Page 46 of Friend Zoned

We kiss until I lose all sense of time and place. He finally rolls off me, but he pulls me into his sweaty, naked side

“What a way to start the new year,” I say without thinking. “And it’s the middle of the day too.” I fan my face with my free hand. He pulls me on top of him. One of his hands rests on my butt cheek. “Even though you’ve completely wrecked my vajayjay.”

He stares into my eyes until I look away. “I’ll kiss it and make it better.” He grasps my chin and plants a soft kiss on my lips.

“Wrong lips,” I tell him right before I deepen the kiss.

Chapter 23

Jeannie

Afternoon turns into evening, and after kissing it better, he slipped it in again and again. After tiring us both out, we fall asleep with me wrapped in his strong arms. I’m still pressed into him, inhaling the smell of his cologne while he sleeps. I lift his heavy arm from across my waist and slide out of the bed. After using the toilet, I stare at my reflection while I wash my hands. My hair’s a mess, I have a small love bite on my collarbone, and every time I take a step, I wince at the soreness, but I’ve never felt better in my life.

He’s on his back, mouth open and snoring softly when I return to the room. There’s a robe in his walk-in closet, and I put it on. It’s so big, I practically drown in it, but it’s soft and smells like Aiden. I tiptoe downstairs as I think about what this turn of events will mean for us. Will I lose him as a friend now that we’ve become lovers? Is this all he wants? Is he only looking for something sexual? I shake the negative thoughts away. He knows exactly what I’m looking for. I’ve been more open and honest with him than I’ve been with anyone. The man is rich, handsome, and successful. He can have anyone he wants, but he’s spent the last few weeks with me.

My stomach growls and I open his fridge. There’s nothing in there but expensive bottled water. Not even an old takeout container. I grab water and down half the bottle. His pantry is bare too. Since I’ve been here before, I know this is where he lives. I open a set of cabinets to find dishes but no food.

A strong set of arms wrap around me, surprising me. He pulls me into his chest and kisses the side of my neck. I sigh in contentment.

“I finally get you into my bed and fall asleep with you in my arms only to find you gone when I wake up.” He turns me around and looks down into my eyes. He’s in nothing but black boxer briefs. His chest, torso, and arms are filled with tattoos, and I’ve never seen anything sexier. “I’ve missed you these past few days. Ten days is too long.” He wraps me in his arms and holds me close. I wrap my arms around him and feel his heartbeat against me.

“We talked every day,” I tease. “We rang in the New Year together twice.”

“Is that your way of telling me you didn’t miss me?”

“I did miss you. I missed you a lot. But you’re gone a lot too.” I bite my bottom lip as I look into his eyes. He’s gone every couple of days and sometimes he’s on the road for a week or longer. For the first time since this afternoon, I realize I don’t know how any of this will work.

“I know.” He rests his forehead on mine. “We’ll talk, but since your stomach just growled, let’s get some dinner.”

“How come there’s no food here?” I ask.

He finally lets me go and walks to the fridge. He opens it and looks around as if he doesn’t know all he has is water. He pulls out a bottle and walks back to me.

“I use a meal service since I’m hardly ever home. I’ll order us something, and we’ll talk while we eat.”

“Okay, but your shirt stays off,” I tell him.

Chapter 24

Aiden

Jeannie plates the food on the fine China my sister got me while I pour us a Spanish red wine. Also from my sister. I dim the lights and take a seat across from her. Her cheeks are a bit flushed, and I don’t know if it’s because she can’t take her eyes off my bare chest or if she’s having a bout of shyness. I reach across the table and she does the same, laying her hand on top of mine. We eat the lamb kabobs over a bed of rice and clink our wine glasses together in the otherwise silent room. Once we’re done eating, I stand, offer her my hand, and lead her back to my bedroom.

I strip her out of my robe, remove my underwear, and we both climb into the bed.

“This is nice,” she says as her soft fingertips graze across my bare torso. “And kind of unexpected.”

I roll to my side, and she does the same. “Was it really all that unexpected?”

“Yes, because I thought we were friends.” Her voice rises, and I don’t know if she’s trying to convince herself or me.

“Oh, come on. You’re the one who put me in the friend zone when I came to see you. I didn’t come over to be your friend that day.”

“Are you saying you don’t want to be friends anymore? And why did you come over that day if not to be friends?”

“Of course, I do. We’re besties. That won’t change, but I also want to be with you in a relationship. I wanted that then. I came over to ask you out, but you promptly announced we were friends.”

She blushes and bats her long eyelashes. “Coach Walsh, are you asking me to be your girlfriend?” She puts a hand to her heart and looks up at me expectantly.

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