Page 44 of Sweeper
“I was until a couple of minutes ago.” I chew my lip, tasting the chalkiness of my lipstick.
“Anything I can help you with?” Zander asks, hitting me with that annoying crooked smirk.
“Are you planning to shag one of those girls tonight?” I bite, shocked at how angry I sound. I swear this man gives me a personality transplant. I’m not normally this confrontational.
“Come again?” Zander’s face is a mixture of humor, confusion, and shock.
“What is your plan?” I snap through clenched teeth. “Because it would be nice to know so I can stop doing the stupid things Phoebe told me to do and just go home.”
Zander steps back and removes his backward hat to fork a hand through his hair that’s curling at the ends. I get a fleeting urge to run my fingers through it, but stuff that thought into the dark vortex that houses my temper.
“I don’t even know what you’re talking about, Ducky,” Zander’s tone is casual as he stares down at me in that big, overbearing way of his that makes me feel petite and feminine.
My face heats as I force myself to break eye contact so I can focus on what I’m about to say. Taking a deep breath, I make the rash decision to throw all of Phoebe’s advice out the window and go for brutal honesty instead. “I’m doing these stupid things to seduce you because I want to try some casual sex with you.” I cringe and cover my face, feeling his hazel eyes boring into me like I’m a circus freak. “But if what you said in the hallway yesterday was utter bollocks, then tell me now so I can go home and resume hating you for all of space and time. I think I was quite exceptional at that, as it turns out.”
I finally lower my hand and glance up to see delighted amusement on Zander’s face. His full lips purse together as he fights back a smile. “You want to try some casual sex with me?”
My fists clench with the urge to punch him square in the nose. It’d be nice to give him a crooked nose to match that crooked smile. Unfortunately, images of him naked in that stupid pink tea towel live rent-free in my mind, so I’d much rather he thump me…in the casual sex sort of way.
“I thought casual sex was the original idea,” I croak, my breathing growing shaky as flashes of his abs alight in my mind. “No strings and all that.” Christ, I sound like I’m ordering a Big Mac. Better go ahead and add a side of fries while I’m at it, so I’m sure to be full by the end of the night.
Zander cocks his head, his eyes darkening as he glances down at my body, causing my nipples to pebble beneath my coat. “I already told you that was my specialty.”
“Then what were you doing out there?” I thrust my finger back toward the beer garden where he was just surrounded by Harris Ho wannabes.
“What were you doing out there?” he volleys back, and the vein in his neck looks ridiculously sexy. “I was only talking to those girls because you were talking to Banner.”
“Well, fine,” I retort, my chest heaving as he moves closer to me.
“Fine,” he repeats, forcing me to look up as he bows over me. His delicious scent assaults my senses, and I lick my lips, desperate to feel his on mine again. His voice is deep and controlled when he adds, “Does this mean you’re ready to admit that you want to fuck me as bad as I want to fuck you?”
My balance wavers as all the blood in my body rushes to my nether regions. I force myself to maintain eye contact with him when I reply shakily, “Unfortunately, yes.”
Zander tilts his head and allows his eyes to do a long, languishing inspection of my face. “Nothing unfortunate about that.”
A moment of tense silence casts over us, and I briefly wonder if I should just drag him into the loo and let him take me up against the wall. This ache inside me is so intense, I’m not sure I’ll be able to walk out of here without my knees buckling. But I need to play it cool with Zander. I’m sure he does this with women all the time, so there’s no need to inform him how desperate and starved for sex I actually am.
I chew my lip and pull my mobile out of my bag to shoot off a quick text to Phoebe.
“What are you doing?” Zander asks, his breath warm on my neck as he glances down at my phone.
“I’m telling Phoebe that we’re leaving.” I press send and look up to see an impressed smirk on Zander’s face. “That okay with you?”
“You’re the boss.” He waggles his eyebrows playfully as I grab Zander’s hand and pull him toward the side exit of Old George.
My mind is whirring with annoyance and irritation for how horribly I played that game tonight. Honesty is always the best policy. I should have never let Phoebe get in my head. And besides, if Zander and I are truly just going to have casual sex, there’s no need to play these stupid games.
As we make our way up the three flights of stairs, my crossness shifts into arousal with every step I take. I can feel his heat and presence looming behind me. I don’t have to glance back to know that his eyes are on me. And it’s a heady sensation to realize that I want them to be. I want his eyes on every part of my body.
This is really happening. I’m really going to have sex with my footballer neighbor. The last boy who made my vagina dance like this was Sam Thompson in year nine. I was too young and stupid to do anything about that. Now I’m older. I’m mature and independent. I’ve earned this experience, and I’m going to stuff away all our past drama to enjoy this.
When we reach our hallway, I head toward my door and call over my shoulder, “I have something for you, but you can’t come inside.”
“Seriously?” Zander hesitates in front of my door with a confused look on his face. “What is it with you and this hallway?”
I roll my eyes at his little joke. “My nieces were over today and left it a total pigsty. I’ll just pop in and grab it, and we can go over to your place.”
Zander smiles and takes a step toward me, his hand propping on my door as he leans in with a sultry look on his face. “I like a pigsty.”
