Page 77 of Loverboy
“Sure, sure,” I sniff. “A murderer walks among us, and you just want to know if Gunnar has a nice penis.”
“Does he?” She presses her hands together in a prayer position.
“God, woman. Go back downstairs and read a dirty book. I don’t want it to seem like we’re in here gossiping about him.”
“But wearein here gossiping about him,” she points out.
“No.You’redigging for dirt, and I’m refusing to provide any.”
“You owe me,” Ginny says, rising from my bed. “I will get this story. Was it amazing?”
I shrug, but my face heats, giving me away.
“I knew it!” she squeaks. “Spalding can go eat a bag of dicks. Who needs him, anyway?”
“Not me. I don’t need you right this second, either.” I make a shooing motion. “Go on. I need my sleep.”
“Ten bucks says you don’t get any sleep.” She points at the door and wiggles her eyebrows.
“You’re the only one keeping me awake,” I point out.
“You’re no fun. Hey—what’s that?” She points to a small device on my bedside table.
“Oh, it’s a panic button. It’s something Gunnar’s company lent me, just in case. If you press it, a herd of badass security guys will come running.”
“Do they all look like Gunnar?” Ginny asks. “Maybe I should just—” She reaches for the button.
“Ginny! Don’t!”
She cackles, withdrawing her hand. “Why should you have all the fun? Goodnight, Posy.”
“’Night.”
She finally leaves.
Alone at last, I tuck myself into bed. But Ginny was right, damn it. I don’t sleep. What’s more, the floors in this old building squeak, and I keep hearing Gunnar walking slowly around my living room. Maybe there’s been a development.
I’d better check, right?
Taking care to tie a light robe around my nightgown, I tiptoe into the darkened living room, where Gunnar is seated on my sofa, head bowed.
He looks up the moment I open my door. “Hi, honey,” he says. “Am I keeping you awake?”
“A little,” I admit. “But not because you’re loud.”
“You want me to go? I could take a chair out in the hall.”
I shake my head. “No way. It’s fine. I just wondered if there was a reason you weren’t sleeping.”
His smile is no less potent in the dark. “Nothing worrisome. Just thinking too much.”
“What about?”
He cocks his head and considers me for a second. “Can I ask you a question? The other night, before everything got complicated, why did you ask me out?”
“Oh.” Well, crap. I don’t really want to admit how attractive he is to me. “Do I need a good reason? We have some chemistry. And I was tired of being that boring person sitting home at night while my ex walks the path of joy with a woman ten years younger than I am.”
“Makes sense.” He reaches over and strokes my cheek, and I lean into his hand without even realizing it.
