Page 28 of Bad Boys After Dark - Brett
She thought about calling Grace and getting her two cents, but she didn’t want to share their morning with anyone else yet. She was still reveling in it like a cozy blanket. She knew it wasn’t smart, especially since after their shower he’d put on his running clothes, given her one last incredible kiss, and then left without saying anything about seeing her again. In those wordless last seconds, she swore she saw her own emotions mirrored in his eyes, but she knew that was wishful thinking, too.
She watched the afternoon clouds move in front of the sun and wondered if that was a sign that she should stop seeing things that weren’t really there. They both knew he’d come over just for sex, regardless of her hopes. But how could she not romanticize after he’d shown up like that for a second time? Had she read too much into his taking her to meet Kurt, too?
Regardless of whether it was stupid or not, she treasured this morning’s encounter even more than last night’s. Last night she could have been his challenge, but he’d already conquered her before showing up at her apartment this morning.
The sun broke through the clouds, and she closed her eyes, letting the warmth on her face bring back the sting of his whiskers on her cheeks and the heady taste of his arousal. She rolled onto her stomach and opened her book, needing an escape from her rising emotions. Overromanticizing or not, being with Brett felt more real than anything ever had.
She tried to focus on the story, and eventually the horrific killer in the book overtook the hot man in her morning shower. As the afternoon passed, she was vaguely aware of people walking by and the sun appearing and disappearing like waves of the sea. Her heart raced as the villain snuck up on his unsuspecting prey.
She was a million miles away when the hard press of a body came down over her, sending fear surging inside her. Instinct brought her fist back, smacking into a man’s face as she rolled out from under him.
“Shit, Soph!” Brett said, one hand covering his eye.
“Oh my gosh! I didn’t know it was you. I’m so sorry!” She crouched in front of him, shocked he was there and feeling horrible about hitting him. “I thought you were a pervert.”
He smirked, and she swatted his arm.
“Man,” he said with a playful smile as he lowered his hand. “You’re vicious.”
She winced at the redness beneath his eye. “What would you do if you were me and a guy just lay on top of you in a park?”
“Fair enough. How does it look?”
She studied the tender spot and met his honey-brown eyes. “Like you got hit by a girl. It’s a little red.”
“Good thing I like you fierce.” He flashed a cocky grin.
She clung to that statement tighter than she probably should have and tried to push back the urge to wrap that compliment up and tuck it away. “What are you doing here, anyway?”
“I was…um…” His gaze darted away, then back again, with a hint of aha in his eyes. “I was out running errands and felt like going for a row in the lake. I remembered you were headed here and figured what the hell. I thought we could hang out for a few minutes. I know how you forget to eat sometimes, so I brought you a few things in case you need to power up after this morning’s workout.”
He reached for a bag she hadn’t noticed, and she didn’t even try to calm the happy dance taking place inside her. She sat down as he placed a sandwich, apple slices, a container of yogurt, and a bottle of her favorite drink, unsweetened mint honeysuckle Runa, beside her.
Overromanticized, my butt. He’d definitely thought of her. “How did you know I sometimes forget to eat?”
He focused on unwrapping the paper from around her sandwich and said, “I’ve been in your office often enough to know you work through lunch a lot.”
She didn’t think anyone other than Amanda and Mick had noticed.
His gaze flicked up to her as he handed her the sandwich with a slightly uncomfortable smile. “Turkey, lettuce, light mayo.”
“Thanks,” she said, a little awestruck. She didn’t want to be one of those girls who thought they knew what was going on in a guy’s head, especially Brett’s head. He hadn’t pretended to want more with her, despite the fact that he kept showing up. As he unwrapped his own sandwich, she knew she needed to get some answers before she drove herself crazy wondering where they stood.
