Chapter 6
Zoe couldn’t stop blushing after she took the flowers from Gavin. Once she’d Googled just whatNetflix and chillmeant—because Cleo had laughed her ass off but refused to tell her—she’d been flabbergasted. Did Gavin think he’d been invited over for sex? She had ground all over him at the gym. Maybe he now thought her promiscuous and flirty.
Aubrey would have been all over that. Her twin had liked to go with the moment. But right now, all Zoe felt was embarrassed. She cleared her throat as she accepted the flowers and ushered Gavin into her home. “Thanks. They’re lovely.”
He nodded. “Nice place. It’s so bright and happy in here.” He looked around, then back at her. “Not what I would have expected from you.”
“Thanks.” She huffed, now annoyed. “You were expecting black walls dripping with the blood of sacrificed goats instead? Should I show you my broom in the center of the pentagram in my kitchen?”
He grinned. “Now that you mention it, that would be really cool. Is it similar to me showing you my etchings?”
She tried not to smile. “Oh stop.” She hurried into the kitchen and put the cheery bunch of flowers into a vase. Turning to exit she found him right behind her.
“My bad. Sorry.” He put his hands out to stop her, and they both froze at the contact. His palms rested against her shoulders. So innocent, yet heat blazed inside her. Everywhere.
He slowly pulled back and stepped aside. “So I think I owe you dinner, but here I am at your place. This is gonna cost me, right?”
She blew out a silent breath and forced herself to calm down. Why should her pulse race so fast from just a casual touch? After putting the vase on her dining table, she faced him once more. In control of herself. And the situation.
“Gavin, there’s something you should understand.”
“Yeah?”
She opened her mouth to let him know there would be nochillingtonight when she froze, her brain unable to process more than the sight of him waiting for her answer. So handsome. Dark hair cut short, those gray eyes so brilliant, so smart. And his square jaw, the shoulders begging her to reach out and touch. Then farther down, those long legs and that impressive part of himself she’d felt so intimately against her just days ago.Yum.
“Zoe?”
“Gavin?”
He looked serious. “My eyes are up here.” He pointed to his face.
She blinked, totally mortified to have been caught leering, for God’s sake.
He burst out laughing. “Man, if you could see your face.”
That he hadn’t taken offense soothed her somewhat. “Well, it’s no more than what you do to me at the gym.”
He calmed down, still grinning like a maniac. “So you caught those subtle once-overs, hmm?”
“Yep.” And they’d flattered her regardless. “You need to know something important.”
“Oh?”
“There might have been some confusion about tonight’s date. But to clear that up, you’re here for dinner and a movie only. No sex. No foreplay or fooling around. Understand?”
He regarded her as if she were an alien species.
“What?”
“You really say what’s on your mind, don’t you? Honest to a fault.”
“Is that a problem for you?”
“Not at all. I love it.”
“Well then. Spell it out. What do you want from me, exactly?” She crossed her arms, waiting.
“Nope.” He crossed his arms, mimicking her. “You started this. What doyouwant fromme? I’ve been asking you out for months, then you say yes. Out of the blue. Was it because you finally felt what you’d been missing?” He glanced down his front at himself.
