Page 135 of Skate the Line

I count his abs one by one until I get to the waistband of his pants. That’s all I see. His strong chest, defined abs, and a pair of sweats that hides the rest of his body.

Me: What took you so long?

I willnotcomment on his perfectly sculpted body, and I willnotmake mention of how inappropriate this is, because I clearly have no morals at the moment.

Rhodes: You want the truth?

Me: Always.

Rhodes: I sleep…in less clothing. Didn’t think it would be right to send my daughter’s nanny a dick pic.

I laugh out loud.

Rhodes: Did you just laugh at me?

I slam my mouth shut. On quiet feet, I jump out of bed and shut my open door before diving back in bed and reaching for my phone like a teenager texting her crush for the first time.

Nope. There is no crush. I am not crushing on Ellie’s father.

Me: Must be imagining things. I didn’t laugh.

Rhodes: Hmm. I’ve been imagining a lot lately.

I bite my lip and take the bait.

Me: Like?

Rhodes: Like where I’d be if you had entered our lives a year ago instead of a couple of months.

I could have avoided a whole lot of trauma if I were in Chicago a year ago.

Me: I wish it were a year ago.

Rhodes texts back immediately.

Rhodes: You like me that much?

I smile.

Me: I like Ellie that much.

Rhodes: Fair.

Me: I wish it were a year ago so I could have avoided what happened to me.

Rhodes: Also fair.

There are more text bubbles, so I wait to see what else he says.

Rhodes: But then last night wouldn’t have happened.

I stare at the screen, and my pulse quickens.

Rhodes: I shouldn’t have said that.

Oh, but you did, and now I can’t unsee it. I play dumb, hoping it’ll make him laugh, and we can move past it. Otherwise, I may do something I swore I wouldn’t, and that’s touch myself at the thought of him.

Me: What happened last night?

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