“You’re bothering me. And your hands are cold.”
She cocked her head to the side and smiled before moving closer.
“I wanted to thank you, but you’re being such an ass I might say forget it.” She rubbed her hands together before blowing in them.
“Thank me? You? I don’t believe it.”
“I’m serious. For showing confidence in my abilities, and not treating me like I’m a joke. I appreciate you giving me the job.”
“I only gave you the interview; you got the job on your own. I could have easily been overridden on the hiring decision.”
“I know, but the fact that you even trusted me enough to not screw up the interview. I appreciate that. I loved being a virtual assistant. Still do, but it was easier for me to work for people I didn’t know than those I did.”
He shifted to face her fully. “Why?”
“No one viewed my work seriously, so I kept that part of my life to myself. This job has been good. It’s teaching me to not be afraid to show everyone that I’m more than just the spoiled daughter of a rich daddy. I wouldn’t have believed I was capable of joining the ranks of the suit and tie club if it weren’t for you and this job.”
She finished warming up her hands and went back to rubbing his knee. Her small fingers gently rolled around the joint, relieving the ache there but causing another one higher.
He didn’t push her away this time. He liked her hand on his knee more than he should, and he was floored by her confession. He’d seen her red-eyed and groggy the morning after she stayed up late working, and listened to her when she gushed about a project that had turned out even better than she expected. He’d assumed she shared that with everyone. To know that she’d only had with him brought home what Aaron said. She trusted him enough to reveal a part of her life that others brushed off. Shame filled him for the doubt he’d harbored about how well she’d work in his office. He’d seen the evidence himself that she was a hard worker.
“You’re doing a great job. I know you’re not turned on by numbers and figures.”
“I’m learning to appreciate them.” She met his eye, her hand slowing its massage on his knee.
“I’m should go take a shower.”
She scrunched her nose. “You are kinda musty.”
“I thought women liked a man’s musk,” he said, lifting his shirt to sniff.
“Only to a certain extent.”
He relaxed when they slipped back into friendly teasing. “You’re the one who got on me for eating too much ice cream. I’m going to the gym so you’ll hush, so get used to the aftereffects.”
She scooted closer and ran her fingers along the side of his neck. “I like it that you go to the gym, Freddy.”
His blood heated and settled thickly in his crotch. The look in Janiyah’s eyes was killing his willpower. He cleared his throat.
She lifted her head. Their faces were close enough it wouldn’t take much to kiss her. Her coffee colored eyes lowered to his lips. The pink tip of her tongue poked out to run lightly across her own tempting bottom lip. His body tensed in anticipation. His mind screamed to do it. Her shallow breaths and parted lips were as much an invitation as her saying “Kiss me, Freddy.” And his hard dick screamed for the precursor to the ultimate goal, sliding into the slick spot between her soft thighs.
“I like your muscles very much,” she whispered.
If he kissed her now, the way he wanted to, she’d no longer view him as the boring best friend of her brother. He’d give her the excitement she craved in a relationship. The excitement he sometimes craved. But the next day she’d have to work with him. He’d have to pretend as if there was nothing between them in order to avoid rumors and risk his friendship with Aaron. It would almost be worth it to erase that teasing smile off her face and show her how a real man, not those fools she dated, could satisfy her.
He jumped up from the couch. The thought was too tempting. “I’m getting in the shower.” He lumbered across the living room toward the hall.
“But … but … ” she stammered.
He turned and took some delight at the bewildered look on her face. He raised a brow and she sat back with a huff.
“What about the spider?” she finished lamely.
And they were back to normal.
“I’ll get it after I’ve showered,” he said, turning away.
“Okay, I’ll wait.”
The sound of his television coming on followed him down the hall.
CHAPTER 12
When the bathroom door closed and the shower came on, Janiyah collapsed against the back of the couch with a hand against her forehead. She took several deep breaths to calm her racing heart. The strong ache and wetness between her legs pulsed with the beat. She would be using the new vibrator she’d bought from Mrs. Driggers later. She twisted in the seat and squeezed her legs together.
