I cough out a laugh because football guy really does have hot guy energy, and now my brain is consumed with considering in what ways this man could be freaky as fuck. Distraction mission accomplished, I guess.
RenegadeRush
And you? What Jeopardy category would you kill at?
When the elevator doors open, I’m uncharacteristically relieved to find the car empty. There is something undeniably delightful about an elevator conversation, but I absolutely cannot people right now.
ChaosQueen
I want to say movie trivia, but my movie knowledge extends to rom-coms and rom-coms only. The truth is, I absolutely clean up at Gadgets & Gizmos.
RenegadeRush
That’s badass. So, what are you up to right now?
When the elevator doors open, I step off, my head still buried in my phone.
ChaosQueen
I’m leaving work now, and I was serious about the distraction. I’m considering sending out an SOS to my friends to go do something crazy with me. It’s that kind of night.
RenegadeRush
Crazy, huh? What constitutes crazy in the world of ChaosQueen?
The second I push through the door to my building, I’m hit with a blast of cold, early March air. Goosebumps immediately ripple down my bare arms because of course I shoved my sweater in my bag instead of putting it back on after I stripped off earlier at the memory of Tyler’s sex voice and ocean-eyed perusal, and my jacket is draped across a chair in my office because my brain was too addled to remember to bring it with me.
“That sweater works better if you wear it, Sal.”
I suck in a breath, coming to a complete stop, my head jerking up at the sound of Tyler’s voice. And I instantly melt into a lusty puddle because there he stands, leaning up against his black G-Wagon, denim-clad legs crossed at the ankles and a beaming smile aimed directly at me. The last rays of the setting sun make his eyes glow as he studies me, the color made even bolder by the navy sweater stretched across his impressive chest, and his hair falls over his forehead in a perfect, sexy tousle. He looks so cozy hot it takes every ounce of restraint I possess not to take a flying leap directly into his arms.
And when he rakes his gaze down my body, eyes lingering on my chest where I’m absolutely positive my nipples are poking through my tank top due to the cold and my proximity to this beautiful man, and then drags his tongue along his lower lip, a kind of knowing in his eyes like he’s remembering exactly what Ilook like without the clothes I’m currently wearing, heat sears through me like I’ve suddenly crash-landed directly on the surface of the sun.
“You’re parked in a fire lane,” I manage, crossing my arms over my chest. “You couldn’t find a regular parking spot like everyone else?”
Tyler chuckles, pushing off the car and striding towards me. He slides the bag from my shoulder and takes the sweater out, setting the bag on the ground at our feet. “But if I was parked somewhere else, I wouldn’t be able to do this.”
Shaking out the sweater, he tugs it over my head, holding out the sleeves so I can stick my arms in, then gently lifting my hair out of the neck, his fingers gliding over my skin in a way that makes me shiver. Slowly—so, so slowly and with his eyes glued to mine—he reaches up and tucks a wayward curl behind my ear, skating his thumb down over my jaw, and what are words again? I have forgotten every single one of them.
“Perfect,” he murmurs, resting his hand lightly on the side of my neck. Barely even touching, really. Just…hovering there, the heat of his palm warming my skin as his eyes bore into mine, and my goosebumps have goosebumps only this time, they have nothing to do with the cold. “So, so perfect.”
What is happening right now?
“What are you doing here?” My voice is high and breathy, which seems to amuse Tyler. His lips quirk up on one side, and that breaks me out of my daze enough to take a step back and get some breathing room from whatever the hell this is.
Only when I breathe, I get a whiff of the spice of his cologne and the clean, soapy smell that is so completely him, and all of a sudden, I’m fighting for my life, every part of my body desperate for him.
Oblivious to my overwhelming need to plaster my body to his and never let go, Tyler grins, picking up my bag from the ground and slinging it over his own shoulder. “Came to pick you up.”
I roll my eyes to try and appear like this man doesn’t affect me. That’s me. Totally unaffected by this gorgeous specimen of football god. Nothing to see here at all. “I have a car. I don’t need a chauffeur.”
Tyler drops a hand down and flicks my bracelets, giving me a wink. “Obviously. But you told me you had a big interview today, so I thought we could go celebrate it.” He studies me. “Or commiserate? Whichever is more appropriate.”
The interview.
My stomach clenches as thoughts of the interview come crashing back. What it means. What I’m going to do about it.
Tyler links his finger with mine, pulling me out of my spiral. “What’s in your head, Sophie baby?”
