Page 93 of The Scientist
I chuckled. “Thanks, guys.”
“Is he at least a good kisser?” Sarah asked.
I smiled. “The best,” I answered, remembering each time over the past week that things had gotten hot and heavy between us. I didn’t want to rush things, but that was proving to be more difficult than I could have ever imagined.
Lionel sighed dramatically. “I swear, every day of being single brings me closer to a life of crime.”
???
I went to my mom’s around five to start cooking dinner. She was looking so much better today and was able to tolerate eatinghalf a plate of food. We had dinner and cut the cake before she opened her presents. She loved the watch I’d gotten her, and Carl had given her a beautifully bound collection of poems from her favorite author, Oscar Wilde. It was a wonderful evening, and I just kept thinking of the one person who had made it all possible on the drive home.
Hadley Olivier:Hey, you up?
Alexsander Strovinski:Yes, how was dinner?
Hadley Olivier:Great. Can I come over?
I startedknocking on his door without waiting for a response.
He opened the door wearing nothing but gray sweatpants with his bare chest on full display. His face broke into a smile, and I started to gawk.
“What is wrong with you?! Who answers the door shirtless?”I gaped, unable to pull my eyes away from all that perfectly tanned skin.
“I was about to go to bed,” he said with laughter in his voice. “I don’t sleep fully clothed.”
“Sure. Likely story! The truth is that you’re trying to seduce me, and it won’t work.”
But it was working, and I couldn’t stop staring at his broad chest and toned abdomen. He continued to laugh.
“You came here,” he pointed out, but I waved him off.
“This can’t happen. We’ve only been dating a week,” I told him, slapping my hands over my eyes.
“I understand.” He tried sounding contrite but failed miserably. “I’ll go put on a shirt.”
“No! Wait.” I put my hand out to stop him. “Just one more quick peek.”I pulled my fingers apart, peeking through my middle and ring fingers, taking in all his smooth skin and that small patch of hair right at the center of his chest that I was itching to run my fingers through.
He stayed where he was, grinning.Ileaned forward, gently placing my hands on his pecs, feeling the steady rhythm of his heartbeat beneath my touch. I thought about running my tongue all along his chest, down those abs, and even lower…
I abruptly pulled my hands back.
“Now look what you made me do!” I accused. I turned and ran down the porch steps.
“Where are you going?” he asked, laughing.
“Back to my house to take a cold shower. Really, Lex, I’m ashamed of you!” I called out over my shoulder. “You can’t even control yourself. Trying to ruin my darling reputation. What would our mothers think?”
I had already jogged across the walkway before he could answer. His laughter followed me the whole way back to my house.
I really did take a cold shower to try to calm down.I was in over my head with this man. I didn’t trust myself not to take it too far, and there was some part of me that didn’t feel ready. But I felt bad for the way I left him. I texted him ten minutes later, deciding to give it another try.
Hadley Olivier:Whacha doin?
Alexsander Strovinski:Trying to remember the neural pathways between the irrational center of the brain and one’s libido.
Hadley Olivier:What did you come up with?
Alexsander Strovinski:Definitely connected.