Page 36 of Offensive Plays
He purses his lips in thought. It's cute.
"I mean, it is a box just not like..." he flashes the light toward a cardboard box marked 'Christmas decor' sitting in the corner of the garage. "A box box."
"Got it. So the breaker box is more like an enigma. A box-like thing?"
He full on laughs now.
"Where's the primary bedroom?" he asks me.
My stomach sinks. Why? Am I that endearing that he just wants to take me to bed?
When I don't answer right away he adds, "Sometimes it's in the primary bedroom closet."
"That would be my room," I say, motioning to the door.
"Lead the way then."
He hands me his phone and I take it from him and turn back toward the interior of the home. The storm outside is still raging as we make our way up the steps. I can feel his eyes on me. Like they have some kind of magnetic pulse that makes my own skin react.
The picture of his—um—man parts pops into my mind. And it takes everything in me not to let the little fantasy I have in my head play out in real life.
So what if he's my ex's brother? What if I let him take me to pound town and then we just act like nothing ever happened? I don't need a relationship after all. Life is finally going the way I want it. Sort of. I’m not living under the shadow of who my uncle was. I'm not just Zane O'Connor's little sister. The last thing I need right now is a relationship that will put me right back into the passenger seat of my life.
Which is why I signed up for a hookup app...not a dating app. And the man who promised a night to remember is currently staring at my ass as I take him to my bedroom.
You need to keep your distance.
That one thought halts all the others. It's true. I can't be with a Ferguson. Much less, this particular Ferguson. It’s too messy.
"Right down that hall," I point and hand him back his phone.
"Are you...not coming?"
"I'll wait here."
Bemused, he takes his phone and walks down the hall to my bedroom only stopping to glance back at me for a moment before stepping inside.
When he's out of my line of sight I can finally breathe.
It was a horrible idea to bring him here. It's bad enough I left him hanging earlier, but now I've led him to my room, where anything could possibly give me away. I'd rather wait here and face him than stand next to him while I watch that shoe drop.
He steps back out a moment later, shaking his head.
Shit.
"No luck. Looks like the power might be out in the whole neighborhood."
Ok. I'm still in the clear.
"You got candles or something we can light?"
"Candles? Um...I don't know where Gigi keeps them. But..." Oh. " We have the fireplace!"
He tenses for a moment, then says, "Ok. Let's light it up."
Sitting in front of the warm fire, we sit next to each other. If we get too close, we might actually combust. And from the thoughts I've been having this week about him, I just might.
"Your clothes are still wet. I'm sure I have a t-shirt big enough for you somewhere up there." I move to get up and he places a firm hand on my thigh.