The shower streamed steady in the background. Of course, I wouldn’t use the audio in real-time. I’d overlay a song or something. Maybe if Zack’s band needed promo…
I shook my head and laced up the Zeezy’s. This was about me.
I spun and danced in the shoes as if they were red-bottom designer heels. My high-kick at the end sent the too-big shoe flying through the open door.
I covered my mouth with both hands. Shit. I couldn’t ruin those shoes. Zack vouched for me with that warehouse guy, and these were way too expensive to replace for one short video. The sneaker smacked hard against the hallway wall, then thumped to the floor.
Zack cackled. “Did you just throw a shoe at me?”
“No, it was loose.” I dashed out to grab it and caught a glimpse of the grinning, half-dressed quarterback through the door crack. Heat flashed through my cheeks. Was it weird my heart still raced when I saw him? I sprinted into my bedroom.
“What were you doing?” His heavy footsteps sounded behind me.
“Dancing.” I jumped just in case I needed one more shot of Theo’s outfit for editing, then peeled the clothes off.
“Whoa, I thought you said this wasn’t that kind of video.” Zack’s smile twitched. He propped his arm on the doorframe, his bicep flexed. Thankfully, he didn’t seem mad.
I hurried over to my closet. “This part will be cut. I change into my clothes at the end.”
“Normal clothes? Or are you gonna wear something like that sexy red dress? The one you got on our lunch break?”
“You remember? It must’ve made quite an impression.” I smirked and ran the silky fabric through my fingers. As fabulousas this dress was, it didn’t sit right with me for this final shot. I slipped into my robe. “I’m saving it for a date.”
“With me?”
I flipped my hair out of the collar of my robe for a moment of flirty, comfortable, nakedness a la a shampoo ad. “Are you asking me out?”
He wrinkled his brow in adorable puzzlement. “Yes?”
Was it still a question?
“That wasn’t exactly romantic.” I grabbed Theo’s stuff, collecting a little ball of chaos in my arms with the Zeezy’s as the cherry on top. “You know, it’s fine if you need more time to figure stuff out.”
“More time for what? Going back to work or coming up with a game plan?”
“To start a relationship again," I said.
“We just had sex,” he said. “I think it’s already started.”
I hugged Theo’s crap tighter. “Yes, but you might not have been thinking with the right head. Once the orgasm wears off, you might regret moving so fast.”
He frowned and edged closer. “Do you regret it?”
“No.” I loved having sex with him. I loved cuddling even more. And his laugh? Our banter? It was better than anything I could manufacture for a camera.
“So, we can do this again,” he clarified.
I shrugged and let out a heavy sigh. “I don’t know. Our values don’t align. That’s what you said.”
He cupped my face between his hands. “I value you. All of you.”
Well, damn.Finally. I grinned, my cheeks hot against his palms. “You have good taste.”
“My cool girlfriend must have rubbed off on me.” He squeezed his eyes shut and flushed. “Um, sorry, I meant—”
“I know what you meant.” I chuckled, then leaned in for a kiss.
We squashed the clothes between us in a firm embrace. My fingertips grazed his chest.Perfect.
