She needed to get laid.
Quick.
Fast.
And soon.
She shouldn’t be close to orgasm watching a sexy man enjoy his food.
Food that she cooked for him.
“Alana,” he groaned before opening his eyes.
She gave him a smile. “I’m glad you like it.”
“Like it? Jesus, woman, I’m in love.”
Relieved, Alana dug into her food, not batting an eye when London went in for seconds, and a third helping.
The wine bottle was soon empty, as were their plates.
Alana wasn’t sure when they’d made it to the couch. They’d turned the television on to a movie, but they ignored it, talking the night away.
She had learned much about him. Not only did he run the company, but his brother worked with him. He spoke of his college football days, which explained his perfect physique.
She felt comfortable and relaxed with London. They were sharing some of their most embarrassing stories from their teenage years.
“I don’t believe it.”
“I swear, I never thought my hair would grow back.” She chuckled, thinking of the time she and Sofie had given each other perms. The chemicals were too strong and burned Alana’s hair. She had been left with a large patch missing in the back, and she ended up having to cut her hair pixie short. “The painful things women have to go through to look beautiful.”
“Glad I’m not a woman.” London shook his head, smiling. “I don’t think I can go through what you all do.”
Alana wasn’t sure when they had gotten so close to each other. London’s arm was lying across the back of the couch, and she was practically tucked into his side.
He studied her, just as she took the time to do the same to him.
Reaching up, she tucked a wayward strand of hair behind his ear and whispered, “This was fun.”
“It was,” he agreed, his gaze dropping to her lips, which suddenly felt as dry as the desert. Running her tongue along them, his stormy gray eyes grew dark.
This was new territory for her.
Sure, she’d had boyfriends in the past, but none of them could hold a candle to London.
Her last boyfriend, Danny, wasn’t a physical type of guy. The only muscles he worked were the ones in his hands and arms when he played video games. He was a gamer who spent countless hours in front of his television.
When she tried to get him to workout with her, his asthma always got in the way.
Swallowing hard, she tore her gaze away and looked down at her watch. It was a little after midnight.
“It’s getting late,” she exclaimed, getting to her feet.
Where did the time go?
“Really?” Standing, he ran a hand through his hair. “It’s only a little after twelve.”
“Only? I must be getting old,” she muttered, walking into the kitchen with their empty glasses. She wasn’t sure when thirty-two became old, but midnight was past her bedtime.
“If you want, I can run over to my place and grab another bottle—”
“London, it’s late.”
“You’re right, I should go. You sure you don’t want me to help clean up?”
“I’m positive. Besides, there isn’t much to do.”
Ushering him out of the kitchen, she led him toward the door. Entering the hallway, London turned to her and slid his hands into his pockets as they stared at each other in a comfortable silence.
His gaze dropped to her lips before meeting her eyes once more.
“Thanks for dinner. Next time, it’s on me.”
She gave him a genuine smile. “Okay.”
“Lock your door so I can make sure you’re safe, Alana.”
“Good night,” she whispered as she gripped the handle, afraid she’d do something she would regret later.
Like kiss him.
“Good night, Alana.”
Closing the door, she rested her forehead against it.
Having him over was a big mistake.
Now that his manly energy was in her home, she’d never be able to stop thinking of him.
At the moment, she didn’t want to.
5
“I must be out of my mind.”
Running a hand over his face, he set his empty cup down on the counter.
His dreams had been plagued with images of Alana.
Last night, he didn’t want to leave her presence. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d enjoyed just hanging out with someone.
A female, no less.
One he didn’t sleep with.
He was attracted to her. There was no doubt about that.
Her sweet personality, shyness, her smile, and those damn glasses captivated him.
She wasn’t like the other women he usually surrounded himself with.
She was different.
A breath of fresh air.
Moving to the door, he peered through the peephole.
No signs of anyone in the hallway.
“I’m officially a stalker now,” he muttered, pushing away from the door.
Even if she were to appear, what would he do? Run out there? And then what?
Making his way into the living room, he turned on the TV. The NBA Finals were on, and Khalil’s team had made it in last night with their win. If he won the championship, his value would increase tenfold.
With London representing him, he’d ensure the basketball star got paid every penny he was worth, and then some.
Pulling up the game he’d recorded last night, he started to watch. It would help for him to be up on all the games so far, and important for him to become familiar with Khalil’s style of play.
After a few moments into the game, he caught the sound of a door opening in the hallway. Vaulting over the couch, he snatched up his keys and wallet off the table and opened his door.
Alana gasped and turned around, hefting her bag up on her shoulder.
“Hey, London.”
“Hey, Alana.” Smiling, he put on a calm and collected appearance as he shut and locked his door before fully turning to Alana. After a few moments of studying each other in silence, they broke out into a fit of laughter. “What, might I ask, do you have planned for today?”
He took notice of her pink and purple glasses. Her hair was long, flowing around her shoulders. She was dressed in a long T-shirt that stopped just below her ass over a pair of leggings.
“I’m off to do some work. I can’t concentrate here because I get distracted by things that need to be done. I’ll see dishes in the sink and have a desperate need to wash them, which will then lead to vacuuming and laundry. Before I know it, the whole damn day is gone.” Her hands moved around theatrically as she rattled on, her lips turned up in a grin. He found himself grinning along with her. “So I leave and go to my favorite coffee shop. I also wanted to do a little knickknack shopping today.”
“Mind if I join you? I could use a good cup of coffee and stretch my legs.” She tugged her bottom lip between her teeth, causing the arousal he felt for her to blossom. “You can show me some of the cool spots in the area.”
Her grin grew. “I don’t mind at all.”
London settled into walking alongside her toward the elevator, slowing his stride to match hers.
The ride down was quiet. Exiting into the lobby, they made their way outside. It was the weekend, and traffic was light. Having a break from the normal hustle and bustle of downtown life through the week was quite nice.