I pause my pizza slice halfway to my mouth, looking over at her. “He knows your name?”
“Yeah?” She shrugs. “I go to the bookstore a lot.”
I put the slice back down. “I don’t know, Caroline…I don’t like that he just happened to show up at the apartment.”
“He didn’t just show up. I ordered pizza. He was working. He delivered it.” She takes a bite of her pizza, chews, then wipes at her mouth with her napkin.
“Come on. You say this guy is at the bookstore every time you’re there. Now suddenly he conveniently works at our favorite pizza place we order from all the time?” I shake my head, biting off half my slice. “Sounds fishy.”
“You’re overreacting. Anyway, he just asked me if I wanted to get drinks with him on Wednesday. I said yes.”
“You said yes?”
“Why are you making such a big deal out of this?”
“I’m not.”
“Yes, you are. Look, I’m used to your territorial tendencies, but you’re the one who said it was a good idea to get me laid and offered to help. This isn’t helping.”
That was before we kissed and it rocked my fucking world.
“Is this about the other night?”
Splat.
My pizza slips right from my fingers, smacking loudly against the hardwood floor, just catching the edge of the blue and gray rug we have under the table.
Thank fuck we don’t have carpet.
“Cooper!” She shoots off the couch, grabbing for napkins.
“What?” It comes out as a growl as I push to my feet, shoving the coffee table out of the way to clean the mess up.
“You got sauce on the rug. I’m going to have to scrub it now.”
“It’s not like I fucking threw it on the floor! It’s greasy and slipped.”
I stomp into the kitchen to grab a wet towel, annoyed.
At myself for dropping the pizza.
At her for saying yes to a date with some idiot after what happened between us.
And then again at myself for even caring about the kiss.
I grab a hand towel, wet it under the faucet, and make my way back out to the living room.
Caroline’s on her hands and knees cleaning up the mess I made.
Her pert ass is in the air, almost sticking out of the bottom of her pajamas that are getting to be way too small for her.
It’s like she’s trying to fucking kill me.
“Can’t believe you dropped your pizza. First, that’s rude because it’s pizza. Second, now I’ll probably have to steam clean the rug.” She looks at me over her shoulder. “Oh, good. You got a towel.”
I don’t move.
I can’t.
If I move, I’ll do something stupid like pick her up and carry her to my bedroom.
She looks like a wet fucking dream right now, and it’s taking everything I have not to act on my impulses.
“Hello.” She holds her hand out. “Towel, please.”
“Get up.”
Her brows pinch together. “Huh?”
“Get. Up.”
She groans, pushing herself to her feet. “Ugh, bossy much?”
I shove past her, dropping in front of her to finish cleaning up the mess.
It’s a bad idea.
A bad, bad idea.
Her knees are red from pressing against the hardwood.
The only time I want to see her knees red is when she’s on them for me.
The thought slams into me, and I try to block out the images that come along with it.
“Seriously, what is your damage? First you’re being a jerk about the first guy who is actually interested in dating me in I don’t know how long. Now you’re being one because you dropped pizza on the floor. I don’t even understand what’s up with you tonight. It’s like—”
Her words die on her tongue.
Because my hand is now wrapped around her right ankle.
She inhales a sharp breath, and I dare a peek up at her.
She’s staring down at me with cautious eyes.
Cautious eyes that are filled with an ache.
Not dropping eye contact, I drag my hand higher, ghosting my fingers up her calf.
When I stop at her knee, she’s barely breathing.
I run my fingertips over the redness, hating to see her marked up because of my stupid mistake. I don’t know what possesses me to do it, but I lean forward and press a gentle kiss to the spot.
Soft. That’s how her skin feels.
Just like her lips, which are now parted on a sweet sigh, felt.
She swallows thickly, eyes darkening.
Feeling brave, I kiss her again, this time just half an inch higher.
Another sigh.
Another kiss.
And another.
My lips brush her barely there shorts, and I’m fairly sure she’s not even breathing at all anymore.