I wake feeling a little under the weather…okay, a lot. I’m also still fully dressed and lying on top of the covers, hugging my pillow like my hips were hugging the stripper pole last night.
And Gio.
Oh shit.
Rolling over onto my back, I stare at the ceiling and try to engage my fuzzy brain so I can remember how I came to be rubbing up against him.
Dance class? Check. Val buying me drinks? Check. Skye walking me to the door? Check.
Music. Dancing. Gio watching me with that sexy smirk, his gaze roaming over me like he had a sweet tooth and I was a dessert buffet.
Me suggesting I dance on his pole instead.
“Fuuuck,” I mutter to myself, scrubbing my hands over my face. I still and listen for any sounds coming from the house, then I remember that he had an early shift this morning. Thank heaven for small mercies.
At least I won’t have to face my mortification first thing this morning. Later, there’ll be no avoiding it. I don’t remember him being unresponsive though. I actually recall him feeling very reactive to my drunken advances last night. It’s just that he was able to show a hell of a lot more self-control than I did. But he did want me. There’s no mistaking that.
My phone vibrates from somewhere on my bed. Gingerly lifting my head, I look around and grab it.
Skye: Hey, dancing queen. How’s the head this morning?
Alex: Just how drunk was I? because it feels like the soundcheck at Lollapalooza in my head.
Skye: You were . . . happy . . .
Alex: So, toasted?
Skye: Not quite, but not far off it. Gio didn’t seem to mind though.
Alex: Yeah, about that.
Skye: Oooh, gossip. Tell me.
Alex: I think I might’ve tried to put on a show for him
Skye: That’s always a good way to break the ice.
Alex: You don’t want to hear this about your brother
Skye: Au contraire, I TOTALLY want to know. Did you invent your own horizontal pole routine?
Alex: NO! But I may have been hinting that it was an option.
Skye: This is good. No, this is GREAT.
Alex: How?
Skye: Because my brother would’ve never gone there if you were tipsy. But that doesn’t mean he won’t want a chance at an encore performance.
Alex: I think I have to quit my job, move out, and run back to be a pig farmer.
Skye: OR . . . you own it and see what my brother does with whatever motivation your little performance gave him.
Alex: Not sure I can avoid the elephant in the room when I see him.
Skye: Don’t avoid it. Jump on that elephant’s back and ride it with pride.
Alex: You DO know you’re pretty much telling me to go after your brother.
Skye: Well, DUH. Val is totally on board Team Galex.
I snort out a laugh, my head complaining at the jolting movement.
Skye: Just wait until Mama hears about this.
Alex: OMG no. I haven’t even met your mother yet. I don’t want to make a bad first impression.
Skye: She just wants to see her kids coupled up and happy.
Alex: Not sure she’ll wanna know that I rubbed and writhed against her baby boy like a tomcat in heat.
Skye: Tomcats don’t go into heat. You’re thinking about alley cats.
I roll my eyes and hug my pillow tighter.
Alex: You know what I mean.
Skye: New plan. Get over your hangover, and be ready for Gio to either a) act as if nothing happened or b) take you up on your offer. I guess you’ve got until he comes home to decide how YOU are going to handle it.
She’s right. I’m not someone to avoid awkward situations or conversations. I’m a face-things-head-on kind of girl. Like that time Mom caught me and John making out in the barn instead of working. That was a fun conversation. John was taken for a ‘walk’ with my dad while Mom sat me down and went through every single type of contraception, STD, and consequence of sex that existed. But that wasn’t all—then they swapped, and Dad took me out to the pig stalls where they were trying to breed Bertha.
Safe to say, when I asked my father all about positions, cycles, and everything else I could think of to try and weird him out, he went pale and left me standing there while he near-on ran for the hills. Also, I was seventeen, and I think that’s probably about the time Dad’s overprotective streak went into overdrive.
Skye: Either way, I demand updates because I’m invested in Team Galex now.
