a big bed awaits us. I rinse off, grab a towel and since I forgot to bring pajamas into the bathroom with me, I wrap it around myself. Opening my cosmetic bag, I grab my toothbrush and paste, quickly cleaning my teeth. Once I’m done, I step into the other room.

With his back to me, Elias flips through a book, the muscles in his broad shoulders moving in a way that’s downright distracting. I’m not even trying to pretend I’m not staring. How could I? He might be almost ten years older than me, but he’s in his prime, and, dammit, I want him.

Suddenly, he turns around, faster than I can react. I whip around to face my dresser, heart hammering like I’ve just been caught stealing one of his prized trophies from the shelf.

“That was fast,” he says.

“Low maintenance,” I quip, yanking open a drawer, but my voice comes out low, husky—basically a dead giveaway. I clear my throat, pretending it’s no big deal.

“I’ve always liked that about you.”

I freeze for half a second, then snatch out my pajama shorts and a T-shirt. “Oh yeah?”

“Not much into drama,” he murmurs, and there’s something shadowed in his tone, a flicker of a story that’s been kept from me.

“Funny,” I say, trying to keep it light. “I study drama, and backstage, I’m a complete diva.” To prove my point, I wave my pajamas wildly.

He chuckles, and it’s the kind of sound that makes my knees feel like jelly. “I have no doubt you’re easy to work with.”

Work.

I’ll let you two get to work.

Oh, Grandma, you sly, meddling genius…get out of my head.

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