Page 3 of Trouble
While deciding what to do next, I went over to the sink, turning on the faucet ready to wash my hands. There was a lull on the radio station I had been listening too and I heard the sounds of heels on cement behind me. Maybe Ms. Woods had come back to take me up on my non-offer. Grabbing a towel, I whipped around ready to tell whatever woman had ventured into the garage that we were closed, and she couldn’t be in there.
The last person I expected to see standing there was Lyla Cash.
I shook my head, wondering for a moment whether I was hallucinating. My imagination had been running riot while I worked. Had I managed to conjure up what I’d been thinking about?
She stood in the center of the floor, like some sort of vision with her hands on her hips, wearing a camel-colored trench coat, black leather knee high boots and what appeared to be very little else in between. The way her breasts strained against the top buttons of the coat sent my imagination into overdrive. I opened and closed my eyes slowly, to make sure I wasn’t fantasizing. I bumped into the edge of the desk as I moved towards her and the corner jabbed painfully into my thigh, confirming my conscious state.
I raked my gaze the length of her body, lingering on the skin between the hem of her coat and the top of her boots. Her black hair fell artfully around her shoulders in tumbling waves, and she twisted a lock around her finger, almost absently, maybe provocatively.
Suddenly, my jeans were way too tight and constrictive.
Trying to keep composed, I licked my lips and chose my words carefully. “Lyla, you know better,” I growled as she stepped closer. Shifting uncomfortably, I held the towel over my crotch to hide my growing erection. Her eyes fell to the exact thing I was trying to hide, and I swear I saw a glint of mischief in her expression.Concentrate, Maddox, focus on breathing, in and out, in and out. She can’t see you like this.
The coat slipped up her legs as she moved toward me, treating me to a glimpse of her thighs, smooth, tan and longer than I remembered. I took another deep breath, trying to think of anything else but her.
It was impossible. She consumed me.
There she was.
My forbidden fruit.
I felt powerless to stop whatever was about to happen next.
Her full lips were a perfect pout, highlighted with a wet-look siren red gloss. I knew exactly how dangerous it could be if I let it get out of control, I didn’t need more signals.Jesus, Maddox, keep it together. If I could just sit down.I shuffled behind the desk and slid into the chair, trying to hide my obvious arousal.
“I know better?” She gave a throaty laugh as she answered my question, which made my dick harden even more.Shit, this was getting painful.“I know better than to walk into your garage area? I know better than to come here without Andre? What?” She cocked her head to one side and tossed her long black hair over her shoulder. All I could do was shake my head and stare as I tried to formulate an answer to her questions. “All of the above?” I managed, lamely.
I wasn’t sure if she could tell I liked her. There was one surefire way she’d know right now—if I stood up again.
For years, I’d teased her or cut her down whenever she’d been around us. The way I snapped at her in front of Andre probably had her thinking I hated her, when it couldn’t have been further from the truth. On the rare occasions we had been alone, usually while I was waiting for Dre before a night out, we’d chatted about banal subjects, school, work, our friends, never anything too personal. When I’d been in middle school, I stayed over at Dre’s one night and caught her getting changed with the door open. I’d been instantly smitten. She was only two years younger than us, which according to health class meant we were on just the same level. And my God, I’d wanted her from that moment on, but I respected Andre too much to do anything to jeopardize our friendship.
Over the years I’d gotten distracted by her violet eyes and developing body. Hell, I was still side-tracked by her now. I’d watched her blossom right in front of me; too chicken shit to do anything about it.
Exactly like I was right now. I dragged my gaze from the top button of her coat up to those extraordinary eyes. “What do you want, Lyla? I’ve got work to do.” I folded my arms across my chest as I lied. My tone was deliberately harsh, as I tried to keep up the pretense of disliking her. It was getting harder.Exactly like my cock.
“I have a proposition for you,” she announced. “Hear me out, and then, if you don’t like what I have to say, I’ll leave you alone.”
