Page 560 of Rock Me All Night
He looks at me. His voice softens some. "Hey. You want coffee?"
"Sure."
"Yeah, that's her. Give me a second." He sets his phone on the counter and turns to me. "How do you take it?"
"I can fix it. You should finish your phone call."
He nods to the full carafe in the coffee maker then picks up his phone. "Yeah." His shoulders tense. "Of course. You're right." He barely manages to keep his voice even. "It's a great idea. Don't know why I didn't think about it. But… I don't want this in the way of her life. I like her."
He's talking about me, telling someone—must be Aiden, the awful manager—that he likes me. The way he says it, like it's an unarguable fact, makes my stomach flutter.
I pour myself a cup of coffee and fix it with plenty of milk and sugar. Pete steps aside to finish his phone call. When he's done, he drops his cell on the table. His hands curl into fists.
"Was that about me?" I ask.
He nods and turns towards me. "Aiden."
"He really gets under your skin, huh?"
Pete rolls his shoulders. Some of the frustration falls off his face as he takes a long sip of his coffee. "Yeah."
I move closer. There are still three feet between us. But I'm close enough I can make out every detail of his bare chest. "What does he want?" I drag my eyes up his torso until they connect with his.
"Wants us to land on a few gossip sites, so everyone knows I have a nice, blond girlfriend." His brow furrows. He shakes it off then takes another sip of coffee.
"Does the blond part matter?"
"To him, probably."
"Is it your type, blonde?" I ask.
"Can't say I've ever given it thought." His eyes pass over me. His voice shifts, teasing. "I like you blond. Looks natural. Even with the inch of roots."
His lips curl into the tiniest of smiles. Already, the room feels warmer and lighter.
"Are they really that noticeable?" I tease back.
"Need a view of the top of your head to answer that."
Oh. My cheeks flush.
His smile stretches over his cheeks. He takes another step towards me. "You fluster easy."
"You underestimate yourself." I take another step towards him.
He cocks a brow.
"The way you say things like that is really sexy. I can't imagine anyone else pulling it off. Hell, if any other guy said that to me, I'd run the other direction."
"Other guys are suggesting you suck them off? Do I need to kick somebody's ass?" He slides his hand around my waist and pulls my body into his. "Fuck, you're making Aiden's idea seem reasonable."
"Would that really make you jealous?" I set my cup of coffee on the counter then do the same with his. It means I can move a little closer to him.
He nods. "Of course."
"But we're not really… I mean. We're not exactly together."
He stares back at me. "You're only with me. I'm only with you." His brow furrows. "That a problem all of a sudden?"