Alex: You’re one of a kind, Skye Rossi.
Skye: That’s what he said, then he put a ring on it *winking emoji* Take my advice: make sure my brother thinks that about you too. Then it’ll be smooth sailing right down the hallway and into his bedroom.
Alex: I can’t imagine ever wanting to set my brother up with anyone.
Skye: Wait . . . your brother is single? What about him and Val?
Alex: Are you forgetting the fact he lives two states away?
Skye: Val can work anywhere. So can firefighters. That’s why you’re here, isn’t it?
Alex: GoodBYE, Skye. Thanks for a fun night though.
Skye: Well, since I’m guessing my brother was a gentleman, it wasn’t a mega-fun night for you. But there’s always tonight . . . right? BYE!
Skye: P.S. I better get an update from you tomorrow about how riding that elephant goes.
And because it’s Skye and I’m me, I can’t resist one last reply.
Alex: Not sure I’d call your brother an elephant, more of a horse haha. But will do.
Skye: THIS is why we are friends.
I put my phone down and swing my legs off the bed, leaning forward onto my elbows to let my equilibrium recover from the change in angle before standing up, my cotton mouth and pounding head demanding action immediately.
It’s not until I reach the kitchen that I realize just how much of a good man my roommate is. There on the kitchen counter is an electrolyte drink and bottle of Tylenol, and a handwritten note saying, “Thought you might need these. Have a good day. G.”
That has to be a good sign . . . right?
I send him a quick text.
Alex: Thank you for the hangover wares in the kitchen. They’re very much appreciated.
Gio: YW
Wait . . . what? That’s all I get?
When he doesn’t message again, I figure he must be busy patrolling the streets and crime-fighting, so I leave it be. Unfortunately for me, that doesn’t mean my brain drops the subject. I look at the clock and groan, deciding avoidance is my path of choice right now.
More sleep first, then—once I’m feeling human again—I’ll tackle the boring ‘last day off’ tasks of laundry, cleaning, and shopping.
Maybe I can make Gio dinner.
But will he think I’m trying to seduce him? Or that I’m apologizing for propositioning him? Should I do either of those things? Ugh.
With a big sigh, I resign myself to a day of overthinking and indecision—because it’s not like I’ve ever been lusting after my roommate before. I head toward my room to crawl back into bed for a few hours.
My only hope is that by the time Gio gets home from work tonight, I’ll have some sort of clue about what I should do next.
“Hey, twinkle toes.” Gio’s smile is huge when he gets home, and just seeing it has all the tension I’d been holding leach out of my body.
“Hey.”
“How are you feeling?”
“Better now.”
He nods and walks over to the island, stopping on the opposite side to me before he drops his keys and wallet onto the counter.
It’s not the first time I’ve seen him in uniform, but somehow, it’s hitting differently today. More specifically, it’s ticking all the cop fantasies I never knew I had.
And of course, he glances up and catches me out, arching a brow. “See something you like, baby?”
Oh damn, he called me baby last night. And double damn, it’s like a magic switch that makes my knees weak. Is it hot in here?
His deepening grin seals it for me. This man has worked me out, and he’s obviously not afraid to use that fact to his advantage.
“You okay? You’re looking a little . . . flushed . . .” he says.
All right. Who is this man and what’s happened to my roommate?
He moves toward the refrigerator, opens the door and leans against his arm, his shirtsleeve stretching against his flexed bicep. “How was your day?” he asks, as if he’s not muddling my brain with all his Gio-ness.
I narrow my eyes, deciding to go on the offensive. “You totally know what you’re doing to me.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m just getting a drink. I’m feeling rather thirsty today. How about you, Alex? Feeling hot?” He looks over his shoulder just as my gaze is eating its way up the delectable rear view of his body. “Are you thirsty?”
“Yes. Yes, I am,” I reply roughly, the flash of Gio’s eyes snapping me out of my daze. He straightens and pulls out two bottles of water, placing one on the countertop before unscrewing the lid and handing it over to me, making a point of brushing his fingers against mine.
