I catch a glimpse of what might be a smile before he turns away, but it could have been the lighting playing tricks on me.
Back in my room, I settle cross-legged on the bed with my laptop and the tray. The red curry is rich and creamy with just enough heat to make my eyes water slightly.
I'm scrolling through vendor emails when my phone buzzes with a text from Ariel.Did he murder you? Should I call the police?
I type back:Still alive. Barely. He's like living with a beautiful robot.
Ariel: Beautiful robot who heard you call him an asshole?
Me: Unfortunately, yes. This is why I don't do roommates.
Ariel: Maybe he'll warm up once he gets used to you being there.
I snort, taking another bite of curry. Yeah right. I give it two days before he builds a wall down the middle of the apartment.
My phone rings immediately.
“You can't give up that easily,” Ariel says without preamble. “This is Cole Maddox we're talking about. Your first real crush. Don't you want to see what adult Harper could do with that situation?”
“Adult Harper has more sense than teenage Harper,” I say. “Besides, he clearly only sees me as Brett's annoying little sister who's invaded his perfect life.”
“Or maybe he's just processing the fact that Brett's annoying little sister grew up.”
“Ariel,” I warn.
“I'm just saying.”
I think about the way Cole’s eyes raked over me in the kitchen, the way the air seemed to thicken between us during ourargument. But then I remember his cold dismissal and the way he couldn't wait to escape to his office.
“It means he was probably wondering how quickly he could get rid of me without offending Brett.”
“You're impossible,” Ariel sighs. “Just try not to hide in your room for the entire stay, okay? You're sharing space with a gorgeous man. Enjoy it.”
After we hang up, I try to focus on work, but my mind keeps drifting. The apartment is so quiet, I can hear the hum of the refrigerator from the kitchen and the distant sound of traffic far below.
Around eleven, I venture out for a drink of water. The hallway is dark except for a strip of light under Cole's bedroom door.
I'm tiptoeing back to my room when his door opens. I grind to a halt. My breath hitches in my throat, lodging there.
“Everything okay?” Cole asks as he steps out.
He’s shirtless with a pair of grey pajama pants slung low on his hips. The light from his room backlights him, carving out every defined muscle of his abdomen, the powerful V that leads down, and the solid expanse of his chest.
A light dusting of hair leads a tempting trail down his stomach. My mouth is desert-dry. I forget how to breathe. A flush blooms hot across my chest and climbs my neck.
“Fine,” I finally squeak out, my voice unfamiliar to my own ears. I clutch the glass to my chest like it can protect me, suddenly agonizingly aware that I’m wearing nothing but a t-shirt and tiny sleep shorts.
A throbbing ache begins to pulse between my legs, and my panties dampen. I can’t believe that I’m standing here struck by a lightning bolt of lust.
Cole nods, and his eyes travel a slow, scorching path from my toes, up my legs. His gaze heats my skin, stalling for a momenton my chest, where my nipples are taut and clearly visible beneath the thin fabric of my shirt, before finally meeting my eyes.
The urge to step forward, to close the space between us and see if his skin is as warm as it looks, is so strong, it terrifies me. “Goodnight.”
“Goodnight, Harper.”
He says my name in a low, rough voice that sends a liquid line of fire straight between my legs. The sensation is so intense it’s dizzying.
I stumble into my room, shutting the door and pressing my back against it as I try to get my breathing back to normal. My heart drums hard against my ribs.
