Page 84 of Only Ever You

She wanted to die.

She might have when Bash took one long, languid step towards her.

“You know, if you wanted revenge … ” he said slowly, and Faye didn’t like the sound of where this was going for her already rocky sensibility. “Then I could walk around here in a towel? Maybe bend over?”

“Yes please,” is what she wanted to have come from her mouth, but instead she said, “Bash, it’s not tit for tat.”

His gaze skimmed down every inch of her skin to her uncovered legs. “You haven’t got anytats. And I’ve already seen your ti?—”

Faye’s fingers smashed to his lips whilst all of her internal organs fired up furiously. “You know what I meant.” Bash playfully nipped at her finger and she snatched it away at the graze of his teeth.

Seriously, what was happening between them? Was this what it was like to be flirted with by him, or was her imagination spinning out a different scenario?

Hormones.It was definitely her hormones.

Bash pulled at the front of his jumper he’d put back on for returning downstairs, his eyes narrow and colouring with mischief. “You don’t even want a little peak?”

“No, Bash.” But her body was aflame withyes.

He hummed like he didn’t believe her before raising the jumper up over his head. Faye had half a second to curl her lip at the band of taut, tanned skin where his buttoned shirt rode up.

“Okay. Well I’m going to get washed up then.” Jumper in hand, Bash stuck his thumb over his shoulder in a gesture at the bathroom door.

“Mm-hm.” Faye decided she wouldn’t speak anymore whilst they were in the same room. This sudden spike in her libido was safer to handle that way.

“Okay … ” Bash simultaneously smiled and smirked at her as if he could see the thoughts behind her eyes. Thoughts which grew progressively dirtier and dirtier, like how his thick neck would look between her hands with her straddled above him on the bed.

Was she supposed to carry on as if those visions were normal?

When Bash finally pivoted for the bathroom and the click of the door signalled Faye was alone, all of the air left her lungs and she bracketed her face with her hands.

This is so wrong.

She couldn’t be having sexual thoughts about herbest friendafter he’d told her how proud he was of her, saved her life, pinned her body from chest to toe, seen her naked, called herstunning, and definitely flirted with her, all in one day.

If this was any kind of normal first date/getting-to-know-one-another situation, then she’d definitely say he was attracted to her - there were too many signs.

He’s been flirting with you for ten years, Faye, you’re just too daft to see it.

“No. No. No … ” Faye paced.

What if Ellie was right? What if Bashwasattracted to her? Why now after so long? What was she supposed to do, ask him?

“Hi, are you attracted to me? Do you want to bonk my brains out in this bed?”As if that wouldn’t make things awkward when he answered “no.”

Before these flittering, skittish thoughts could get their wires tangled up any further, Faye buried herself under the duvet, realising that with the way her body tingled, this bed was now an unsafe zone.Because being flirty was who Bash was; he was good at light, innuendo-filled banter like they’d had a moment ago, and given hisrecord, he was good at saying the right things to make a woman all hot and bothered too.

It washerwho was the hesitant one and Faye didn’t know what gamble she might take if he said anything leading whilst they were under the same duvet tonight. She needed to cool down and calm down before Bash came back.

When it came to making a move upon a prospective date, Faye was all or nothing.Allusually ended in disappointment, a large dash of embarrassment, and a hefty retreat to the safety of her flat where she could forget all about it,alone.

Nothingwas better. Nothing meant she wouldn’t risk making a complete fool of herself.

Bash emerged from the bathroom wrapped in nothing but a towel below the waist –a towel –and Faye’s throat made a strange sound as it clammed up.

The old pipes hadn’t clanked, therefore he hadn’t showered, so what on earth had he washed to require such nakedness? Why didthatmatter? Only one of those soft white cotton rectangles separated her view from all of him as he paraded through the bedroom.

“Forgot my pyjamas.”

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