Page 41 of Mister Rival

I sigh into the darkness, staring at the little glow my screen provides as it stares back at me. The little gray bubble appears and disappears again. Then after a few moments, it appears again and I anxiously wait for his reply.

Tristan Lucas

I can’t stop thinking about you

My breath catches in my throat and I feel an instant rosy glow to my face from those few little words. But they’re what I’ve needed because I haven’t been able to think about anything else since I got back from Palm Springs.

Me

I can’t stop thinking about you either

Tristan Lucas

Maybe we could catch up during the week?

Catch up? Oh boy…

Me

I have Clem until next weekend

Tristan Lucas

Okay. Well, we can sort something out, a coffee or something

Me

Sounds good

Tristan Lucas

Goodnight, Ali

Me

Goodnight, Lucas

I place my phone onto the nightstand and plug the charger in with a shaky hand in the dark.

Shit. He wants to meet up? I mean, that’s not a bad thing, but I don’t know if he really means to have a casual coffee… or some more casual sex? I think I’m in way over my head here. I know if I see him again, I’m going to have to keep my cool and be a professional. But how am I supposed to do that? Not with the places I recently ventured with him. How in the hell did I think this was going to work?

On Wednesday I have an open house for some clients that have already vacated the property and moved to Florida. It's a beautiful single family home in Malibu with a lap pool and tropical gardens you could get lost in. The showing has had acrazy amount of people and realtors through, and I know it will get snapped up in no time.

I have almost caught up on everything from the weekend, thanks to Lexi reminding me and following up with our daily meetings. She smells a definitive rat from my night in Palm Springs, but I’ve kept her at bay so far with the details. I’m not sure how long I’m going to be able to hold off on my dirty little Tristan Lucas secret, especially when she gets her crystals out.

I’m about to close up the property after the last broker vacates for the day and plan on heading home to relieve my afternoon sitter. I pick Clementine up from school most days, but she also catches the bus when I have appointments or an open house and lets herself in. I have help where I need it, even though Clem insists she’s old enough to be on her own for a few hours. That’s probably true, but I still don’t like the idea of it.

It’s just as I’m bolting the door that my nostrils do a double take, I smell something familiar… Musk? A slightly spicy top note? A powerful, masculine mix of Tristan Lucas… When my eyes flick up I’m staring into his deep blue irises and it’s like they’ve never left me from Palm Springs.

They twinkle with amusement and his sexy mouth twitches.

“Am I too late for the viewing?” He cocks his head in that oh-so-sexy way he has that’s purely effortless, I’m sure.

“Afraid so.” I shrug, feeling the heat rise to my neck with a bloom dusting over my cheeks.

He chuckles, lowering his voice. “Are you sure I can’t have a five-minute quickie?”

“Tristan!” It’s so strange seeing him for the first time after our sexy weekend together. It’s hard for me not to think about shoving that lime wedge in his mouth after doing shots, and him shoving his in mine… and that morning in the shower when I got on my knees and he shoved something else in my mouth…

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