I caught myself daydreaming about the night before as we ate. Watching him roll up his sleeves to the elbow made my breath hitch. I’d seen those forearms flex like that already, when his incredible, chiseled body was melded with mine. When his cock was buried so deeply inside me that we became, for a moment, one. Watching him lick his lips to get an errant bit of syrup from the corner reminded me of how his powerful tongue felt on my clit. How hard I’d come.
“Are you okay?” he asked, snapping me out of my trance. “You just shuddered really hard. Are you cold?”
“Maybe, yeah,” I said, pulling my arms across me as if I were. “They keep it chilly in here.”
“Here,” he said, handing me the light jacket he had worn. “Wear this.”
I slipped it on, and the smell of his cologne surrounded me. I squirmed in my seat. I felt like I could rip his clothes off right then and there. I wanted him to toss all the food onto the floor and fuck me on the table.
This was why I didn’t want to have sex in the first place. What if it was as good as I thought it would be? Now I knew that not only was it as good, it was far, far better. I was insatiable. And now I was living with him. I had to see that gorgeous body and that sexy face every single day, and somehow try to keep my pants on.
He was going to keep seeing other women, though. That was bothering me. I knew it shouldn’t, but it bothered me. I was jealous of fictional women, any woman he could bring back to the apartment. It was another reason why giving in last night was such a terrible idea. But our chemistry was off the charts, and I couldn’t deny it. Every time we made eye contact, it was like the world disappeared, and all I wanted was to be naked and in his arms.
After brunch, we headed back to the apartment, got changed in our separate rooms, and went to work. Both of us were due at the same time, and we came in together. As we neared the building, he took my hand silently. It was part of the act, and I knew that, but it still felt special. I felt like I was his girl. Even if it was all pretend, it filled me with excitement and pride and all sorts of emotions I didn’t know how to process.
I decided to just shut everything off, focusing solely on work. I was getting so much better at the actual job, and I felt proud of myself for it. I was working hard, for the first time in my life, and the accomplishment of knowing I was doing a good job and keeping up with the bar when it got busy and was wall-to-wall people was worth celebrating. My parents had no idea what I was capable of, and it drove me to work harder.
By the time I got a chance for a break, it was late and I was feeling worn down a bit. I looked forward to stepping outside, leaning against the wall, and closing my eyes for a few minutes.
When I got out there, Jordan was already there. He was looking through his phone and sipping on a glass of water. I smiled at him as I sat heavily on the stoop, leaning my back against the wall. He leaned against the far wall from me and stuffed his phone back in his pocket.
“You know,” he said, “I’m really glad you came into my brother’s life. I don’t know if I have ever seen him as happy as he is now.”
I smiled, trying not to let it go to my head. He was referring to the pretend relationship and how Matt was acting. But I couldn’t deny that he made me happy. Was it so crazy to think maybe some of the act wasn’t an act at all? Wouldn’t his brother know the difference? It was one of my main concerns with the plan in the first place. Surely Jordan would figure it out.
“Thanks,” I said.
“I’m just happy as hell that he’s so happy,” he said.
“Well, I should tell you thank you for giving me a job and a place to stay for a bit,” I said. “I came up here not knowing what I was going to do and terrified out of my mind. You guys saved me.”
“That’s what family does. How is living with Matt?”
“It’s only been one day,” I said, smiling. “But it’s been great so far. Amazing, really.”
“Good, good,” he said, then grinned. “Don’t let him hog the remote. He’s gotten used to watching what he wants. Put your foot down once in a while, just to keep him in line.”