Why hadn’t he kissed her? The timing was perfect. She’d practically begged him with her eyes; her body language screamed come and get it. Hell, she’d almost grabbed his head and pulled it forward. Was he really that uninterested in her that he could turn down a perfectly innocent kiss?
Okay, there was nothing innocent about what would have happened if he had kissed her, but still.
Twice Freddy had let his guard down. He wanted her, and it was more than just a small interest. She’d seen the struggle, and finally the decision to pull away, in his eyes. The last time he’d done that, in the year before she went to college, she’d let him push her away. She’d believed that because they were too different, and he was too much like a brother, they should just be friends. She’d done her best and tried to move on. She’d dated other men, pretended as if Freddy was like a brother, and ignored the fluttering of her heart when he threw her the random hot glance. She was tired of ignoring the obvious. She couldn’t push Freddy out of her mind.
Her heart pumped a mixture of anxiety, excitement, and adrenaline through her system. It was the closest thing she’d ever come to being high, a surge that made her feel like she could do anything. Which meant one thing: a rash decision was on the horizon. There was no way of knowing if it would be fantastic or disastrous until afterward.
If things didn’t work out, she couldn’t cut Freddy out of her life like other boyfriends. If he later felt like her asshole ex, and thought of her as more of a fun pastime, it would hurt a hell of a lot more. Her brothers might throw in their objections, but since they all liked Freddy, she could easily overcome that. She hoped, anyway. Working together would make things complicated, but they wouldn’t be the first people who worked together and slept together. All of the reasons not to go with her impulse didn’t change anything.
Her heart wanted Freddy. And if Freddy wanted her, he could have her.
Tonight.
On the damn couch for all she cared.
The VH1 countdown on television went to a commercial. Then another. He was still in the shower. More than ten minutes passed. Very unFreddy like. He was a stickler on conserving water.
Reckless energy pushed her off the couch. She had to investigate. Something could be wrong. He could be sprawled helpless at the bottom of the shower.
The cocktail of anticipation and giddiness pumping in her veins drove her actions. It was unlikely she’d find Freddy lying helpless in the shower. But she might get a glimpse of him naked. That thought was so clear she would swear a mini Janiyah with devil horns had whispered it in her ear.
She gently pried open the bathroom door and peeked around.
“Freddy?” she said softly. He wouldn’t have heard her even if the shower were off.
She sucked in a shallow breath before breathing became nearly impossible. He definitely wasn’t hurt.
Desire rushed through her, focusing its intensity in the tips of her breasts and the juncture of her thighs. Freddy faced her, his back against the shower wall, his eyes closed, his muscled legs spread wide as his right hand slid up and down his erection.
His l
ong, thick erection.
Based on the bulge in his pants she’d pretended to ignore, she’d guessed his size was impressive, but nothing was like seeing it elongated and rock hard in all its glory.
Her need soaked her panties. Her nipples beaded longingly within her lace bra. She clenched the slick muscles of her sex in tandem with each stroke of his hand. Dragging her gaze up, she took in the intensity of his expression. His bottom lip clenched between his teeth, and the grove between his eyebrows was so thick, if she didn’t know he was masturbating, she’d assume he was scowling. He was magnificent and incredibly sexy.
Unable to keep her gaze away, she looked back at his impressive dick and licked her lips as soap suds ran down his wide chest, swollen from his workout, across taut abdominal muscles, and dripped off the wide, blunt head. Her fingers flexed with the urge to replace his hand with hers.
Her chest burned. First from desire, then from a lack of oxygen. She took in a stuttering breath. This was private; she shouldn’t be here. Yet, she stood frozen. His movements became jerky, less controlled. She swallowed hard as her desire increased with his. She sensed his release; her wet sex throbbed for its own.
