Page 57 of Hollywood Undercover
“Thenwhat?”
“I…I booked my flight backhome.”
There was genuine shock on his face. “Already?”
“Yeah. My uncle is doing a lot better. Rosa is back too. There’s no reason for me to stay. I’m going to miss…well I’ll miss being here. My boss at work is hounding me about going back there…It’s time for me to get things back ontrack.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah. That’s why I’m pissed off. I’m not sure what I’ll do next. I have to get back and figure that out. I mean, I have a game plan, and I’ve done okay, but those plans aren’t making me as happy as I want to be. Anyway, enough aboutthat.”
Bash nodded and gave her an odd look. She didn’t know what to make ofit.
“I hate to have to do this to you, but you leave me no choice.” He got to his feet, stepping over to the cabinet at the side of his fireplace. He returned and dropped a controller in herlap.
“What? Videogames?”
“It’s the perfect cure for days like this. I’m talking full speed racing here…the kind of shit that lets you give the real world the finger, while you get yourself together to take it by the balls later on. That’s what youneed.”
She was instantly transported back to her teen years when playing helped her pass the time after music and vocal lessons. She used to feel like such a rebel. She would skip out on her guitar practice time slots or drop her songwriting in the middle of an idea so she could play video games, especially when Dad was at work. She hadn’t played in years, but racing games used to be lots offun.
“Don’t threaten me with a good time,” she told him, ready for the escape. “I hope you’re not a sore loser, Bash, because I’m about to decimateyou.”
She gleefully gripped the controller and got up from the armchair to sit on the sofa facing the TV, tucking her feet beneath her. She looked down at the way she was sitting. This was way too girly. She pulled her legs back out and placed her feet on the floor. Thankfully, Bash was putting the game disc into the console, so he didn’t notice. He grabbed his own controller and sat next to her. Their thighs brushed innocently, and it was enough to send an electric jolt of desire through her entirebody.
She didn’t want to move. She watched the game load up, and sneaked glances at him as he went through the game start-upoptions.
This isit.
This is the come-on.
He’s going to make a play for ‘Alex’.
He’s finally got me alone at hishouse.
Alexandra remembered that she was the one who invited herself over. She took a second to look at him head to toe, hoping he didn’t notice. His t-shirt tank showed off his tanned skin and ripplingbiceps.
God, he lookstasty.
He smells so damngood.
They were about to play video games like a couple ofbuddies.
What the hell is wrong withme?
She moved over on the couch to give the heat pooling between her legs some time to return to normal. It was no use. The minute he looked at her and nudged her with his elbow—and with that grin on his face—she was turned right back onagain.
“Ready?” heasked.
She nodded, because she didn’t trust herself to speak. She was ready for something, alright. Her body was ramped up and ready for him, or a cold shower, or anything that could get her out of this. He motioned for her to scroll through the options. They picked their cars from the lineup, boosting them up with extra speed or power. Before long, the distraction helped cool her down, and soon they were ready for the firstrace.
“Try to keep up, pretty boy,” Bash said while holding his thumb down on the accelerator. She jabbed him in the shoulder. He play-kicked at her ankles, and started the game before she could catch her bearings. She immediately fell behind at his distractiontechnique.
“Hey!” sheshouted.
Racing games were a full body sport. She found herself jerking her elbows up and down, or whipping the controller to the right or left as she went around a bend in the road. She wiggled on the sofa, trying to inch him off the road, but he paused long enough to poke at her controller. Her yellow sports car flipped off the track and exploded in the digitalgrass.
“Dammit. That was a low blow,Bash.”
