Drew steps to the side so I can enter and closes the door behind me.
“You know, you don’t need to apologize for having fun on an away series. So long as you aren’t breaking rule seven and arranging hookups via private messages that can be screenshot, then you’re free to do what you want.”
I don’t bother to turn around and face her, opting to take in the cozy setup she has in her living room. A duvet is slung over the deep blue couch that faces a widescreen TV, which is paused on an episode ofThe Last Kingdom. A spoon sits in a half-finished tub of chocolate brownie ice cream, and I’m pretty sure the empty mug beside it was once a hot chocolate, based on the smeared evidence around the rim, along with the pink lip stain.
And now I’m jealous of a fucking mug.
Kicking off my Repeet sneakers—which I only wore over here because I knew Drew would notice them—I take a seat in the center of the couch and tap the empty space to my left.
“Come sit.”
Drew frowns at me. “Last I checked, I was a human being and not a dog. You can’t order me to sit when it pleases you.”
Without a word, I rise from the couch and walk over to her, taking the flowers in one hand and interlacing our fingers with the other. She doesn’t fight me on it, and for once, I love how compliant she’s being.
“Baby, if I had my way, I’d be commanding you to do a lot more than just sit. Unless …” I trail off, and a filthy smirk traces my lips. “Unless you were sitting on my?—”
“Stop!” Drew interjects. Deep pink, the same color as her sleep shorts, creeps down her neck. “I know what you were insinuating.”
Still smirking, I lead her over to the couch, and she takes a seat next to me.
I reach behind us and pull her light-blue duvet across our laps.
“Will … what the fuck are you doing?” Drew’s protest is weak, and she knows it.
Throwing her a big, cheesy grin, I set the flowers down next to me and grab the TV remote from the armrest, hitting Play.
She sighs heavily.
“I didn’t know you liked to watch violence,” I say.
Drew reaches across us both and pauses the program again.
I point toward the TV. “I was watching that.”
Grabbing the duvet, she yanks it away from me. “You shouldn’t be here. Watching TV and pretending like there’s nothing strange about a client and his publicist cuddling on a couch.”
I quirk an inquisitive brow. “Cuddling? Were you expecting me to put my arms around you?”
She scoffs, and I chuckle. “I honestly don’t know what to expect from you anymore. Other than your complete and total disregard for the rules I set for good reason.”
Drew’s right. I keep overstepping, and I shouldn’t have shown up here tonight.
Rising to my feet, I shove my hands into my pockets and drop my shoulders. “For what it’s worth, nothing happened with the women I was pictured with in Pittsburg. The flowers were an apology for all the times I’d acted like a dick. I could’ve had them delivered to your door, but that would have meant passing on an opportunity to see you outside of boring business meetings.”
Through thick, dark lashes, Drew peers up at me from the couch.
“You aren’t a dick, Will. I just …” Her fingers tangle together in her lap—a sure sign that she’s stressed or maybe more confused. “I don’t know how to act around you anymore. For years, I’ve seen you as the family friend I could banter with at Christmas parties.” Her eyes drop to the floor. “And now it feels like everything has shifted because we’ve spent alone time together.”
I hate how uncomfortable she looks.
Crouching down in front of her, I thread my fingers through her right hand. “If you want me to leave, then I’ll go. I came here tonight because I missed you and I felt like you’d been avoiding me. But, Drew … I never want to put you in a position where you feel pressured.”
When I release her hand and turn to head for the front door, she stands and cups my elbow in her palm.
I’m not testing Drew, and I hope she knows that. If she hadn’t stopped me from leaving, then I genuinely would’ve walked out the door. I can feel every ounce of the sexual charge between us, but I need this girl to show me that she can sense it, too, for me to take things any further.
“I want you to stay a while longer. I think we need to talk.”
