Page 27 of Rise of the King (Checkmate 5)

“I know, right?” I scrunch my nose and toss the ball again. “It’s weird how that turned out. The universe must really want us to be together.”

“Not the universe, Jay. Just you.” Is she lying on her floor, cheek pressed to the hardwood, her ear open and waiting for my every word? I’d press my ear to the ceiling if I could.

In fact–

I look around in search of a ladder, but come up empty.

“Sophia, answer me. What did the ballet dancer say when she lost her shoe?”

Exasperated, she lets out a long sigh. “I don’t know. What did she say?”

“Ugh! This ispointeless!”

Silence.

Complete, utter, deafening silence.

Snickering, I toss the ball again. I’m freezing in this ice-box, and she still has my coat – is she lying on it? Sniffing me? Maybe that’s why she wouldn’t give it back. Perhaps this is the equivalent of high school girls taking their man’s sweatshirt… I could get on board with that. “Soph? I won’t judge you if you’re sniffing my coat right now. Just so you know. We could both wear it at the same time if you want. I’d snuggle in and be discreet when I grab your tits.”

“Your coat is by your front door,” she grumbles. “I brought it down ages ago.”

“Motherfucker!” I jump up from my bed and sprint to my door. Sure enough, when I swing it wide open, I find my coat folded in the hall in a neat pile. She was right there! So fucking close I could’ve opened my door and tugged her straight in.

Was she wearing a tutu?

Snatching up the coat, I shrug into it and shiver because it’s been in the freezing hall. “Why can’t we share your heating, Soph?” I slam my door and walk back toward my bed with the tennis ball in my left hand, and my right digging into the bag of gummies I never let run out. “I’m dying down here, and you’re up there in a leotard and not a single shiver. Share the wealth, woman! It won’t make you colder if I come up.”

“I don’t wanna share,” she murmurs. “You’ll come up, we’ll eat, you’ll talk me out of my panties.”

I knew she liked me too. “I don’t see the problem here, babe! It’s surviving the wilderness 101: get naked, use body heat, stay alive.”

“I’m not sleeping with you, Jay! I have a life, and plans, and bills to pay, and shit to do. You and your dick absolutely do not fit into my plans.”

“You just gotta relax and let it slide in.”

“Jay!”

“My dick won’t stop you from working! I’ve gotta work too. I’ve gotta eat, and shower, and do all sorts of non-sex shit. So we could do the sex thing, then the rest after that.”

“You gotta work, Jay?” It’s like she’s shouting now. She seems lessmumbly. “You gotta sell fridges?”

“Yup! Now stop obsessing over my shitty career choices.” Flopping back onto the warm patch of my bed, I toss the ball.Thunk. Thunk.“Hey, quick question? It’s super serious but fast, I promise.”

She groans. “What?”

“What’s the one item of clothing that always makes a dancer late?”

She sighs. “What?”

“Her leotardy!”

“I’m done.” And just like that, her music flips back on until the bass thumps in my chest and makes me laugh.

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