How would I rate kissing Clay Olsen? Five stars. Two enthusiastic thumbs up. Fireworks. Everywhere. He had wrecked me for all other men with one kiss, and I’d made sure he knew it the way I’d clung to him.
I gripped my hair as the embarrassment of it all washed over me again. One kiss wasn’t exactly accurate. It had been a lot of kissing. Several times, he’d pulled away, and each time I’d reeled him back in, like I couldn’t get enough, because… I couldn’t.
What if this became just another blip in our weird history? That one time our flirting got out of hand and wasn’t that so funny? He’d have a new reason to tease me, to keep his distance so my dad and Parker wouldn’t find out we’d ever spent time together.
My comforter smelled like him even after a fitful night’s sleep. Thanks to his pronouncement that he’d be here at seven, I’d set my alarm for six, but now it was six-fifteen and I couldn’t get my body to cooperate and actually get out of bed. It was Saturday morning for crying out loud. I finally reached over and picked up my phone from the nightstand, sending him a text.
Lauren: I’m rescheduling this mysterious meeting we’re having until ten. Because… reasons.
Clay: No need. I’ll just come snuggle with you until you’re ready to get out of bed.
Lauren: You will not.
Clay: See you at 7.
I smiled in spite of myself. What was I supposed to do about Clay? I’d been there when my dad called him and talked about me not dating people in the company, and Clay didn’t even know about the stupid clause I was supposed to sign to make it official. We could not date. He knew it. I knew it.
But was this dating? We didn’t have to define it. No labels required. We were just two people who liked spending time together because it was forbidden. I groaned at my own stupidity and rolled out of bed. I needed a shower before Clay got here.
I passed Jenny’s room and ducked my head in to talk to her, but she wasn’t there. What the heck? I quickly texted her and was relieved when she responded right away.
Lauren: Where are you?
Jenny: It’s a long story. Noah from work invited me to go on a hot air balloon ride this morning. His date bailed on him. The tickets are two hundred bucks!
Lauren: Awesome! I want details!
Jenny: I’ll spill later. Gotta go.
It must have been really last minute. The two of us had stayed up way too late squealing and speculating about Clay, and there was no mention of hot air balloon rides.
Speaking of Clay, I’d better hurry. I ran back to my room for my shower comb and then locked myself in the bathroom for a long shower. Too long.
I was heading back to my room in my bathrobe when a knock sounded at the door. Of course he’d be early, the stinker. Or maybe he was right on time. I tended to lose track of time when glorious hot water was raining down on my head.
I’d just text him and tell him to wait. I tiptoed back to the bathroom thinking I’d left my phone on the counter, but it wasn’t there. Had I left it in Jenny’s room? Her room was slightly below tornado level of messy and the thought of searching it had me sighing.
Surely Clay would text me something snarky by now and I’d hear the chime. I stood in the hallway listening.
The knock came again, and I rushed to the door and checked the peephole. Clay was waiting patiently with his arms loaded down with canvas bags. I wasn’t even sure how he’d knocked. Maybe with his forehead?
I opened the door a crack and stuck my head out. “Hold on. I’m still getting ready. Wait a full minute so I can run back to my room. Then come in and wait in the living room.”
“Sure thing.” He grinned at me, and I couldn’t help grinning back before shutting the door.
I took off like a woman on a mission, but my big toe caught on the edge of the carpeting, and with a little scream, I went sprawling, giving my knee a nasty rug burn and almost losing my robe.
“Are you okay?” The door cracked open.
“Close your eyes! Stay right there!”
I got up quickly and tied the robe back around myself before turning to make sure he was obeying, which he was. He stood frozen in the doorway with his eyes squeezed shut, half the bags now at his feet, and half in his arms. One bag had spilled over, revealing its contents—a roll of store-bought cookie dough and his kiss the cook aprons. What kind of adorableness had he planned for us today? I snuck a little closer and studied his face while he had his eyes shut tight. He was freshly shaven and smelled really nice. I almost kissed his perfect mouth before common sense took over, and I dashed back to my room and shut the door behind me.
My eyes zeroed in on my phone peeking out from under my covers like a little traitor.
Dressing as quickly as possible, I came out to find him in my kitchen, examining my house plants sunning themselves in the window above the sink. He turned and studied me, looking amused. “I’ve been trying to piece together what just happened. Did you fall?”
“Yes. I tripped.”
