Tan. Bare-chested. Masculine.
He smells like a fresh shower, and his hair is wet, too.
And he has a bone to pick with me, apparently.
“Why would you say a thing like that?”
“Why would I say a thing likewhat?”
Duke’s eyes roam down the front of my body; over my boobs, hips, legs.
“That thing about…” He blushes. “Jerkin’ off.”
“So? So what I said jerking off!Whathas gotten into you?” My hands are back on my hips where they always seem to be now that he’s around. “You can’t just barge in here. It’s rude! What if I was naked?”
“I knocked.” His eyes graze over me again. “Wait. You are practically naked. Where are your clothes?”
I glance down. “This is my house and my bedroom, and these arepajamas.” What on earth is wrong with him? “What the hell do you want?”
He’s mirroring my stance. “It’s one thing to tell a dirty joke outside in broad daylight. It’s another thing to be flirtin’ in a datin’ app from the next room.”
Onethang…flirtin’…datin’ app…
The accent.
“This is news to me.” And who made him lord of everything? I feel the need to go on and inform in. “In any case, I have good news.” I head back to my bed, climbing on it but not under the covers. “I have a date tomorrow night.”
“A date,” he deadpans, sounding unenthusiastic. “What am I gonna do while you’re out on a date?”
“What am I, your babysitter? You’ll be fine. Stream a movie.”
He enters the room and makes himself comfortable on the edge of my bed, half on, half off.
“Who’s the date with?” His hand goes up to stop me. “Don’t tell me. Let me guess.” Duke rolls his eyes. “Brian.”
I laugh despite myself. “Of course it’s Brian.”
He snorts. “You couldn’t find yourself anyone better than him? Give me a break.”
“What’s wrong with Brian since you know so much about him?”
“For starters, he didn’t ask you out. He waited.” Duke pauses. “Did he ask you out properly, or did you ask him out? Be honest.”
I hang my head a little, then square up my shoulders. “I did. Because I’m a modern woman, and that’s what we do.”
There.
He laughs. “No, you asked him out because if you waited, your ovaries would dry up—that’s how long it would have taken him to make his move. Brian is a fuck boy. I don’t need to know anything else about him.”
“You knownothingabout him!”
“I know enough.” He snorts again.
“You know, snorting is rude.” He’s doing it on purpose.
Duke shrugs, nonplussed. “I let my snortin’ do the dirty work.”
We study one another until he breaks eye contact, sitting up on my bed to survey his surroundings. He nods in approval as he looks around, eyes settling on my television console, the photos on my wall, and the orderly way I have my bookshelf arranged.