She stops at the door, pulling it open as I slip my feet into my shoes. I walk past her, my arm brushing against hers as I step out into the hall.
I turn to face her as she stands just on the other side of the threshold. I lift my arms, grabbing the frame above the door. Cool air dances along my skin as the bottom hem of my shirt lifts. “Which of your books should I start with?”
Her eyes dart down to my waist where there’s an inch of skin showing part of the V I’ve worked hard for that disappears beneath my waistband.
Her slender throat bobs as she swallows, her eyes flickering back to mine, heavy with want. “For Cross’ book club?”
“No,” I rasp, shaking my head as I lean toward her. “For me, Sunny.” She tips her head back, her lips parting. If I drop my hands, if I close the small distance between us, I can finish what I started two weeks ago. “So, I can know what you like.”
A soft pink hue spreads across her cheeks and I revel in the fact that I’m the one who put that color in her face. I love seeing the effect I have on her.
Her pupils dilate. “Give me one minute.”
She spins on her heel, disappearing back into her apartment for less than a minute. She comes back to the door, holding out a book to me. My hands drop away from the top of the door and I take it from her. My eyes flash to hers.
“This is the one you’re looking for.” Her voice is low, sultry, even.
The sound vibrates through my body and I don’t even bother to conceal my hardening cock as I take a step away. “Let me know what time the creative meeting is then.”
“Come over around eight.” Her eyes shift to my mouth, lingering for a moment before moving back to my eyes. “Have fun.”
I think I’d have more fun here with her.
“Later, Sunny.”
Her smile reaches her eyes and her voice carries after me as I finally force myself to walk away, knowing I’ll be back later tonight.
“Later, Playboy.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
JADE
“It was a mistake, yet it wasn’t. It was exactly what I wanted.” - Clara Foss, Painted Inferno
Matteo
I’m here.
My stomach rolls with anticipation as I nervously tuck my hair behind my ears. I’m already on the elevator, heading down to the lobby, although I’m not going to tell him that.
I don’t know why I told him eight o’clock earlier. It’s after dinner, yet before bed. It felt like a middle ground at the time and now I’m overthinking it.
Jade
Be down in a minute.
If I was inviting him over for sex, it definitely would have been later than eight at night.
My hair falls in long waves down the center of my back and I collect it, pulling it over my left shoulder as I walk across the foyer. Matteo stands just outside the door, looking as good as healways does. He smiles when he sees me and I push open the door, holding it for him.
His hair is a bit damp and the faint woodsy smell drifts past me as he walks inside. “Hey, Sunny.”
“Hey,” I say softly, pausing to swallow over the nervousness that wells inside of me. “How did your training sessions go?”
“Good, good,” he says, falling into step with me as we head back over to the elevator. “How about you? Did you get a lot of writing done?”
“I did,” I nod as the doors slide open and we slip inside. Matteo moves to the panel on the wall to press the button for my floor.
