Reckless Love
Page 40
“What?” he asked in a calm voice, snapping me out of my trance. He’d opened his eyes. The stillness must have woken him. He turned to face me, and the corners of his mouth tugged up playfully. “What are you looking at?”
I laughed. “Nothing. We’re here.”
His smile fell as the memory of the night’s events came back to him. “You drove all the way? Why didn’t you wake me?”
“You needed the sleep.”
He looked around. “So why are we in my garage?”
“I thought I’d drop you here and catch a cab,” I said.
He shook his head.
I shook my head back at him and shrugged. “What, are you going to drive me?”
He rubbed his hand over his head and sat up. “No, I don’t like the idea of you going back to your neighborhood at this time of night.”
“So, what? You want me to stay over tonight?” I raised my eyebrows at him and smiled.
“Actually, yeah. I do.”
God, the idea of lying in bed with Ian was so enticing. Still, I’d already decided that Ian and I wouldn’t happen. In fact, we couldn’t happen if he wanted to fight in Vegas, something we both wanted desperately for him. Something he deserved.
“No,” I said.
His brow furrowed. “I don’t mean like that. I have a guest room.” He took a deep breath. “I just don’t want to worry about you tonight. It’s been a rough day for me with all this Sophia stuff, and I’d feel a lot better if I knew you were safe. Call me old-fashioned, I don’t care, but please humor me, just for tonight.”
“Fine.” I sighed. Honestly, I was too tired to argue, and after the drive to and from the treatment center, a cab ride home seemed too long of a wait to get to sleep.
He led the way to the underground ramp’s elevator. The elevator walls were mirrored, of course, which meant that no matter how hard I tried to avoid noticing how delicious he looked in his just-tight-enough jeans, he was right there. The other alternative, looking up at his face, was something I knew I couldn’t handle alone with him in the quiet elevator. I hazarded a peek, and his sleepy eyes were looking thoughtfully at me. I took a deep breath, folded my arms, and leaned back against the wall.
As he hit the button for his floor, I was reminded of the fact that I’d never actually been inside his condo. Every time I’d come over, we worked in his gym on the first floor, but his apartment was on the twenty-fourth floor. The top floor, of course.
When we got there, he led the way down the hall past several other units. At least he wasn’t in one of those crazy penthouses where the elevator opened to his condo because the top floor was all his.
Ian’s place was larger than mine, but still modest. It had a dark color scheme that was unquestionably masculine, from the deep cherry hardwood floors to the dark leather furniture, to the black appliances in the kitchen off the great room. But it was so tastefully done that I had my doubts as to whether he’d furnished it himself. It was elegant, but not enough so to keep my eyes from drifting back to his beautiful body. I was having a seriously hard time not looking at him in that white T-shirt.
“This place is so clean.” I didn’t mean to say it out loud, but apparently I was too tired to self-edit.
“Cleaners come once a week.”
Duh, of course he didn’t clean his own place. I stifled a laugh.
“Let me give you the quick tour.” He took me down a hallway and showed me his small office, the guest bedroom, and guest bathroom. “This is you,” he said, stepping inside.
The room was a decent size with a beautiful deep maroon theme. But it was so clean, it felt like a hotel room.
He headed over to a small dresser and opened the top drawer. “My sister used to crash here sometimes when she was in high school. I don’t suppose this would fit you?”
He held up a shirt that had to be a size extra small, juniors. But I’d make it work.
“Sure. Thanks.”
“There are new toothbrushes in the guest bathroom under the sink, and fresh towels in the closet if you want a shower or anything.” As he said shower, his gaze drifted over my body, nothing subtle about it.
God, if I took a shower, would he join me? Delicious heat raced through me at the thought.
I caught myself biting my lip and turned away, pulling in a deep breath. “Thanks,” I said again.
He lifted his hand and turned me back to face him, then cupped his rough palm against my cheek. “Thank you. I can’t tell you how much I appreciated all your help tonight.”
I was so tempted to cover his hand with mine and lean my cheek into it. It took every ounce of willpower I had, but I managed to nod and wait for him to reluctantly pull his hand away.
“I’m just at the end of the hall if you need anything. Good night.” He closed the door behind him, and his footsteps padded down the hall.
I stood there for a moment, staring at the closed door to my room. Like an idiot, I was hoping for the world’s oldest cliché. I wanted to stand on one side of the door while he stood outside it, each of us hoping the other would open the door so that we could collide into each other’s arms and fall back onto the bed.
But stuff like that didn’t happen to girls like me.
