Page 47 of Forbidden Puck
“No,” I said, shaking my head solemnly. “I'm sorry, but we shouldn't.”
The cabbie cleared his throat. “Ahem.”
I looked out the window. We were already stopped outside Lance and Ryan's building, and come to think of it, the car hadn't moved in some time.
“For God's sake, how long were we here for?” I asked.
“I didn't want to interrupt the first kiss, miss,” the driver answered in a heavy Boston accent.
I groaned. “Oh, how kind of you.”
Ryan paid the cabbie, and we hopped out, and then the two of us waited for the elevator in the lobby.
My mind was swamped with worries about what waited for us at the condo: would Lance be waiting on the sofa, in total darkness, like your parents would back in the high school days when they knew you'd snuck out and went to a party? Was Lance justwaitingfor us to sneak in, so he could surprise us and ask in an ominous tone, 'so, what were you two up to tonight?'
The elevator arrived. We stepped on and rode it up to the top floor in a sort of stunned silence. I didn't dare look at him. I was too afraid he'd just suck me right back in … and I was still too damn worked up over that kiss.
“Shit!” I gasped, remembering I was still wearing his jacket. “Thanks for this, but you better take it back.” I hurriedly took it off and handed it back.
“Good thinking,” he said.
That's when I noticed the red paint of my lipstick on Ryan's lips. I wiped it off with the tip of my finger, swearing under my breath about how stupid and screwed we were.
Ryan broke into a grin.
“You think it's funny?” I asked him.
“Sorta.”
“It's not.” I held my breath and gave myself a nervous once-over. “How do I look?”
“Beautiful.”
I rolled my eyes. “Oh, God. Stop it. You know what I meant.”
With ading,the elevator reached our floor. Ryan unlocked the door to the condo and I stepped in, holding my breath. The condo was dark, just like I'd imagined in my dreaded nightmare scenario—but after Ryan flipped on the light, I let out a quiet sigh of relief. Lance wasn't on the couch. I took off my heels and quietly tip-toed down the hallway. Lance's bedroom door was wide open, and the room was empty. He wasn't home.
Whew.
“Looks like Lance never made it home,” I said.
Which, of course, means that the two of us are alone.
With several feet separating us, I stared at Ryan and he stared at me. A silence and a tension filled the space between us.Just look at him.Even after a night of drinking and dancing, he still looked so damn handsome, so sharp and put-together in his suit …
I sighed.
“What's wrong?” he asked.
“This is the part of the night where, instead of going to bed, you try to make one last move on me, isn't it?”
Ryan chuckled. “It's like you've read my game-plan.”
“Oh, I've lived it.” But I wasn't sure I'd have the willpower to stophim. “Don't you guys have a game tomorrow?”
He neared with purpose. “We do.”
“You're going to get us caught,” I whimpered. I backed away from him until I was against the sofa's arm rest. “Shouldn't you go to bed? Won't you be tired for your game tomorrow?”