He groaned. “Janiyah.” Her name burst from his lips with as much force as the first stream of frothy ejaculate.
It shocked her out of her trance. She quickly jumped back and softly pulled the door closed. She hoped his orgasm masked the sound as she ran into the living room.
She tried to sit on the couch and pretend as if that hadn’t happened, but it had. He’d jacked off in the shower. And called her name when he came.
That box holding her emotions exploded. There was no containing what she felt, what she wanted. She was more turned on now than she’d ever been. No man did that and called the name of a woman he wasn’t interested in. Her mind was made up. It was about to go down.
He looked normal when he came out of the bathroom a few minutes later wearing a pair of pajama bottoms and a red t-shirt. She couldn’t prevent her gaze from dropping to the front of his pants. Her fingers itched to discover if he’d put on underwear. If she hadn’t seen with her own eyes what he’d done she would never know. This wasn’t the first time he’d showered when she was there. Maybe it wasn’t the first time he’d done that. Her body trembled with a new rush of desire.
She sat up and grinned at him. To hell with the consequences, she was riding this high and seeing where it led.
He raised an eyebrow when their eyes met. “Are you okay?”
“Great, but I’m about to be better.”
“Oookay,” he said slowly. He headed toward the kitchen. “Did you get more information from Liz about her boss? I don’t have plans for this weekend, and I may call and ask her out.”
Her passion cooled like an Antarctic breeze. “You’re thinking about her?”
He grabbed a Ziploc bag out of the cabinet and opened the freezer. “Why wouldn’t I? I said she was cute. I’m sure you have a date this weekend with your professor. We can compare notes.” He winked at her from over his shoulder. “Unless one of us gets lucky. No sex stories, remember.” He tossed some ice into the freezer bag.
She was speechless as she watched him come over to the couch, prop his foot on the coffee table, and settle the ice on his knee.
“Can I turn this?” he said, picking up the remote.
“You almost kissed me. Now you’re thinking about her.” It was out before she could think.
He shook his head. “I didn’t almost kiss you.”
“Yes you did. We both felt it.”
“No, I saw you doing your flirty thing and I left instead of following you up.” He didn’t look at her as he spoke. He flipped through the channels before stopping on PBS.
She was too frustrated to argue about his choice.
“You punked out. Then you go in there and … ” She let her voice trail off. No need admitting to her invasion of his privacy.
He glared at her. “I go take a shower then come out and try to have a normal conversation. I can’t believe you even care that I didn’t kiss you. Come on, Janiyah, we both know you’re a flirt.”
“Not with you.”
“Especially with me. Now can we move on?”
She stood up and paced in front of him. “How can you go from … thinking of me to asking about a date with her?”
“I don’t understand where this is coming from. You’ve had several dates with Mr. Wonderful, hounded me about getting back in the dating game, and now you’re suddenly having a fit because I didn’t fall into your little trap. That’s a little low, even for you.”
She sucked in a breath and placed her hand over her heart. “Now you’re accusing me of playing dirty. You’re the one playing dirty.” It was overdramatic, but she was past caring.
He threw down the remote. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
“You’re what’s wrong with me.”
He scowled and she stomped her foot. A part of her brain registered that to him she was making no sense. Yet her mind swirled with memories of how he’d turned her away years ago. Here she was again, horny and frustrated for Freddy, and he didn’t want her. Except now it was ten times worse because the pain was magnified with knowing he could go from calling her name during an orgasm to asking about another woman.
“You know what?” she said. “I’m out of here.”
He sighed and pulled the ice off his knee. “What about the spider?”
“Forget the damn spider. I’ll kill it myself,” she said as she ran out.
Slamming his door behind her, she rushed into her apartment and slammed that door for good measure. She hated spiders, so right now would be a good time to take out her anger by killing the annoying creature.
