“But you like me that way; admit it.”
“I do.” I nodded truthfully. “You make me laugh with little effort, and not just a surface laugh; you make my belly hurt and my eyes water, and honestly . . . I haven’t laughed like this in a long time.” I smiled. “So thank you, Boden, for being just what I needed when I needed it.”
“Full service, remember.” He grinned, pointing at his chest.
“How could I forget.” The ways in which I’d fantasized a time or two about him—I imagined his touch would be affectionate yet commanding. He’d make me forget the outside world existed as he lavished his attention over every inch of my body as only he could. After one touch, one spark ignited, and I knew no one else would ever compare.
“Yoo-hoo, Lakelyn.” I opened my eyes to see Boden waving his hand before me. “Where did you go just now?”
A blush crept up over my cheeks, and I swallowed hard. “Ah—What did I miss while in the kitchen?” I asked, deflecting, and by the way his eyes narrowed told me he knew it.
“The hosts announced part two of the challenge, and let’s just say after catching the end of part one’s debacle, I can’t fathom how these people will complete this next task.”
“What are they supposed to create?”
“A marionette.”
“For real?”
“Out of cake in an hour and a half!” He took a swig of his drink. “How long are these episodes?” he asked, flicking his wrist to check the time.
“Usually, it’s around forty minutes. Do you want me to skip to the end? I’m sure you want to get home after your long shift.”
“No, it’s not that. I should probably go let Sheba out real quick. Is it okay if I come back or—”
“Your sister’s dog?”
“Yes. Brooke dropped her off at my place a few hours ago.”
“What are you doing here, then? Go get her and bring her over,” I offered embarrassingly quickly.
“You sure?”
“Absolutely . . .” I paused. “Actually, on second thought, I should probably check with my landlord first; he might have a no-pets policy in place.”
That sassy remark earned me a rapid-fire pillow to the chest. “I think he’d make an exception for you.”
“Maybe.” I shrugged. “However, if I were to ask him, he’d realize I didn’t read the fine print on the contract before signing it.”
“Tsk, tsk, beautiful. That kind of negligence could land you in real hot water.”
My cheeks flushed, and while I’d like to blame the alcohol, I knew the truth. It was Boden. His presence sparked an ache deep within and made me feel alive.
“Maybe I’ll get lucky and—”
“On that note . . . I’ll be back.”
I then used his absence to quickly use the bathroom.Gosh,was I a sight to behold, and yet, it didn’t faze me in the slightest, which was a telling tidbit. My hair was parted in two reverse braids, and I was wearing a pair of old green hospital pants with an oversized well-loved gray sweater over my sports bra. As I exited the bathroom, I was greeted by the scraping sounds of nails skirting across the hardwood.
The cutest little ball of fluff ran straight toward me and began jumping on her back legs with eagerness. “You are too cute for your own good. Yes, you are.” I dropped to my knees, and she rolled on her back. “Oh, you want some belly rubs, do you?” I rubbed her ribcage back and forth. “Yeah, that’s it, that’s the spot, isn’t it.”
Boden cleared his throat, calling upon my attention, and my blissful little puppy bubble burst as I looked up and nearly swallowed my tongue. My eyes landed level with his crotch, and it seemed he used his quick trip home to change his bottom half into a pair of gray sweatpants.
Sweatpants that left me tongue-tied.
Sweatpants that should be illegal because of how men like Boden looked in them.
Pshh, nix that last comment because I’m here for this.
