Simon jabbed, rather violently, on a few buttons as his player lifted a bazooka and blasted at a steel door.
"Good one, bro!" Barron lifted his hand for a quick fist bump before immersing himself back in the game.
After our dinner, which Simon had surprisingly made, and which was - again - surprisingly delicious, we all converged to the games room. At first, we drank a few beers and took turns shooting pool and playing darts while chatting and watching TV. The atmosphere was upbeat and casual.
That is until Simon disappeared upstairs and returned, proudly producing his Xbox. Never before had I seen a bunch of almost thirty-year-old men jump up in hurried excitement.
They had been at it for about two hours now. At first, Simon and Barron reluctantly let us take turns. But when it became glaringly apparent that the two cousins took their gameplay seriously, as if they were on an actual battlefield, we swiftly bowed out.
Eden was lounged on a corner sofa, glaring at Barron. He had repeatedly snatched the controller off her in an effort to "guide" her player. After he had done it for the fourth time, she had thrown the controller at him with a frustrated growl before informing the group that she was opening another bottle of wine. It looked like a night of makeup sex was in the cards for these two.
I stifled a yawn as I checked the time. It was going on eleven pm, and I was tired. Between the tacos Simon made, the beer, and the morning drive, I was wiped.
"I'm gonna turn in," I murmured to Eden. Ryan and Gabe had already gone to bed about an hour ago.
Eden nodded tired eyes at me. "I'll give these guys another half hour before I pull the plug."
After showering and pulling my hair into a high ponytail, I changed into pajama shorts and a camisole. The rain made the air humid and sticky, another contributing factor to my tiredness.
As I padded up the stairs, I could hear Eden's laughter coming from the basement, so I assumed they were still playing. But as I climbed the final stair, I came to a shocked stop on the landing.
Simon was standing there with a pair of shorts. Shirtless.
Oh, shit.
Chapter 15
Sofia
Simonstilledashiseyes moved over my form. He was holding a water bottle, and I heard a faint crunch from the plastic.
His hair was damp, indicating he used the second bathroom for his pre-bed routine.
"So this is what you wear to bed," he drawled with a slight smirk.
I rolled my eyes, even though I felt myself stifle a smile of amusement. His arrogant behavior still seemed to be in full force.
"Don't start. I wear less to the gym."
"Oh, now that I have to see. What gym do you attend? Do they have guest passes?"
I sighed in annoyance as I stuffed my toiletry bag into my suitcase.
Determinedly ignoring him, I grabbed my hand cream and dabbed a squirt on my palm before massaging the fragrant cream into my skin.
I side-eyed Simon as he bent down to rifle through his luggage. The soft glow of the bedside lamp bounced off his muscled back. Jesus, it should be a crime to be that good-looking and have a body honed by discipline. I was a regular gym goer, but I mainly stayed on the treadmill and took two weekly Pump classes.
Simon was definitely that guy in the corner grunting away as he bench-pressed and squatted. Spotting with friends, maybe doing a few boxing classes. I bet he even did ice baths.
I shifted uncomfortably as I averted my eyes from him. Whatever he did, I could feel dampness gather in my panties. So much for clean underwear.
"So listen," Simon turned back to me, holding his phone and a toilet bag with spare clothes in his hand. "I'm gonna take my stuff and head down to sleep on one of the couches. You can have the room."
"Oh." I paused as I eyed the space. The loft was spacious and basically an open room. The beds were evenly spaced apart, and I knew he would take the furthest away from me. We were also grown adults, and as much as he...tested me...he hadn't been too terrible today.
Before I changed my mind, I gave him a small smile. "You don't have to do that."
Surprise etched his features at my words. "Yeah?"
