Page 11 of Off The Rush
“That was harder than I thought,” I whisper.
“I’ll make sure he lays off. You did well. He’s just suspicious since he’s one of my best friends and I haven’t mentioned you. I’ll see you again soon?” Alec asks.
I nod. We both stare at each other awkwardly. Neither of us know how to say goodbye so I make the decision and punch his arm.
Instantly, I know that was stupid but I just rush out the door and back to Tessa so we can debrief about everything that just happened.
Chapter 5
I watch as Emma’s silky brown hair bounces with each step she takes. She disappears around the corner, leaving me with an odd feeling in my chest. I turn and close the front door before walking back to the kitchen, where Luka is smirking over a glass of wine.
“Man, I gotta say, I like Emma,” he admits, his own blue eyes glinting mischievously.
“Maybe you like her too much,” I respond, trying to sound nonchalant. Yet, there’s this nagging feeling inside me that I can’t quite shake off. “Don’t think I didn’t notice you pulling out a bottle of wine for dinner instead of vodka.”
I grab a beer and lean against the counter before taking a sip, ignoring my glass of wine. I’m surprised he doesn’t call me out for drinking the wine to impress her too.
“Something about her makes me want to be impressive,” Luka says, shrugging.
I consider telling Luka about our fake dating arrangement. But it’s clear as day that if I do, he’ll make a move on Emma, and for some unfathomable reason, I don’t want that to happen. I remind myself that Emma isn’t into me – why else would she agree to this whole charade? So, it’s useless to get attached or even entertain the thought of something more happening between us.
“Hey, Luka,” I say, trying to keep my voice casual, “you need to tone it down, man. You’re being way too obvious with Emma.”
“Obvious?” He raises an eyebrow, feigning innocence. “I’m just being friendly, Alec. We’re all friends here, right?”
“Right,” I mutter, knowing full well that what he means by ‘friendly’ isn’t exactly what I have in mind.
As I stand here, I can’t help but notice the way Emma’s laughter still echoes in my ears, and how her scent lingers in the room, almost as if she’s never left. I take another sip of my cold beer, wishing it would wash away these thoughts.
“Fine,” I finally say, acknowledging Luka’s point. “Just don’t make her uncomfortable, alright?” I know I’m coming off overprotective but I can’t let him question her too hard and discover our charade.
“Relax, Alec,” Luka chuckles, patting me on the back. “I’ll behave.”
“Good,” I nod, forcing a smile. I hope he sticks to his word. But deep down, I can’t shake off the feeling that there’s more at stake here than I’m willing to admit.
Escaping the lingering tension, I retreat to my room and spread my textbooks across my desk, trying to shift my focus onto the homework that awaits me. The numbers and equations blur together as my mind keeps drifting back to Emma and our fake dating arrangement.
“Okay, Alec,” I mutter to myself, rubbing my temples. “You need to get it together.”
I force my attention back to the pages in front of me, but every scribbled formula seems to morph into images of Emma’s vibrant green eyes or her radiant smile. Realizing that concentrating on my work is a lost cause, I slam the book shut with a sigh.
“Maybe a shower will help clear my head,” I think as I stand up and strip off my clothes.
Entering the bathroom, I turn on the faucet and let the warm water cascade over my body. The steam envelopes me, providing a temporary escape from my wandering thoughts. As I lather soap onto my skin, I feel the tension begin to dissipate.
“See, this is working,” I assure myself. But then, as if taunting me, my thoughts slip back to Emma. I can’t help but imagine the way her sexy body would look beneath the spray of water, droplets tracing down her curves, her long brown hair plastered to her back.
“Dammit,” I curse under my breath as an uncontrollable arousal takes hold of me.
“Okay, just one quick release,” I reason, surrendering to the inevitable. I wrap my hand around my erection, stroking it slowly at first, then gradually increasing the pace. I try to keep my mind blank, but it betrays me, filling with visions of Emma again – her soft lips, her delicate touch, the sound of her moaning my name.
“Emma,” I gasp, shamelessly giving in as I reach my climax, spurting hot streams against the shower tiles.
“Shit,” I pant, feeling a mix of pleasure and guilt. What am I doing? This isn’t right. She’s not interested in me like that, and we’re just pretending to date. I need to get a grip on myself before this spirals out of control.
Rinsing off the remnants of my release, I finish my shower in silence, berating myself for letting my fantasies get the better of me. As I step out and wrap a towel around my waist, I make a silent vow to keep my desires in check.
“From now on,” I tell my reflection in the foggy mirror, “I’ll be the perfect fake boyfriend – nothing more, nothing less.”
