She grinned. “We don’t always get to choose what makes us lose our mind.”
I blew a breath up into my hair. “That’s for damn sure.”
“All that matters is that you’re having fun. Life is too short not to have amazing hate-sex with hot men.” Her eyes traveled beyond my shoulder. She raised her chin and whispered, “Speak of the devil.”
I turned around to find Troy approaching from the other end of the hall. He looked so handsome in a burgundy Polo shirt and dark jeans.
He stopped in front of us with a huge smile on his face. “Hey, ladies.”
I cleared my throat. “Here to take your grandfather out?”
“Yep.” His eyes fell to my chest, and somehow I knew he was undressing me with his eyes.
My nipples stiffened as I began to perspire.
“You good?” he asked.
My cheeks burned. “Yep.”
He stared through me as he continued down the hall. “It was nice seeing you, Shala,” he called.
“You too.” Shala turned to me. “Okay, if that little interaction didn’t scream we’re having sex, I don’t know what does.”
I walked away, needing a minute to decompress. I had to head outside to take a few of our residents on a shopping trip in a few minutes, but I decided to pop my head into Mr. Serrano’s room before I left. You know, to check on Mr. Serrano.
Troy was sitting across from his granddad.
He smiled and acted all casual. “Well, hey there, Aspyn. Nice to see you.”
“Hi, Troy. I thought I’d come say hello before I have to head out.”
“Isn’t that sweet of you...” He smirked.
“Too bad you can’t come with us today, Aspyn,” Mr. Serrano said. “I miss your company.”
I walked over and placed my hand on his arm. “Aw, Mr. Serrano, I miss you, too. I can’t tell you how much I wish I could continue to go out with you guys.”
The old man had a plate of peeled oranges next to his chair on a TV tray.
Troy grabbed an orange wedge and placed it between his lips, sucking on it slowly with his tongue. The way he devoured it as he looked at me was more than suggestive. He was showing me exactly what he’d be doing to me right now if he could. Thankfully, Mr. Serrano didn’t seem to notice.
But the muscles between my legs tightened. I needed to get out of here and fast.
Heading toward the door, I said, “Well, you guys have a nice time.”
Looking over at Troy one last time, I felt my cheeks heat at the way he was still staring at me.
As I walked down the hall, my phone vibrated.
Troy: Boy, I’ve never seen you leave a room faster.
Aspyn: You knew what you were doing with that orange.
Troy: Did it remind you of something?
Aspyn: How would you like it if I’d walked in there eating a banana?
Troy: Do you even have to ask? I’d take anything I could get right now, even if it’s torture. I can’t wait till Friday.
I decided to tease him.
Aspyn: Who said we’re getting together Friday? I never confirmed that.
Troy: Don’t do me like that, Aspyn. I’ve been looking forward to it.
Aspyn: I’m kidding. I’m looking forward to it, too.
Troy: Your ass looks amazing in those Betty Boop scrubs, by the way.
Aspyn: Was she laughing, too?
Troy: She was. Nonno fucking caught me adjusting myself after you walked out of the room. He asked me why I was messing with my balls. I made up a story about jock itch.
Aspyn: LOL
Troy: Seriously. You look beautiful.
Damn him.
• • •
That night at dinner, Kiki studied me carefully. “Are you okay, Auntie Aspyn?”
I’d been staring into space. “Sure. Why do you ask?”
“Hang on.” She ran to her room and returned with something in her hand. “I opened my lunch box at school today, and this was in it.” She held out the TV remote.
My mouth hung open. “I put this in there?”
“You don’t remember?”
I continued to stare at it incredulously. Come to think of it, I’d been watching the news this morning before getting ready to leave the house... I must’ve stuck it in there without thinking? Gosh, I needed to get a grip.
“Wow. I’m really sorry. A remote is not a very good snack, is it?”
She snickered. “It probably tastes better than Troy’s cookies.” She shrugged. “Anyway, my friends thought it was funny.”
“I’m sure they did. Next time, tell them your crazy aunt has her head in the clouds sometimes.”
“Next time? You’re gonna put the remote in my lunch again?”
“Hopefully not.”
“If you want, you can accidentally put some M&Ms in there tomorrow. I won’t mind.”
I rustled her hair. “Silly girl.”
• • •
After a week that went by as slowly as molasses, Friday night finally arrived.
Troy and I had decided to eat dinner at the Japanese restaurant with my favorite sushi. I guess you could say it had become our place. We made easy conversation during the meal. But between Troy looking at me with hazy eyes like he wanted to devour me right there at the table, and my own urgent need to be touched by him—this dinner couldn’t have been over fast enough.
As we finished the last of our food, Troy seemed to read my mind. “Let’s go to my house tonight. It’s closer.”
I wasn’t going to argue with that. Not only was his place closer, but I’d been curious to see where he was living.
Troy drove faster than the legal limit all the way home. You weren’t going to hear me complain, though. At one point, he turned on some music—Frank Sinatra’s “The Lady is a Tramp.” I chuckled. Yes. Yes, I am right now, and I don’t need to be judged, Frank. I was about to get laid so good with this man tonight.
Troy’s dad’s house was a narrow, brick structure on a fairly busy residential street. Troy used his key to open the door, and we were greeted by a beautiful cat.
“Hey, Patrick! We have a visitor,” Troy announced.
“So this is the famous Patrick.” I knelt down to pet the kitty between his ears. He closed his eyes and purred. Patrick’s fur was multicolored with stripes. “He’s cuter than I ever imagined.”
“Don’t stroke his ego. He’ll never leave you alone tonight. And I sort of want you to myself.”
Then Troy grabbed my hand and led me to his room—which turned out to be a virtual time capsule. There were trophies up on a shelf and photos on the wall of many people we went to high school with.
“Has this place changed at all in ten years?”
“Pretty pathetic, right? Like I told you, this isn’t the house I grew up in, but my dad basically transferred all the crap from my old room to this one after he moved out of the house we shared with my grandparents. I wasn’t living in Meadowbrook when he bought this place, so I have nothing to do with the décor or this shrine to me.”