Page 32 of Buried Treasure
Sydney directed him towards her kitchen table. "Throw it on the back of one of those chairs."
Andy swaggered a bit as he took his coat off, making Sydney feel better about him staying at her place. Between the beer and the late hour, he needed some rest before driving through the confusing streets of Detroit to the suburbs.
"Blankets," she said, holding out her hands. "I don't have extra pillows so you're going to have to make do with one from my bed."
She saw a flicker of something behind his eyes as he walked towards her that she really couldn't figure out. Did he like pillows that much? Does he not have his own at his place? Or was there something special about her pillows? Sydney quickly pushed that thought out of her head. There was no way he was one of those guys who would like the smell of her vanilla shampoo — or was he?
He walked over to the sofa and dropped the pillow down before unfolding the blanket.
"This seems like it's really warm."
"It is," she said. "In fact, I hope you don't get too hot. Lucy bought it for me thinking that I don't use a furnace or something."
Andy gently smiled at her joke and smoothed the blanket out over her couch. And no, she did not check out his ass while he made up her couch on his own instead of her offering to help him. She also didn't watch his arms move in his gray Henley shirt as he untied his sneakers and gently slid them under her coffee table.
"Oh!" she said, making both of them jump. "Sorry, but I remembered I have something else for you."
She ran into her bathroom and began rummaging around under her sink before she finally found what she was looking for.
"Toothpaste!" she said triumphantly as she returned to the living room. "And a toothbrush too. Just be warned that I got it for free from my dentist and it's pink. I hope you don't mind."
"I don't mind," Andy said as he got from the couch to grab it from her.
"The bathroom is down the hall. I can leave the light —"
Andy's lips. Andy's lips were on hers. For as much as he seemed laid back most times, this kiss was anything but that. It was soft but determined as the palm of his hand caressed her cheek to direct her where he wanted her. His other hand threaded itself into her hair to angle her head so he could deepen their connection, eliciting a soft instinctual moan from Sydney. It was deserved. Sydney couldn't remember the last time she had been kissed like this. Strong and slow and hot as all hell.
Earlier that night, she had noticed that he left his shirt unbuttoned at the collar and had a quick thought pop into her head of what that skin on his chest felt like. It was a fleeting moment that she quickly pushed away. But now with his lips on hers, that thought forced its way back into her mind. She finally gave her hands permission to move, her fingers sliding up the fabric of his shirt, reaching to gently graze that warm spot exposed by his unbuttoned collar.
But just as her hand got there, he pulled away. It was only a slight move at first, his breath heavy against her cheeks as he stared at her with his piercing blue eyes. Then the moment was gone.
"I'm sorry." He let his hands fall from her body and took two steps away from her, leaving every part of her that had touched him cold and exposed. "I am so sorry," he repeated.
"It's fine."
"I didn't mean to do that." He ran his fingers through his hair and hesitated before turning to give her an apologetic look. "I mean, not that I wouldn't want to kiss you or anything. It's just that, you know, you were there with a toothbrush for me, and I don't know why a toothbrush would make me want to kiss you."
She couldn't help but smile at him. His fumbling was pretty adorable and she couldn't remember the last time any man had reacted to her like that.
"You can still have the toothbrush, Andy."
He took a hesitant step towards her, quickly snatching the toothbrush and toothpaste out of her hand before recoiling as if her skin was dangerous to touch. Then he stared down at his hands, too flustered to even look at her.
"I thought about our first kiss, and I promise you it did not involve a free toothbrush from your dentist."
She took a tentative step towards him and when he didn't move back, she took another one. She wanted so much to touch the texture of his shirt again, finally allowing herself to reach out and gently grab his arm. His bicep flexed in response, sending a shiver down her spine. It was a damn good bicep.
"It's really OK," she said reassuringly.
He nodded and gave her a sheepish smile. "I should probably get some sleep."
"Yeah, of course," she said with a nod. "We both need some sleep, don't we?"
"Yeah."
He stepped out of her reach and her hands once again felt cold without being able to touch him. Instead, she wrapped them around herself, trying to get herself warm again.
"So are you good out here?" she asked.
