Page 12 of Fair Play
“I’ll sleep on the couch tonight,” Bodi begins. “And you can?—”
“Don’t be ridiculous!” Billie interrupts. “You’re six feet tall. You don’t fit on a couch. I’ll sleep on the couch. It’s probably more comfortable than my air mattress anyway.”
Another uncomfortable silence follows, but we finally get to the townhouse and Bodi pulls into the garage. We unloadeverything together, leaving her desk and chair in the garage and putting her suitcases in the living room.
“We leave on a road trip day after tomorrow,” Bodi says. “So you can sleep in my room while I’m gone and that’ll give you time to figure out what to do.”
“Thank you.” Billie sighs. “Both of you. I’m really sorry about all of this, I wish I hadn’t had to drag you into it.”
“I’m always going to be there for you, Billie.” Bodi squeezes her arm.
“I know.” She sinks onto the couch and then spies our abandoned Chinese food. “Is this dinner?”
“Itwas,” Bodi chuckles. “Probably cold now.”
“That’s what microwaves are for,” she responds. “Can I have some?”
“I’ll split mine with you.”
“Thanks!” She jumps up, taking the bag with her.
Bodi and I follow and the three of us warm up our dinner and then wind up splitting everything three ways. I even give her half of my egg roll, and she drowns it in duck sauce before taking a bite.
“Yum!” Her eyes twinkle with something I can’t quite identify, like she’s just enjoying the moment, all the previous discomfort forgotten.
And it’s fucking adorable.
She’sadorable.
Okay, that’s a lie. She’s sexy. As fuck.
She’s got on sweats and a hoodie, no makeup, and her hair’s in some messy ponytail—nothing like the vixen I met at Blue Thunder—but the curves are still there. The tiny waist. Round breasts bouncing as she walks. And a small gold hoop in her pierced eyebrow. I’m not a big fan of body piercings but it’s different on Billie—it’s intriguing and… sensual. It makes me wonder what it would be like to kiss and suck on it.
Then there are her eyes. Blue as the sky, with long dark lashes that indicate she might not be a natural blond.
Not that I give a shit about her hair color.
She’s simply beautiful.
But I’m pretty sure she’s off-limits, and if I’m honest, that’s fine with me. I have enough issues with my own family. I definitely don’t need to get involved in whatever’s going on with hers.
We’re standing at the counter in the kitchen, eating in companionable silence, and the tension seems to finally leave the two of them.
“I’m going to take a shower,” Billie says once she’s done. “The one I tried to take earlier was rudely interrupted. And then I’m going to read for a while. Is that okay?”
“Make yourself at home,” Bodi says. “I’m going to bed soon too.”
“Thanks.” She disappears and he starts cleaning up the remnants of dinner.
“Listen, Rome, we need to talk about something.”
Uh oh.
I already know what’s coming and I steel myself.
“What’s up?” I ask, trying to keep my voice casual.
“My sister’s off-limits.”
