Page 9 of F Buddy

I blinked at him, not comprehending. He made it seem too easy when I knew it wasn’t. It was anything but easy at this point. I’d not only had a one night stand, but had had it with one of my friends while as a bridesmaid at our mutual friends’ wedding, no less.

There would be no keeping it quiet. People would speculate, maybe a few would guess. But Zach… Yes, he’d told me his views on his dealings with women, but it still felt so surreal that he was acting this carefree while I was the awkward one. But then, he was used to this. I never had sex outside of relationships, and even then it was at least after a couple of months of dating if the relationship lasted that long.

“So we’re still… just friends,” I said slowly, trying to convince myself and question him at the same time. “No weirdness between us at all, you don’t come to me expecting sex or anything?”

He snorted and rolled his eyes like it was the most ridiculous thing he’d ever heard. I felt a little offended.

“If that’s what you’re worried about, don’t. That’s not how I do things. We had a fun night, and I enjoyed it.” He arched an eyebrow. “Unless you have an objection?”

Unconsciously, I shook my head. “It was… probably the best sex I’ve had in a long time,” I said, immediately regretting saying it when he smirked at me, looking all smug.

“Well, there you go. It was the same for me, by the way. Probably just because it was you.”

I ignored that my face felt flushed. “Oh?”

He laughed. “If you want me to shower you with compliments, I will. You’re fucking sexy, Scarlett, I’ve always thought so. You made my night the moment you agreed to this, and it only got better.” He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, and I huffed out a little laugh, relaxing a little.

Maybe I was taking this too seriously. Zach didn’t look like he was having any trouble keeping things casual, so there was no reason why I should.

Still, I frowned at him. “So… what happens now?”

“Now…” he looked around. “I get dressed, we go out and have breakfast, and we share a cab home.”

He did just that, going around the room and pulling on his clothes as I watched. He put on his slacks and his shirt, then picked up his jacket and frowned at it. I could tell it was expensive and we’d mishandled it badly last night. But then I was preoccupied watching him as he pulled out his phone from his pocket.

“It’s later than I thought,” he murmured, frowning at the screen. “We’re gonna need to check out soon, or I’ll have to pay extra.”

Fuck.

The words he was speaking barely registered in my mind. I was too busy looking at his body. Somehow, partially dressed as he was, he looked even hotter than when he’d had no clothes on. His shirt was unbuttoned, framing his muscled chest and abdomen to perfection. His slacks, also undone, hung off his hips, and my eyes couldn’t help dropping to the open fly, staring at the slight bulge there. It would be so easy, just a small push with my hands, to have him naked again. His hands would go behind me to undo my dress, it would fall to the floor, and we could go back to the bed…

“Is something wrong?”

I blinked at Zach, who had cocked his head at me. It took me a moment to realize he must have said something I didn’t hear. I shook my head, opened my mouth, and said something that made my face go red with a furious blush once I registered the words: “After last night, I know exactly why women chase after you.”

We stared at each other in short silence, mine stubborn, his more shocked. Then a grin spread on his face that made me think I’d pass out from overheating in embarrassment.

“Really?” he said with a chuckle.

He tossed aside his coat. Luckily, it landed on the bed. He crossed the space between us, making me widen my eyes and take a step back when I thought he would kiss me. He stopped and tilted his head to the side.

“What, I don’t even get a kiss?” he asked innocently.

I scoffed at the act. “You leave a lot of broken hearts, don’t you?”

He shrugged, oh so casual, and sidled a little closer. I didn’t back away, but jutted my chin a little.

“I wouldn’t know about that, but I would like to know if you’d be interested in doing this again. You said it last night; we’re both no good with relationships. This would be easier, no?”

No, I wanted to say. But that wasn’t entirely accurate. If I could get over today, and the next few days, it really would be an easy decision to make.

“So we keep meeting up for sex, because you don’t want a relationship, and I can't seem to keep one? Isn’t that just a little sad?”

His grin never faltered. “Call it comforting each other. Even better, we’re already friends, so there’s no need for awkward morning afters, and finding someone new later.”

I laughed. “And how long would this go on for? Like maybe in a year we both wouldn’t have anybody. Do we marry to up the convenience?” I teased. “Then I’d be your booty call, and you’d be mine, but we still live separately, and make sex the only requirement.”

He folded his arms over his chest with a casual grunt. “Why live separately? We can have a house with two bedrooms and we’d be like roommates. It would be inexpensive, so I definitely wouldn’t mind that.”