I turned away and pulled the covers down on the guest bed, then climbed in. I was so mentally and physically exhausted that I was sure I would get right to sleep. So sure that when an hour had passed and I was still awake, I was seriously amazed.
I laughed. “Nothing. We’re here.”
His smile fell as the memory of the night’s events came back to him. “You drove all the way? Why didn’t you wake me?”
“You needed the sleep.”
He looked around. “So why are we in my garage?”
“I thought I’d drop you here and catch a cab,” I said.
He shook his head.
I shook my head back at him and shrugged. “What, are you going to drive me?”
He rubbed his hand over his head and sat up. “No, I don’t like the idea of you going back to your neighborhood at this time of night.”
“So, what? You want me to stay over tonight?” I raised my eyebrows at him and smiled.
“Actually, yeah. I do.”
God, the idea of lying in bed with Ian was so enticing. Still, I’d already decided that Ian and I wouldn’t happen. In fact, we couldn’t happen if he wanted to fight in Vegas, something we both wanted desperately for him. Something he deserved.
“No,” I said.
His brow furrowed. “I don’t mean like that. I have a guest room.” He took a deep breath. “I just don’t want to worry about you tonight. It’s been a rough day for me with all this Sophia stuff, and I’d feel a lot better if I knew you were safe. Call me old-fashioned, I don’t care, but please humor me, just for tonight.”
“Fine.” I sighed. Honestly, I was too tired to argue, and after the drive to and from the treatment center, a cab ride home seemed too long of a wait to get to sleep.
He led the way to the underground ramp’s elevator. The elevator walls were mirrored, of course, which meant that no matter how hard I tried to avoid noticing how delicious he looked in his just-tight-enough jeans, he was right there. The other alternative, looking up at his face, was something I knew I couldn’t handle alone with him in the quiet elevator. I hazarded a peek, and his sleepy eyes were looking thoughtfully at me. I took a deep breath, folded my arms, and leaned back against the wall.
As he hit the button for his floor, I was reminded of the fact that I’d never actually been inside his condo. Every time I’d come over, we worked in his gym on the first floor, but his apartment was on the twenty-fourth floor. The top floor, of course.
When we got there, he led the way down the hall past several other units. At least he wasn’t in one of those crazy penthouses where the elevator opened to his condo because the top floor was all his.
Ian’s place was larger than mine, but still modest. It had a dark color scheme that was unquestionably masculine, from the deep cherry hardwood floors to the dark leather furniture, to the black appliances in the kitchen off the great room. But it was so tastefully done that I had my doubts as to whether he’d furnished it himself. It was elegant, but not enough so to keep my eyes from drifting back to his beautiful body. I was having a seriously hard time not looking at him in that white T-shirt.
“This place is so clean.” I didn’t mean to say it out loud, but apparently I was too tired to self-edit.
“Cleaners come once a week.”
Duh, of course he didn’t clean his own place. I stifled a laugh.
“Let me give you the quick tour.” He took me down a hallway and showed me his small office, the guest bedroom, and guest bathroom. “This is you,” he said, stepping inside.
The room was a decent size with a beautiful deep maroon theme. But it was so clean, it felt like a hotel room.
He headed over to a small dresser and opened the top drawer. “My sister used to crash here sometimes when she was in high school. I don’t suppose this would fit you?”
He held up a shirt that had to be a size extra small, juniors. But I’d make it work.
“Sure. Thanks.”
“There are new toothbrushes in the guest bathroom under the sink, and fresh towels in the closet if you want a shower or anything.” As he said shower, his gaze drifted over my body, nothing subtle about it.
God, if I took a shower, would he join me? Delicious heat raced through me at the thought.
I caught myself biting my lip and turned away, pulling in a deep breath. “Thanks,” I said again.
He lifted his hand and turned me back to face him, then cupped his rough palm against my cheek. “Thank you. I can’t tell you how much I appreciated all your help tonight.”
I was so tempted to cover his hand with mine and lean my cheek into it. It took every ounce of willpower I had, but I managed to nod and wait for him to reluctantly pull his hand away.
“I’m just at the end of the hall if you need anything. Good night.” He closed the door behind him, and his footsteps padded down the hall.
I stood there for a moment, staring at the closed door to my room. Like an idiot, I was hoping for the world’s oldest cliché. I wanted to stand on one side of the door while he stood outside it, each of us hoping the other would open the door so that we could collide into each other’s arms and fall back onto the bed.
But stuff like that didn’t happen to girls like me.
I turned away and pulled the covers down on the guest bed, then climbed in. I was so mentally and physically exhausted that I was sure I would get right to sleep. So sure that when an hour had passed and I was still awake, I was seriously amazed.
