I was Corey motherfucking Ellis.
Jeremy was standing outside the bathroom.
His cheeks were flushed under his beard, and his shirt was open a few buttons, the hair on his chest curling out. And the goddamn look on his face wasn’t helping. He was eyeing me hungrily, as if he wanted nothing more than to slam me against the wall and—
“We are so screwed,” I whispered.
He coughed as he took a step back. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“I want to eat your fucking face, you asshole! And you’re looking at me like you want to put your fingers in my butt!”
He grimaced. “Oh my god, moment over, what the fuck—”
“It is not. Dude, like, you have no idea. You’re going to get us caught!”
“Dude,” he said mockingly. “Like, for real.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Oh, you think this is funny? You’re going to ruin this! Everyone is going to know what’s going on because of you.”
“Bullshit. If anyone is going to break, it’s you.”
Dammit. He shouldn’t have said that. Of course I had to respond. “It’s on,” I snapped at him. “You don’t know who you’re fucking with. I’m going to be so disinterested in you, people are going to think I don’t even know you exist.”
He took a step toward me. I took an answering step back and was immediately pressed against the bathroom door. He was right there, not touching but so close that I could feel the heat of him. “You won’t last a week.”
“Fuck you,” I said through gritted teeth.
He hummed under his breath. “That’s certainly something that’s going to happen.” And with that, he turned and walked down the hall, leaving me gaping after him. Before he turned the corner to the front of Phoenix House, he glanced back at me. “Coming?” he asked innocently.
“Already did once,” I shot back, and grinned when he stumbled against the wall.
I was going to fucking end him.
SOMEHOW WE managed to keep our hands to ourselves on the ride home.
Barely.
He pulled up to the curb in front of the house.
The lights were on inside. “Shit. I thought they’d all be asleep.”
“It’s only ten,” Jeremy said.
I blinked. “It is? Jesus. Well. This has been fun. Thank you for the lovely evening with the Super Gays and the orgasm. One was better than the other, and I’ll leave that for you to figure out.” I opened the door and got out, then shut it behind me. I started up the walkway but stopped when he said my name.
Dammit. I wanted the last word.
I looked back.
He was smiling quietly. “I’m going to make you so happy. I hope you’re ready for that.”
And then he gunned the engine like a douchebag before pulling away.
He was around the corner before I managed to find my voice. “You asshole!” I shouted after him.
I STOOD in front of the front door.
“All right,” I muttered to myself. “It’s just Sandy. And maybe Darren. That’s it. Just go in, say everything went well, and that you’re tired and ready for bed. Don’t stop moving. Don’t let them trap you. Play it cool.”