Page 9 of Up in Flames

His palm on my waist, holding me to him.

I inhale sharply as my clit throbs just from thinking about him.

I wonder if Cain has a girlfriend?Probably not.

A guy that hot would have multiple girlfriends.

The water warms my pale skin, the bluish tinge fading to more of a flushed pink now that I’m warming up. I’m too tired to spend much time in the shower, so I quickly wash my hair and get out.

Once dry, I head into my bedroom and dress in my trusty, comfortable pajamas. Making my way to the edge of my bed, I pull back the covers and slide under. It’s nice to finally be warm again.

Laying my head on the pillow, I look up at the ceiling and smile. “I might have had my own little encounter today,” I say loud enough for Joey to hear me in the living room.

The sounds of the ocean are quickly turned off. Then fast-running footsteps thump through the apartment and into my room. I laugh as she bolts in and jumps onto the end of my bed with her eyes wide and a big grin on her face. “So, okay, what kind of encounter was it? A guy encounter? Or aClose Encounter of the Third Kind… kind?” She laughs as she pulls her legs in to sit cross-legged, facing me.

I sit up, lay back against the bed frame, and look at her with a smile. Joey has this obsession with aliens. She’s had it ever since we were kids when she swore she saw a UFO out her side window one night. So she’s kind of been captivated by them ever since.

“No. No aliens this time. But I did meet a guy who lives up there…” I point to the ceiling, “… somewhere,” I reply, unable to hide my smile.

“Okaaay. Judging by that smile, you think he is…” She pauses for me to fill in the blank.

“Ridiculously gorgeous,” I reply, making her giggle.

“So why isn’t he here making out with you in your bed?”

Giving her a light slap on her arm, she fakes that it hurts. “Ouch,” she utters while rubbing her arm with a frown.

“Anyway, he pulled over when Gertie stalled—”

“Again?” she interrupts.

“Yes, again. He pulled over to help me. And then he gave me his leather jacket to keep me warm in the rain. It didn’t work, though.” She laughs. “And then I made a dick of myself by thinking he was following me, wanting to have a fling with me. But as it turns out, he lives here in our apartment building, and… he didn’t want to fuck me.”

She cocks her brow and sits up taller. “Wait! How do you know he didn’t want to fuck you? Oh my God, you asked him to? You slut!”

After rolling my eyes, I shake my head with laughter. “No! Of course not. But he said he wouldn’t expect to follow me upstairs.”

“Well, doesn’t he sound judgey,” she snaps while turning up her nose.

“Judgey?” I ask.

“You know, judgmental. Like he might think you’re too prudish or uppity for him.”

I didn’t see it that way.

Maybe the connection I felt was all mine.

Maybe he felt nothing and wondered why I was a blubbering idiot.

“I amnotuppity,” I murmur, sulking. Joey laughs and tilts her head. “What? I’m not,” I defend, picking up the pillow from behind me and smacking her with it. She laughs, grabbing the pillow and halting my attack.

“Okay, you’re not uppity. But youarea little prudish.” Joey throws the pillow back at me, then gets up from my bed and runs from my room before I can attack her again.

“I’mnot prudish,”I call out with a laugh.

“Yes, you are,” she shouts back while running to her room.

“Am not,” I murmur to myself as I lay down, pulling the other pillow over to rest my head on. “Night, Joey,” I call out.

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