TV.
“How do I look?”
“Does it really matter what clothes you’re wearing if he’s just going to tear them all off anyway?”
“Salem!”
She tore her eyes away from the screen and graced me with a brief once-over. “You look great. Now leave.”
“Okay, then,” I muttered to myself, “don’t miss me too much.” I turned and walked out of my apartment, my bag slung over my shoulder.
I paused just outside the door and worried my lip.
What was I doing?
I should stay here with Salem. Hang out with Salem. After all, I haven’t seen her in three years.
I stuck my head back into my apartment. “Are you sure you don’t want me to−”
“Oh my God, get out!”
I shut the door before the pillow she threw at me could hit me in the face.
Outside, Clay was leaning against his Mustang, waiting for me, outlined in the fading afternoon sunlight. Me. This gorgeous man, dressed in dark denim that hugged his strong thighs, and a white shirt, was waiting for me . My worry over Salem faded at the sight of him.
He grinned as I walked up to him. “You are gorgeous.”
I looked down at myself. I was wearing skinny jeans teamed with silver ballet flats and a white cotton top threaded with silver, giving it a subtle shimmer. “You’re biased.”
He pulled me into his arms, leaning down so his nose rubbed against mine. “Maybe. But it doesn’t change the fact that you’re gorgeous.”
“What if…I were wearing a potato sack?”
“That’s a very lucky potato sack.” He rubbed the end of his nose along my cheekbone and towards my ear.
“What if…I were tarred and feathered.”
“Then you’d be the sexiest chick in the world.”
“What if…I were wearing a grey cow onesie?”
He hummed against my ear, sending shivers down my spine. “Then you’d be udderly irresistible?”
I slapped him lightly on his chest, hard like granite.
He laughed, the sound rolling into my body, and he pulled me flush against him. “You can play the What If game all you like, but you’ll still be the most beautiful thing to me, whether you were wearing a sack, a grey cow onesie, or…nothing at all under all those feathers.”
His breath against my ear made me shiver.
When he covered my lips with his, my whole world silenced, fading like a ballet chorus behind a velvet curtain as the spotlight fell upon just Clay and me. We became my whole world and everything in it, my nose filling with his scent of cedar and a hint of warm spice. His lips parted as he tilted his mouth and he brushed the seam of my lips with his tongue. I opened my mouth to let him in and offered him a sigh in return. His strong hands slid around my back, holding me firmly to him. I seemed to melt further and further into his unyielding body, melding to him like I was made to. My fingers fluttered over his chest and his neck, too scared to land anywhere, almost disbelieving that he was real at all.
Clay Jagger was real and he was kissing me.
Finally and yet all too soon, he pulled away. “Let’s go,” he whispered. “Before we do something on your street that your neighbours wouldn’t appreciate.”
My skin tingled as my thoughts rolled over exactly what he had meant by something .
He let go of me and his eyes flicked to something over my shoulder. “You know, it looks like you left the TV on.”
I spun. The space between the living room window curtains was flashing with lights from inside. I forced a smile. “It’s to discourage burglars.” I wasn’t ready to explain about Salem yet. Tonight was just supposed to be about us.
He nodded, seeming to accept my answer. I glanced back to my apartment. Did the curtain just move? Was that Salem at the window again? My heart stabbed a little with guilt. It wasn’t fair that I was leaving her tonight to be with Clay. I shouldn’t have left her there alone.
“Look, twins.”
I turned sharply towards him. “ What? ” Had he seen Salem?
“Twins.” He pointed down to the two of us.
“How do I look?”
“Does it really matter what clothes you’re wearing if he’s just going to tear them all off anyway?”
“Salem!”
She tore her eyes away from the screen and graced me with a brief once-over. “You look great. Now leave.”
“Okay, then,” I muttered to myself, “don’t miss me too much.” I turned and walked out of my apartment, my bag slung over my shoulder.
I paused just outside the door and worried my lip.
What was I doing?
I should stay here with Salem. Hang out with Salem. After all, I haven’t seen her in three years.
I stuck my head back into my apartment. “Are you sure you don’t want me to−”
“Oh my God, get out!”
I shut the door before the pillow she threw at me could hit me in the face.
Outside, Clay was leaning against his Mustang, waiting for me, outlined in the fading afternoon sunlight. Me. This gorgeous man, dressed in dark denim that hugged his strong thighs, and a white shirt, was waiting for me . My worry over Salem faded at the sight of him.
He grinned as I walked up to him. “You are gorgeous.”
I looked down at myself. I was wearing skinny jeans teamed with silver ballet flats and a white cotton top threaded with silver, giving it a subtle shimmer. “You’re biased.”
He pulled me into his arms, leaning down so his nose rubbed against mine. “Maybe. But it doesn’t change the fact that you’re gorgeous.”
“What if…I were wearing a potato sack?”
“That’s a very lucky potato sack.” He rubbed the end of his nose along my cheekbone and towards my ear.
“What if…I were tarred and feathered.”
“Then you’d be the sexiest chick in the world.”
“What if…I were wearing a grey cow onesie?”
He hummed against my ear, sending shivers down my spine. “Then you’d be udderly irresistible?”
I slapped him lightly on his chest, hard like granite.
He laughed, the sound rolling into my body, and he pulled me flush against him. “You can play the What If game all you like, but you’ll still be the most beautiful thing to me, whether you were wearing a sack, a grey cow onesie, or…nothing at all under all those feathers.”
His breath against my ear made me shiver.
When he covered my lips with his, my whole world silenced, fading like a ballet chorus behind a velvet curtain as the spotlight fell upon just Clay and me. We became my whole world and everything in it, my nose filling with his scent of cedar and a hint of warm spice. His lips parted as he tilted his mouth and he brushed the seam of my lips with his tongue. I opened my mouth to let him in and offered him a sigh in return. His strong hands slid around my back, holding me firmly to him. I seemed to melt further and further into his unyielding body, melding to him like I was made to. My fingers fluttered over his chest and his neck, too scared to land anywhere, almost disbelieving that he was real at all.
Clay Jagger was real and he was kissing me.
Finally and yet all too soon, he pulled away. “Let’s go,” he whispered. “Before we do something on your street that your neighbours wouldn’t appreciate.”
My skin tingled as my thoughts rolled over exactly what he had meant by something .
He let go of me and his eyes flicked to something over my shoulder. “You know, it looks like you left the TV on.”
I spun. The space between the living room window curtains was flashing with lights from inside. I forced a smile. “It’s to discourage burglars.” I wasn’t ready to explain about Salem yet. Tonight was just supposed to be about us.
He nodded, seeming to accept my answer. I glanced back to my apartment. Did the curtain just move? Was that Salem at the window again? My heart stabbed a little with guilt. It wasn’t fair that I was leaving her tonight to be with Clay. I shouldn’t have left her there alone.
“Look, twins.”
I turned sharply towards him. “ What? ” Had he seen Salem?
“Twins.” He pointed down to the two of us.
Similar Books
