it disappears behind my door. “You should have gotten a dog.”
Shaking my head, I pull my coat off and sling it around a chair.
“Your hair looks pretty,” Sofia says with appreciation, and then a confused look crosses her face. “I thought you had it up when you left tonight.”
I bite my lip as I remember the way Hunter’s hands felt when he pulled the pins out of it. A vibration runs down my back as I rest my cheek to my shoulder, savoring the memory.
Man, Hunter’s right. I do live in a fairyland.
“Yeah, I wound up at a bar with a co-worker. My hair just made its way onto my shoulders.”
“No, no, no.” Sofia sits up straighter, moving her butt to the edge of the couch and peering up from her sleepy position. “You were supposed to talk to Branson tonight. This was the night for you to make your move.”
I let out a groan. While my crush is very private, I did let it slip to Sofia over the summer that I was smitten beyond reasonable control with Branson Ford. I blame the margaritas for my confession.
“I’m a walking cliché, Sof.” I fall to the chair beside me and lounge haphazardly, like a distressed old-time movie star.
“What happened? You left here, looking like a million bucks.”
My hand falls to the side and dangles like a pendulum. “I mustered the courage. I walked up, looked into those blue eyes, and told him we should get out of there. And we did … just with other people.”
She rubs her hands together and then holds her pointer finger up, almost like she’s twirling it, as if something doesn’t seem right. “Before we get all melancholy, let me ask you this. Did you actually say, Let’s go out together because I like you? I want to be with you? Branson Ford, you are the most amazing man I’ve ever met, and I want to have wild, crazy, passionate sex with you?”
I give my best scowl. “No.”
Her laughter is loud. “You are so … you!”
“I’ll try not to take that as an insult,” I say sarcastically.
“You told me this summer that you think he’s attracted to you. That there’s this thing between you guys. Katie, he’s your boss. He is never, ever going to make the first move. The man has a shit-ton on the line. If he were to make the first move and you didn’t reciprocate, then he’d have a lawsuit and all other nonsense to worry about. But if you want him and you really don’t care what the consequences are, then you’ve got to go for it. You can’t harbor feelings for the man forever. Eventually, you have to seize your chance to make a move or get over him.”
“Get over Branson? That’s rich. I’ve been idolizing him for so long that it almost feels like it’s part of my personality.”
“All right, then you have to stop being a doormat and tell the man how you feel. Use that hot body of yours and that gorgeous hair. Flaunt those boobs!”
“Now, you sound like Hunter.”
“Who’s Hunter?”
I lick my lips at the mere mention of his name. “He’s no one. Well, he’s someone.” With a hand on my cheek, I feel my skin warm. I suddenly have a need to take off my clothes. I get up from my seat and walk toward my bedroom. “Hunter is my co-worker. My very charming co-worker. We went out tonight, and he gave me tips on how to be more seductive.”
“Ohhh.” Her elongated use of the simple word has me stopping in the hallway and peering around the corner, back toward the living room.
“What do you mean by ohhh?”
She shakes her head and gives a closed-mouth smile. “Just … oh.”
Ignoring her cleverness, I go to my room and flick on the light. Mittens is now sitting on my bed, taking over the duvet like it’s his personal full-size mattress. I unzip my dress and hang it in the closet. What a beautiful dress it is. I bite my lip and let my fingers run over the fabric. If only Branson appreciated it the way Hunter did. If only Branson gazed at me as sinful as Hunter did.
“So, this Hunter person, is he single?” Sofia asks from the hallway, knowing I’m changing.
“Very,” I say as I slide on my pajama pants.
“Is he hot?”
“Very,” I say rather quickly and admonish myself. Sofia is going to be all over that, I’m sure.
“Is he a good kisser?”
“Very,” I say