Page 86 of Off Her Game
He got up and went into bathroom for what she could only assume was condom care. But he wasn’t moving at the pace necessary to evacuate the apartment in time, especially if Emma was already in the elevator. She could only hope Emma hadn’t yet entered the building.
With slow, deliberate movements he pulled his briefs over his muscular legs. He leaned against the wall near the bathroom door. She admired the planes of his abdomen right up until she registered the smirk on his face. Quickly, she pulled on a T-shirt and zipped her hoodie.
He folded his arms across his naked chest. “Emma already knows about us. What’s the point of hiding from her?” He tried to catch her, but she avoided his reach. “Why’re you freaking out?”
“You’re her boss…in his underwear who’s here to tell me I’m on probation, likely fired,” she pointed out. He was a mouth-watering sight she could laze around and gape at all night. With a headshake she stopped ogling to mutter, “Put some clothes on. Please.”
“Is that what you want?” He grinned.
“Your assistant is on her way up. I’m not doing anoh-hey-here’s-your-boss-in-his-underwearconfrontation with her.”
She threw his shirt at him. “You without clothes is the last thing she wants to see.” She paused, staring. “Okay, it’d be a gift for her to see you like this. I said that out loud again. Shouldn’t have. Stop grinning. Be serious.” She found his shoes and socks where they’d been discarded and deposited them in his arms. A push to propel him toward the door didn’t work. “Take the stairs. She’s likely in the elevator now.”
“Why don’t I take a seat? Maybe I’ll put my shirt on, and turn on the TV. We could be having a perfectly normal visit.” Instead of moving toward the door, he sat on the futon.
“We don’t have regular TV. I stream movies and sometimes the news. Mostly, we use it for gaming.”
“Playing a game, then.” He grabbed the remote.
“In your briefs at seven-something in the morning? Sure, I’ll strip down to my bra and panties and we’ll be two normal gamers drinking coffee playing a friendly competition of strip video game. Lose a level, lose some clothes.”
“Never played that, but I’d be into it. With you.” He grinned and let his gaze roam down her body.
She shivered. “That wouldn’t make sense in any universe, given the shitstorm going on around us.There’s nothing normal going on here.”
“I agree. There’s nothingnormalabout us when we’re together.” He rose and took a few steps toward her.
“Stay over there. No, wait. Don’t stay there.” Was the elevator almost on this floor? “I need you to go.”
“Calm down. There’s no need to panic. You’re an adult. Your roommates aren’t here. Now, why is that? Where are they?”
“Snap out of it. Get moving.” She glanced between the door and him, considering options to get him in motion. There wasn’t enough time to get him safely between the door and the stairwell. “This was…”
“Don’t you dare say it was a mistake,” His eyes narrowed.
“Wasn’t going to say that. It was great, but it was goodbye sex. It was me being weak because I was messed up from last night and you’re…you.”
He stalked to her, lifted her chin with two fingers and leaned in for a kiss. “It’s going to be okay.”
She ducked away. “Be serious.” She yanked open her front door and poked her head out to see the elevator floor numbers. The elevator was three floors away. “Oh, hell.”
She motioned hurry-up to him. “Get in Quan’s room. Move.”
He grumped as he hugged his shoes and shirt to his chest while she pushed him toward Quan’s bedroom.
The elevator dinged outside the apartment. It was an annoyingly loud sound, a noise she lamented on nights when she’d conked out on the futon.
Adrenaline surged through Tori’s body.
She pushed him into Quan’s room and slammed the door closed. “Don’t say a single word. Nothing. Don’t breathe heavy. Don’t radiate sexy vibes through the door. Stay put. I’ll get rid of her as soon as I can.”
“Sexy vibes?” he asked through the closed door.
“Shh. Forget I said that.”
“You feeling the vibes coming your way?” He laughed loudly. She imagined him doubled over and wiping at tears.
She hissed, “Quiet.”