Her two bedroom apartment was set up like his, but was nowhere near as orderly. Where Freddy had tasteful, heavy wood and leather furniture, her furniture was a mixture of thrift store and yard sale finds. Remnants of hobbies she’d picked up and dropped were scattered throughout. The sewing machine from her brief interest in fashion design, a telescope she’d bought while dating a guy who was really into astrology, an old violin.
Her throat burned. The violin hurt the worst, a reminder of her relationship with the asshole that crashed and burned. You were a fun lay, but it’s time to move on. I need someone serious, and let’s face it, you’re a joke, Janiyah. She hadn’t admitted to Freddy how far that went. He’d warned her against going out with the asshole from the beginning. But he’d been with that damn dental hygienist. She’d let her jealousy cloud the fact that she was getting close to a creep.
Her apartment was a testament to how much of a joke she was. She could get a nine to five job, but even that was a struggle. She was already running out of things to keep her busy, and the monotony of answering calls for the same things at Freddy’s office was forcing her to look for new things to do. If Freddy knew that, he would take her even less seriously. No wonder her dad didn’t think she could handle running the business. If she kept up with this lack of direction, she would end up a helpless hoarder drowning under a stack of crap she’d picked up after dating random guys.
Her vision blurred with tears. She hastily wiped them away, snatched up a magazine from the stack against the wall, and marched toward her bathroom. To hell with how boring the job was—and to the pit of hell with her ex-boyfriend. She wasn’t a joke. She might not love her job, but it proved she could hold her own in the corporate world. She’d prove to everyone that she was just as capable as those starched, suit-wearing women at the mixers.
Starting with killing the damn spider in her bathroom.
She threw open the door to the bathroom. That’s where her bravado ended. She took a hesitant step across the threshold. It was still there on the wall right above the toilet: brown, hairy, and looking ten times larger than it had earlier.
A shiver went down her spine and she cringed. You can do this, she thought. With a deep breath she took a small step forward and raised the magazine ab
ove her head.
The spider twitched. She screeched.
She spun around and ran out of the bathroom only to slam into Freddy’s wide chest. She screamed again and hit him with the magazine.
He jerked the magazine out of her hand and tossed it to the floor. “What was that for?” Taking her shoulders in his grasp he pushed her back.
“You scared the crap out of me. And that spider tried to attack me.”
The tension left his body. His eyes filled with laughter and he smiled. Full on dimple. Her heart melted. “It didn’t attack you.”
“You don’t know that.” Her panic subsided. She was being silly again.
His thumbs gently brushed back and forth against her shoulders, fanning the waning flames of her desire. The humor in his eyes shifted to a look very similar to what she’d seen in his shower. Electricity thrummed between them. Her skin prickled with anticipation.
He smelled good. His body was hot next to hers. And she would die if he didn’t kiss her.
The seconds ticked by. Any other man would do it, but he wouldn’t. She lowered her gaze and tried to step away. He didn’t let her go. Her eyes lifted to his and she seriously forgot to breathe. Hunger blazed fiercely from him. Without a word, he pulled her against the hardness of his chest and brought his mouth down on hers.
In all her fantasies Freddy’s kisses were slow, hesitant, easy, but this wasn’t. It was fast, straightforward, and demanding. His fingers cupped the back of her head and angled it to the side in sync with his tongue thrusting past her lips. She moaned when his other hand squeezed her butt before trailing down to the back of her thigh. Lifting her leg, he pushed her against the wall. He boldly drove his considerable erection into the trembling juncture of her thighs. Her breasts, heavy and aching for his touch, were crushed against the unyielding muscles of his chest.
Her body burned from the inside out. She wrapped her arms around his neck. But it wasn’t enough. She needed to touch him. Her hand lowered to the hem of his shirt. He grabbed her wrist and pinned her hand over her head against the wall.
Excitement raced down her spine. She moved her other hand. He jerked that one above her head as well. Her leg around his waist tightened, pulling him closer. She gyrated her hips against him. Holy crap, his dick was big.
Just My Type Page 10