Before I could dig further, she asked, “What about you? How did you end up here?”
I told her that my friend Corinne had been the one who originally invited me, and she’d met Devi because they worked together at the hospital.
“There’s actually a lot of medical professionals here, which doesn’t surprise me. And it means that if you have any questionsabout what limits you can push your body to, or what’s dangerous, they’re going to tell you the truth.”
More than once I had had to send Corinne a panicked message asking if I needed to see a doctor for my latest sex injury.
“Huh, that’s interesting. Kind of intimidating though.”
“Am I intimidating?” I asked her, leaning closer to watch the fire flicker in her eyes.
“Absolutely,” she breathed.
Chapter Three
Gray
I could barely forma coherent thought around this woman. All the blood that was supposed to be in my brain making my thoughts fire away had gone to other zones of my body. Erogenous ones.
It wasn’t just her hair or her stunning brown eyes or the ghost of freckles across her nose.
It was the intensity of her focus onme.
Me? Most of the time I got up and went to work and came home and read books, hung out with Tally, and sometimes crocheted blankets and hats I donated or played with Dandy. My life wasn’t exciting, but it was cozy and comfortable and mine.
Mal looked like the kind of person who knew how to choose a bottle of wine and went to galas and had been on a yacht before. She was sophisticated in a way that I could never touch.
But I was drawn to her anyway. So drawn to her that I wanted to crawl into her lap and wrap that hair around my fist and beg her to kiss me.
It would be me begging. People like Mal didn’t have to beg.
“You’re so cute,” Mal said, reaching out and stroking some of my hair over my shoulder.
“How’s everything going in here?” a voice said, reminding me that I wasn’t alone with Mal.
We both snapped our heads around to find Tally leaning against the wall and smirking.
“We’re fine. Right, Gray?” Mal said, looking at me.
I nodded. “Uh huh.”
Tally met my eyes and we had a silent conversation where she asked if I was truly okay and I gave her the tiniest nod and a smile.
“Okay then. I’m going to go check out the hot tub. Let me know if you need a ride or not, Gray.” Oh. Right. She’d driven us here.
“We’re going to the same place, so I could take you home. If you wanted?” For the first time, Mal looked unsure.
“Yeah, that would be okay.” I wouldn’t mind riding back with her at all. And maybe once we got back, we could…hang out for a little while.
Not at my place. It definitely wasn’t clean enough for a guest. Mal’s place was probably spotless, but I was also burning with curiosity to know how she’d decorated it. All the one-bed apartments in my complex had the same layout. But maybe she had a two bed?
“Good. Just let me know when you’re ready to leave, gorgeous.” The easy way she said the last word had me blushing. I couldn’t fathom why she’d sought me out over someone else.
“Uh oh,” Mal said. “I don’t like that look on your face. What’s going on?”
Fuck, I hated that she was good at reading people. Sitting in front of her was like being stripped naked, and not necessarily in a sexy way.
I was flustered and off-balance and it was both uncomfortable and turning me on. A confusing cocktail that I guess I needed more of.
