I pulled the covers off and climbed out of bed.
“Jesus, Olivia,” David said, raking his eyes over me.
I glanced down to find my legs bare, and his long t-shirt grazing just below my underwear. “Shit,” I said, tugging down the hem. “I must’ve taken off my pants in the middle of the night.”
“I’m trying to behave,” he said, “but you’re making it nearly impossible.”
I smiled, waving him off, though I understood. He exaggerated shielding his eyes as he left the room.
After a hot shower, I came out of the bathroom to find a shopping bag on the bed. God, that was quick. Normally, I would’ve left it where it was, but with my blouse destroyed, I couldn’t exactly show up to work in a t-shirt and slacks. I unfolded a simple, forest green dress conservative enough for the office. I knew why David had chosen the green. It matched my eyes, and it was also Bill’s favorite color on me.
I attempted to make myself presentable by twisting my damp hair into a loose chignon and breaking into the makeup essentials I carried in my purse. I lingered over the bruise, dabbing the area with cover-up, but eventually gave up trying to look good to go meet David in the kitchen.
He still wore a faded t-shirt and gray sweatpants that hung dangerously low. I glimpsed skin when he pulled two mugs from a cupboard.
“Thank you for the dress,” I said, looking around his place more time. “How much do I owe you?”
“Just a quick breakfast,” he said, quickly scanning my outfit. “What do you eat in the mornings? Want coffee? OJ? Both?”
I sighed, half-longing to spend my morning ogling him over a coffee mug. “I need to get going.”
“You should eat first. I’m not a great cook, but I can whip something up.”
Not wanting to be rude, I nodded to a bowl of fruit behind him. “How about a banana?”
He swung around and grabbed one to offer it to me. “What else?”
I narrowed my eyes and smiled at him. “You’re kind of persistent, aren’t you?” I said, mocking how he’d called me “a little stubborn” the night before.
He grunted. “When I want something, yes.”
“What do you want, David?”
He flexed his hands in his pockets, inadvertently tugging his sweatpants lower. “Just to feed you, Olivia.”
Was David this attentive to all his overnight visitors? He must’ve run up quite a tab on breakfast foods. With the irritating thought, I turned away. “The banana will suffice.”
“At least let me get you a cab, too,” he said, walking me to the door.
“You’re in your pajamas,” I pointed out. “What’s it like living in a hotel anyway? Don’t all the people disturb you?”
He gave a short laugh as we passed into the entryway, where he hit the elevator call button. “That’s not usually the first thing people ask when they find out I live in a hotel. But no. Last night we used a private entrance and elevator. So unless I come through the front, I’m generally spared from people-ing.”
I turned to face him. “You’re still coming to tonight’s Meet and Greet, right?” I asked. “Beman will kill me if you don’t show. The press will be there to debut the list, starting with a red carpet out front of the hotel as people arrive.”
“I’ll be there,” he said. “But all I have to do is ride the elevator one floor up to the rooftop. Looks like I’ll miss the red carpet.”
“But you’re the most sought-after man in the feature—” I stopped myself. Clearing my throat, I tried shifting from teenage fangirl to a more professional approach. “We need you for the press you’ll bring. You’re walking the red carpet—even if I have to come up here and drag you there myself.”
David paused a beat, then reached up to lift my chin. I assumed he meant to inspect my injury again, but instead, he leaned in, his mouth nearly at my ear. “I can almost assure you that plan would backfire,” he said levelly. “Next time I get you willingly alone in my apartment, even the gentleman in me will step aside.”
My eyes hit the marble floor as my warming cheeks gave way to a furious blush. Any joking left his demeanor. Was he serious? Did he think I could respond to something like that?
“Good grief, you’re red,” he said, drawing back. I peeked up to see his lips spread into a devastating smile. “And go easy on that poor banana.”
I loosened my death grip around the fruit just as the elevatordinged.
Saved by the bell.
