The Last Person

Why am I apologizing? I didn’t kiss him. He. Kissed. Me!

Eric eases out of me, steadying me with one hand while grabbing a wad of towels with his other hand.

I wrinkle my nose and take the wad from him. “Turn around.”

He gives me a tense expression for a few seconds as he tucks himself back into his briefs and zips his climbing pants. Then he turns around, facing the door, while I move from the sink to the toilet.

“I’m on the pill just for extra precaution. So we can stop worrying about that.” I flush the toilet, fix my leggings, and wash my hands. “If you were worry about that. Somehow I doubt it,” I mumble.

Eric turns toward me. I nod at his hands as I dry mine. He knows where those fingers have been. We stare at each other’s reflection in the mirror as he washes his hands.

I blow out a slow breath and wait as he dries them. He tosses the towels into the trash. “What time do you get off work?”

I narrow my eyes. “That’s what you have to say after what just happened?” My lips part to accommodate my heavy jaw.

Eric shrugs. “Yeah. What do you want me to say? I think we covered the basics.”

“We didn’t cover your cock! I’d hardly say we’ve covered the basics. And you have a date waiting for you. And I’m supposed to be working.”

That stupid smirk!

“She’s not my date. We just decided to climb together. The fact that she’s female means nothing. And you dragged me in here. If you’re on the clock, that’s your fault not mine. If it helps your job situation, I’ll happily leave a glowing Yelp review and mention your name. The uncovered cock part was a little risky, but you just admitted you’re on the pill. I’ve been tested. If anyone passes something on to someone else, it will be you passing it to me. I hope not, but overall … I regret nothing.”

Blink.

Blink.

Blink.

“Don’t ever kiss me again.” That’s the best I conjure in my head right now, and I hate it.

Eric doesn’t flinch. He maintains every ounce of smugness like he doesn’t believe I’m serious. Granted, after I just let him screw me bareback in the employee bathroom while on the clock, it’s hard to sound believable with any sort of threat, but this time I mean it.

I reach past him and open the door. He hooks his finger into the waist of my leggings to stop me from leaving. Even now … after such an epic misstep in my day, my pulse gallops in response to his touch.

“I don’t have to kiss you to fuck you,” he whispers in my ear before releasing me, sauntering past me, and returning to the climbing wall and his female buddy without one glance back at me.

Chapter Ten

Eric

I don’t think the way to Anna’s heart is through her pussy. Maybe her mouth. She seems to enjoy kissing me, but then it doesn’t make much sense for her to tell me to never kiss her again. Life would be easier if I could stop thinking about her.

Stop watching her through my door’s peephole.

Stop thinking of the way her smile engulfed her face the night we had pizza and the way it made everything inside of me come to life.

Stop loving her obsession with books, even if her taste in them is bad.

Stop hearing her contagious laughter.

Stop craving her skin.

I do … I crave her. When we kiss, I want to nibble her at the same time. My hands itch to touch her. I miss her when I go days without seeing her. My mind can’t go more than five minutes—maybe five seconds—without thinking about her.

Anna Black has consumed me with no effort. If anything, she’s gone out of her way to prove she wants nothing to do with me. Too bad her body doesn’t agree with her mind.

“The coffee girl.” Harper dips her hands in her chalk bag and glances past me when I return from the restroom.

“Anna. Yeah.” I park my hands on my hips and stare at the wall like I’m figuring out a route.

“Her face and neck are awfully red. She looks thoroughly flustered. You didn’t …” Harper aligns herself in front of me, attempting to snag my full attention, but she’s short so I can see over her just fine. “You didn’t have sex with her in the bathroom, did you?”

Harper is also my cousin Finn’s girlfriend. She works part-time for me and part-time as a realtor, so her curiosity runs deeper than that of an employee. And Finn doesn’t climb, so I’m her new best friend.

“Why would I do that?” Nope. Not going to look at her.

“Oh my god. You did. You totally did!”

“Shh …” I smirk, shaking my head. “You don’t know what I did or didn’t do. Anna wanted to talk, so we talked.”