The Assignment

The room swayed a little as I got up from my seat and headed to the back of the bar. Am I seriously doing this right now? How pathetic did I have to be to come when called like that? I needed my head checked, but I was too damn curious to stop myself.

Troy was standing in the stairwell with his arms crossed. His scent was dizzying. My nipples hardened, my body becoming aware of just how much it had missed being around him. And gosh, was he always this tall?

I took in a deep whiff of him and exhaled. “What was it you needed to see me about?”

“I have to admit, I’m a little insulted.”

“Why is that?”

“You’ve been looking over at me all night, yet you never bothered to say hello.”

“Why would I come say hello when you’re on a date? It would be rude for me to interrupt.”

“It’s not a date.”

“Sure looks like it.”

He inched closer. “I just met her tonight. I was hanging out with my buddy, Eric, but he had to leave. Casey was with some work friends, and she started a conversation with me.” His gaze traveled over my body, causing a chill to run down my spine. I could feel his breath on my face when he said, “You look beautiful tonight. That liner you’re wearing really brings out your eyes, but at the same time, you don’t need it.” His eyes trailed down my neck. “I hope you don’t mind me being blunt…but your tits look amazing in that shirt, too.” He looked back up at me. “You look amazing.”

I could hardly breathe, let alone form a response to that.

“All I’ve wanted to do was look at you. But I knew if I looked your way, you’d stop looking at me. I could feel you staring, and I loved knowing that your eyes were on me. I fucking loved every second of it.”

I swallowed. “Well, I’m surprised you noticed me looking over at you at all. You seemed to be getting along so well with her.”

“Not everything is what it seems. Because while I looked like I was getting along with her, I kept wishing she were you.”

I’d been looking down at my feet, but he placed his hand on my chin and lifted it to meet his incendiary stare.

“Goddammit, please tell me I’m not alone. Are you feeling this, too, Aspyn?”

He was far from alone. Feelings of intense attraction and jealousy had consumed me tonight. I just couldn’t get myself to admit it.

What he said next shook me.

“Casey did ask me to go back to her place for a nightcap. Any reason I shouldn’t?”

I was burning up. I wanted to urge him not to go home with her, but then what? I’d have to admit my jealousy. And there would be no going back once I fell into that web.

“You should do what you want,” I coughed out.

He leaned in, close enough that I could practically taste him. “What do you want?”

My chest heaved. “This has nothing to do with me.”

“You sure about that? Because you seemed pretty invested tonight with the way you couldn’t take your eyes off me.”

My voice shook. “Your ego is atrocious. What do you want me to say? There’s no need for me to answer if you’ve already drawn your own conclusion.”

“I want you to admit that you’ve missed me as much as I’ve missed you this past week.” He inched even closer. “Look me in the eyes and tell me you haven’t been thinking about me.”

As much as I wanted to put on a façade and attempt to stare him in the face and tell him just that, I was never a good liar. My gaze, therefore, stayed firmly planted on my feet. Because the second I looked at him, he’d know.

“You can’t, can you?” he said.

I felt his hand on my chin again as he brought my face up to meet his. And it was in that moment that I decided to let go. “You’re right. I can’t lie. I have been thinking about you. And I hate it.”

Troy’s hand snaked around the back of my neck. He threaded his fingers in my hair before pulling me into him. Our lips smashed together, and a tidal wave of pleasure hit. A moan escaped into his mouth, and all sense of reality seemed to dissipate.

“You’re all I fucking think about lately,” he groaned over my lips.

I opened wider, letting his tongue in. He tasted sweet, with a hint of alcohol. My hands raked through his hair as I became lost in the most amazing, all-consuming kiss I’d ever experienced. The heat of his breath seemed to warm my entire body, his scent enveloping me.

Troy suddenly pushed back, leaving me cold and starving for more.

“How do I make it stop, Aspyn? You say you want nothing to do with me, but it sure as hell doesn’t seem like it.” He cupped my cheek, gently rubbing his thumb across my lips. “I need to get you out of my system.”