So this is the game he wants to play. Bring it on.
I clear my throat and square my shoulders. “Thank you. And for the drink and Tylenol you left out this morning.”
His eyes crinkle as he smiles, flashing me his pearly whites, something that makes him look like a squeaky clean Captain America who you just know is dirty in all the right ways behind closed doors. Absolutely not helping my current predicament. All I can think about right now is jumping into his arms and helping him out of that uniform.
“Yeah. It’s always good to have something nice and wet after a hard night.”
“Absolutely. It definitely hit the spot.”
His gaze darkens and there’s no mistaking where his mind is going now. He leans a hip against the wall and grabs his water, slowly lifting the bottle to his lips as he takes a long sip. I just stand there, unable to look away. And as silence stretches between us, uncharacteristic nerves bubble up inside of me.
“I’m sorry for last night,” I say.
Gio’s brows lift. “You are?”
I frown. “You’re not?”
“Fuck no.” He screws the lid back on his water bottle, gripping it loosely by his side.
“I was drunk.”
“Yep,” he says with a smirk. “And you’re a cute drunk. Which means I’m really looking forward to the next time you go out with my sisters.”
My nose scrunches up. “Why?”
“’Cause then I get to see more of drunk . . .” He pushes off the wall. “Cute . . .” He takes slow, measured strides toward me. “ . . . hilarious Alex.” He comes to a stop mere inches away from me, my chin lifting up as I look at him, his face all I can see. “And I liked seeing that version of you. You’re a flirty drunk.”
“You’re a flirty everything right now,” I retort, a smile playing on my lips.
“I’m a guy who’s seen something—someone—he’s interested in, and now that I know you’re into me too, I’m not holding back anymore. This is just . . . me.”
“I’m screwed,” I mutter under my breath, averting my eyes.
“Not yet you’re not, but hopefully, if I play my cards right, that’ll definitely be back on the table.”
My breath catches. I tilt my head to the side and jut out a hip. “You think you’ve got a chance?”
He leans in a little more, so achingly close that I can feel the warmth radiating off his body yet he’s still not touching me. “You tell me, baby.”
I dig my teeth into my bottom lip to stifle a moan, not missing the flash of need in his gaze. Instead of saying anything, I just nod. I don’t trust myself not to blurt out something we’re so not in the place to go yet like ‘take me now’ or ‘do you have your handcuffs?’
He steps back and winks at me, the balance between us shifting again. “Well, now that that’s sorted. I’m just going to get changed and go for a run. Then we can order in and maybe just have a quiet night on the couch, since we’ve both got work tomorrow and you’re probably still feeling a little under the weather?” Miraculously he says that last bit without smirking . . . it’s close, though. His lips twitch just slightly.
“Yeah . . .” I clear my throat again. “Yeah. I mean, that sounds perfect.”
“Good,” he says. “And this weekend, if you don’t have any other plans, I’d like to take you out on a date. Maybe we could do that tour of the city we’d talked about?”
I’ve lost the ability to speak, so instead, I just nod, earning a deep, honest-to-God grin from the man who’s got my heart running laps in my chest.
He lifts his hand and ever-so-softly drags the tip of his index finger along my hairline, down to my cheek before stepping back and walking toward his bedroom, leaving me forgetting how to breathe. He grips the doorframe just as he’s about to disappear from sight and looks back to where I’m still standing, my body unmoving, my skin tingling—along with other parts of me.
“Oh, and just so you know. What you offered me last night? I will be taking you up on that, baby. And soon.” Then, with a wink that is far too hot to be legal, he’s gone, leaving me to melt into a puddle on the kitchen floor.
Well, I was wondering how it would go with him when he got home . . . I guess I just got my answer.
But one thing is for sure. The second he’s out that front door for his run, I’m taking a shower—a long one.