Page 51 of Bad Boy Crush
“Same.” He finished pouring the coffee, silently moving to the fridge and adding salted caramel creamer to their mugs. He handed her one of them. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Same…as in you also haven’t had sex in a year and a half?”
He sipped his coffee, leveling her with a gaze. “Nope.”
“Come on.” She chuckled in disbelief. “There must have been a woman—or several—who called begging for a one-nighter. I would’ve,” she said against the rim of her mug.
She was rewarded with a wide smile and a laugh that bobbed his Adam’s apple.
“It’s obvious why I didn’t sleep with anyone. What’s your excuse?”
Hip leaning on the counter, he shrugged one shoulder. “Same reason.”
“Liam cheated on me so…you stopped dating?”
“I dated a little. My dick was into the sex part, but not my heart. I had to choose which one to prioritize. Some days I felt like I made the wrong choice not having a meaningless fling, but after last night…” He kissed the corner of her mouth. “Right choice.”
Was he saying he’d waited for her? Her mind did that spinning thing again, spitting out thought after thought about how she’d enjoyed the sex, cared for him a great deal, and wouldn’t mind seeing his mostly naked body in her bed more often. Each of which alarmed her to a degree. Which must have shown on her face since he palmed the back of her head and ruffled her hair.
“Don’t think too much about it, Lourdes. Want to go for a swim?”
“In the lake?”
“In the lake,” he answered like he had nowhere to be or cared that they’d both been celibate since her split from Liam. “It’s hot. The water is cool. We can skinny-dip if you like.”
“Brady’s right next door. I will not be skinny-dipping.”
“That’s fair.” He sipped his coffee. “You want to go out with me on Friday?”
She blinked, rapid-fire style as she processed his question. “Like a date?”
“Yes.” The word left no room for doubt. “Xavier is having a bonfire at his new house on the lake. I haven’t been there yet. He texted me this morning and asked me to extend the invite to you and May and Lisa.”
“May especially?” It was easier for her to deflect than consider that she was officially dating—and sleeping with—Ant. Last night wasn’t a thing she could do one time and never look back. Even so, the worry that this would end badly hovered in her periphery like a ghost. But that was silly, right? They’d been through a gap in their friendship and had found their way back to each other. Boy, had they found their way back…
She was so much more compatible with Ant than she had been with her ex-husband. And, wow, were they fire in bed. She truly never saw that happening, but now that it had, she was all freaking for it.
“Don’t leap in with a yes right away or anything. By all means, let me dangle like a fish on a hook.”
“Sorry. I was thinking about my schedule.” A white lie. “I should be free. I’ll ask May and Lisa. They’ll be gloating from head to toe when you and I show up together.”
“Gloating about what?”
Oops. She hadn’t meant to say that.
“Oh, you know.” She rolled her eyes. “They thought you liked me. I mean, before we reconciled. I didn’t believe it.”
“Believe it.” His eyebrows lifted and dropped.
“You liked me?” Something warm unfurled in her chest. Had he been watching her, waiting for her? How had she not known?
“For five years.” He finished his coffee and rinsed the mug in the sink. “I have a good poker face, don’t I?”
“You have a good face, period. Along with the rest of you.”
He rushed her so quickly, she squealed when he lifted her off the counter. He tossed her over his shoulder and carried her to the sunroom and then out the patio door. “Let’s swim now.”
“No!” She kicked her legs as the blood rushed to her head. He held onto her and continued his trek down the stairs.