This time it was the alarm that woke Suzie up and she shook the dream out of her head. In her conscious mind, she lied to herself that it had been Jared painting her. And on top of that lie, she told herself that she couldn’t really remember the dream at all.
Ignoring it and moving on with her day, Suzie was pleased to work most of the day on her own. Not stopping long enough to consider current attractions, she kept herself busy enough that work was always at hand. Jared and half the office were out of town for a one-day seminar so the office was quiet.
Towards the end of the day, Suzie received a text from Jared explaining that he would be home late and asking her to pick up Jeff from work. No, she said to herself. Yes, she wrote back. Jared told her to get Jeff and meet him back at his apartment. He would bring supper.
When Suzie arrived to pick up Jeff, he was surprised to see her and looked at her quizzically. Climbing into the passenger seat he smelled like sweat and his tight shirt clung to him. Fumbling through his pockets for his phone, his shirt tugged upwards revealing his rippled abs.
“We can go whenever you are done staring,” Jeff said.
Sputtering in embarrassment, Suzie drove off. Jeff found his phone and learned Jared was late. They walked into the apartment in silence. Suzie paced around checking her phone to hear an update from Jared. Suzie sat on the couch trying to relax.
“I’m going to shower,” Jeff said. Suzie nodded in acknowledgement.
In the meantime, the phone rang and it was the restaurant saying their food was ready. She arranged for it to be delivered and called Jared. Unfortunately, there was more bad news and he would be two hours still. He asked her to wait for him.
“I am pretty tired. I might be asleep before you get here,” Jane said quietly.
“So go crawl into my bed and sleep. I miss you and really want you there when I get home. Please,” Jared asked sweetly.
As Suzie agreed to stay, Jeff came out with a towel wrapped around his waist. Walking over to the couch, he stood in front of her. As she choked a goodbye to Jared she envisioned pulling the towel off Jeff. Just a quick tug was all it would take.
“What are you doing?” she asked him.
“It might not look like much but you are sitting on my bed. My clothes are right behind you,” Jeff said with a smirk.
Suzie shrieked and jumped up, bumping into Jeff as she tried to get past him. She walked into the kitchen for a drink of water. A minute later, a knock on the door brought food and Jeff answered wearing jeans, but otherwise still naked. Food made Suzie feel a bit saner and gave a distraction from Jeff’s naked chest and stomach. This Jeff stuff had to stop, she wanted Jared and that was that. Jeff had asked her something and was waiting for an answer. She had to ask him to repeat himself.
“So, tell me a bit about Laura,” he asked.
“What happened to Candy?” she replied to his question with a question.
“Come on, you met her,” he laughed. “She was hardly worth the effort.”
“So you are looking for a girlfriend while you are here?” Suzie asked. “What’s your type?”
“More like a distraction,” Jeff replied gruffly. “My brother’s girlfriend keeps taunting me with compromising positions and since he loves her, I would be an asshole if I did not at least try to resist her turning me on. Hopefully Laura can release some of this pent-up frustration for me.”
His frankness and accusing her filled her with rage and she threw her water across the table at him and jumped up. Startled, he staggered back from the table, dripping from head to toe.
“Me taunting you! You kissed me,” Suzie said, pointing her finger at him in accusation.
“I thought you said nothing happened,” Jeff said, still dripping.
Suzie grabbed a towel and brought it to him, wiping the floor when he was done wiping himself. Her breathing slowed and panic subsided. “We cannot tell Jared.”
Shaking, she turned away from him and went to clean up the t
able. Her appetite was gone and she felt exhausted. Jeff grabbed her arm and turned her to him. At his touch, she felt energized and alert.
“I said I wouldn’t tell him. So stop whatever it is you are doing. What is this?” Jeff said.
“Stop what? I am not doing anything. I’ve tried to stay away from you yet here you are again, touching me.”
“You’re tempting me. Sending mixed signals. Shaking your amazing body around me. The laughing and teasing. I cannot resist it. And it’s pissing me off. Any other girl, I would have made mine and the one driving me crazy is the one my brother is in love with.”
Suzie opened her mouth to speak. She wanted to defend herself, to insist she had been sending no signals at all but she knew it was a lie. Though she had not consciously thought about it, there were signals exploding between her and Jeff. She felt it too. And her body moved in desire for Jeff. But she couldn’t. A quiet moan escaped her mouth and she took a step toward Jeff. She intended to excuse herself to Jared’s room so they could both catch their breath.
Jeff moved to follow her when his phone rang. Seeing a text from Jared, he tided the food and table instead of following her to the bedroom. Suzie sat down on Jared’s bed looking into the next room through the small crack she had left the door open. She pretended to sleep while Jeff cleaned up and Jared came home. He came in and kissed her, showered and changed while she still pretended she was sleeping. After his shower, Jared, also shirtless sat beside his brother. Suzie looked at them both, desired them both.