My head didn’t hurt half as bad as it did yesterday, which I took as a good sign.This pain could be knocked out with a couple Advil.I tossed the covers off, and pulled on a pair of gym shorts.I wandered toward the bathroom and overheard snippets of Ivy’s conversation.
“Yes, ma’am, I’ll be at the closing.That’s definite, Belinda.”
She went quiet, then said, “No, a doctor didn’t tell me I had a concussion, but my gut tells me I should take it easy today.”
That almost sounded convincing, but the pitch of her voice shifted enough that I wondered if her boss was calling bullshit on her excuse.Then again, I knew she was lying.
“Right.I’ll be back at it tomorrow, and I’m sorry for the inconvenience.”
She said her goodbyes after that and I backed up and sat on her side of the bed.
Her eyes widened a touch when she came out and saw me.“Oh, sorry.I didn’t know you were up.”
“No need to apologize.What did you tell your boss?Sounds like your lie didn’t go over so well.”
She shrugged and my eyes darted to the hem of the t-shirt rising up on her thighs.“I said I had an accident and bonked my head on a cabinet when I fell.”
My lips quirked to the side.“Rookie mistake.Never give more detail than necessary.”
Her head tilted.“You’re a skilled liar, huh?”
I dipped my chin.“Wouldn’t say that.I know how to get out of things when necessary.”
Slowly, she nodded once.“I see.Well, the bathroom’s all yours.”
I stared at her, and if she were any other woman, I’d have told her to climb on my lap right then and there, but as she’d already pointed out, there were plenty of mixed signals between us.
“Um, are you okay?Or just not awake?I can’t tell if you’re staring at me for a reason or just in a zombie trace.”
I almost smiled.“Not a trance.”
Her brows arched.“Is there a problem?”
Aside from my growing hard-on, no, but I either had to shower again to give myself some relief… or I had to figure out a way to flirt with her.
She stepped closer.“Would you mind checking under that pillow?I think I left my hair tie somewhere in the bed.”
And… there was my opportunity.
“I’m not stopping you from checking.”
She blinked.“You’re kind of in the way, Nickel.”
“Ryan.”
She gave a slight frown.“I thought I was supposed to call you by your road name.”
I shrugged a shoulder.“I like it when you use my real name.”
Her eyes slid to the side and back to me.“Okay.Are you going to scootch over, Ryan?”
“Nope.”
She narrowed her eyes for a beat, shook her head, and moved so she could step between my leg and the nightstand.I widened my legs to stop her and she put a hand on my shoulder.
“What are you doing?It’s almost like you’re flirting with me or something.”
I wrapped my hands around each of her thighs.“Would it be a problem if I were?”
