Page 43 of Gray Area

VIVIAN

Iwake up to the sound of the door of the apartment opening, and Bailey shouting to me, “Holy shit, Viv, what the hell happened to the futon?”

Oh, shit.

I spring up from Declan’s arms and look over at him. He just shrugs. “I can go tell her if you want, but all my clothes are out there,” he reminds me.

I roll my eyes at him, grab a T-shirt and some shorts from my laundry pile, and get to the door just as Bailey is swinging it open.

Her eyes immediately fly to the bed. “Oh my God, is that—” I cut her off by shoving her out of the room and pulling the thin-ass door closed behind me. I push her as far away from the bedroom door as possible in the small space. Her eyes are wideas saucers when I stop her by the front door. “Holy shit, Viv, did you do the dirty tango with hunky, broody, staring class guy?” she whisper-yells at me.

“Yes,” I say, biting my lip so I don’t smile in her face.

Bailey grins back at me. “And?” she mouths to me.

“The best,” I mouth back, wiggling my eyebrows.

Together we do a silent little happy dance.

“I’m so sorry, I have to make the bed for you—”

“Girl, I’m not sleeping in there after you did the dirty all night with that hunk,” she says. “I’ll sleep on the futon.” As soon as she says it she shoots her eyes back to the futon, and then looks back at me sadly. “What happened to the futon, Vivian?”

I bite my lip and Bailey makes a sad face. “Look, you go and shower, and I will strip the bed and Lysol it and put new sheets on it.”

Bailey considers it for a minute, and finally relents. “You know what? I am too tired to care. Thanks, Viv,” she says and goes over to the bathroom. “Oh, hey and Viv?”

“Yeah?”

“I told you that you liked him,” she taunts before she shuts the door.

I roll my eyes and pick up Declan’s clothes on my way back to the bedroom. I find him still in bed, with an arm behind his head. He looks like a centerfold, with his serious face.

“I’m sorry but I have to kick you out of bed,” I tell him, as I set his things on the floor beside him and then reach for the other set of sheets in the drawer of the small dresser we have in here. I hear the bed shift and turn my head to watch Declan get out of the bed and reach for his jeans.

We were all over each other last night. I should be totally at ease with this man, but I feel nervous, even shy this morning. Did he really mean what he said last night? I mean, we’d already had sex, so it wasn’t like he was saying that just to get me naked.

I’m about to turn around when strong arms wrap around me from behind, and a kiss is dropped on my head. I smile to myself as a lovely peace settles over me. If someone had told me weeks ago that I would be happily held in my bedroom by the weird guy who was staring at me, I’d have laughed so hard.

“I have some work to do today. What about dinner tonight?” he asks next to my ear.

I smile and lean back into him. “I can’t. I have to work tonight.”

He spins me in his arms. “What time?” he demands, his voice commanding but his eyes warm and kind.

“Seven.”

He nods. “Okay, I will come get you at six thirty. Is that enough time?”

I scrunch my face, confused. “Get me for what?”

“To bring you to work, Baby,” he says softly and kisses my lips gently.

Who is this man? “No, Declan. I can take the bus.”

“No,” he says firmly. “I don’t want you taking the bus anymore. It’s not safe.”

“Declan, it’s fine if I pay attention.”

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