I am so dead.
My pulse pounds in my ears, and I know there’s no way I can walk out the door without him noticing me. He must hear my flip-flops on the tiled floor because he spins around, stuffing a strawberry into his mouth. The way he does it looks so sensual, which makes it impossible for me not to look.
And as I hold his gaze, his eyes drift down to my bare stomach and thighs, then back to my breasts. He settles on my face and smiles, a big one that illuminates his face, reaching up to his pretty irises.
“I’ll be back,” I say and rush toward the front door.
His feet hit the floor behind me. “Want some company?”
“I won’t be long.”
With my back to him, I open the front door. He leans forward, pushing his hand to the wood and closes it, his chest now molded to my back. He breathes against my earlobe. The same desire from earlier comes rushing back, and I have to slap my thighs shut.
“I know you saw me,” he whispers into my ear. “I was hoping you would.” His lips brush my earlobe. “I came so fucking hard just knowing you were there.”
I gasp at his confession.
“You left the door open on purpose?”
He snakes his hand around my stomach, his long fingers tracing over my skin. “I want you, Emma. That wasn’t the first time I got off thinking about you.”
I know I will probably regret asking this, but I do it anyway.
I glance over my shoulder at him. “What did you think about?”
“Specifically?” River’s lips curl upward into a smile as he presses them against my cheek. “Your pretty pink lips wrapped around my cock.” His lips drag up the length of my cheek, his breath warming my skin. “This beautiful body.” His hand trails down the length of my right side, then falls to my waist. “I think about you a lot, Emma.”
“River,” I choke out, barely able to control my breathing.
“Tell me you don’t feel the same way about me. That you didn’t see me jerking off to the thought of you and wonder what it would be like if we fucked.”
“I don’t want to fuck,” I lie.
It has been way too long since the last time I had sex. I’m an idiot for turning him down, but I have to stick to my guns. I have to hold my ground with River. If he really wants me, then he needs to prove it, show me he’s capable of something more.
“River, I’m going upstairs. You need to let me go.”
Reluctantly, he releases me from his grip and steps back so I can open the door. This time, he doesn’t follow me. My chest feels like it’s about to explode as I walk toward the elevator, desperate to create some distance between us. A few floors up is not enough, not with River Westbrook.
I ride the elevator to the top floor and drop my towel on the side of the hot tub. No one is here. The room with the heated pool and spa is nice and warm. Perfect since it’s freezing cold outside. Winters in Philly suck, so this is a nice escape from the routine.
I hop into the hot water and sit on a ledge that has jets shooting out from the wall. Closing my eyes, I lean into the sprays that feel amazing on my back.
My back always hurts from standing on my feet for long hours. Even now, my little side business takes up a lot of my time. When I owned a restaurant, I had chronic pain and had to turn to yoga for some relief. Add in all the stress of operating a business, and I was in pain twenty-four-seven.
“Having fun?”
My eyes snap open, and I jump at the sound of River’s voice. He folds his arms over his chest, his eyes fixed on my breasts that are spilling out from this top.
“Everything okay?”
River shakes his head. “No, Em. I’m definitely not okay.”
He stares at me for a long while before he kicks off his sneakers. I can’t stop looking at him as he pulls his shirt over his head. And when he slides his cargo shorts over his hips, my mouth is wide enough to throw popcorn into it.
He winks at me.
Damn him.
While I’m busy observing him, he studies me, and I can feel his eyes on every part of my body, my skin instantly on fire from his heated gaze.
He runs a wet hand through his dark hair, pushing it off his forehead. River presses his lips together, as if he’s deep in thought. After the longest minute of silence in history, River’s lips part, drawing my attention to his gorgeous mouth.
He’s my brother’s best friend.
My super sexy roommate.
And for now, my new boss.