A smile tilts my lips as another thought occurs to me. “I guess we don’t have to hide this anymore. It’s all out in the open. No more secrets.”
Guilt flickers in his dark eyes before disappearing.
It’s there and gone before I can interpret what it means.
“You’re right,” he says quietly, “no more secrets.”
Relief floods through me. I was never a fan of all the sneaking around and hiding. Hopefully, Crosby is right, and at some point, Andrew will get over our breakup and move on. No matter how much he continues to insist that he loves me, I know he doesn’t.
We exit the Mustang and meet up on the sidewalk. Hands clasped, we stroll to the entrance before stepping inside the lobby and waiting for the elevator. He draws me close until his mouth can settle on mine. It’s only when the doors slide open that we break apart and step inside. A few girls jump in at the last minute.
If I needed a reminder that he’s nothing like my ex, everything he’s done and said this evening has reinforced that. He’s put me first. Even now, he doesn’t seem to notice the females who are so obviously clamoring for his attention. Even with me standing by his side, Andrew would be flirting back and egging them on.
Crosby couldn’t be more different.
Once the doors separate, we step onto the floor. Before we can start down the narrow hallway, I twine my arms around his neck and pull him close before pressing my mouth to his. The babble of female voices rises, meeting my ears as the doors close again, trapping them inside.
I lose all sense of time and place as the kiss deepens, continuing to unfold.
Heated moments pass as my body vibrates with need.
He breaks away to growl, “Unless you want to get fucked right here, you need to stop that.”
I stare at the wall before flicking my gaze to him. “That might be interesting.”
A low rumble emanates from his chest as he swings me into his arms and stalks toward the apartment. I slip the key from my purse before handing it over. He shoves the thin metal into the lock and throws open the door with such force that it ricochets off the doorstop. With me still held securely in his arms, he kicks it shut and beelines for my room. It’s only when the sound of the television hits my ears that I realize Sasha is home. I glance toward the living room, only to find her and Easton staring at us with wide eyes.
Neither of them says a word.
Crosby stops, pressing me closer to his chest as if they might try to wrestle me free. “We’re together now. Get used to it.”
A knowing smile spreads across Easton’s face. “It’s about time, man.”
The guy holding me jerks his head in acknowledgment before stalking into my room, where he slams the door behind us.
“By tomorrow morning, everyone will know,” I say lightly.
“Yup, that’s the plan.”
His arms loosen until I can slide down his muscular length and my feet are able to touch the floor. Impatience vibrates off him as his fingers rise to the hem of my sweater. He drags it up my body and over my head before tossing it to the carpet.
“You’re wearing way too much clothing.” There’s a pause as he unfastens the suede skirt. “But the boots can stay.”
35
CROSBY
I grind to a halt outside my apartment door before pushing it open. Even though I stayed the night with Brooke, hoping it would give Andrew time for the shock to wear off, I know he’ll be pissed. We’ve been friends too long for me not to anticipate his reaction. If I had to guess, I’d say he probably ended up at someone’s house and got fucked up, all the while running his mouth about how I stole his girlfriend from beneath his nose.
My muscles tense as I step over the threshold and glance around the quiet apartment. The only sign that he’s been here recently is half a dozen empty beer bottles strewn across the coffee table.
Relief rushes from my lungs as my muscles loosen. It might be a small reprieve, but I’ll take it. With any luck, he’ll cool off by the time we sit down and talk. The guy needs to get it through his head that Brooke was never getting back together with him. That ship sailed months ago.
I dump my bag on the couch and head into the bathroom for a quick shower. I have class in an hour and can’t afford to miss it. I wasn’t kidding when I said these engineering courses were kicking my ass. There are times when it feels like my head will explode.
Ten minutes later, I wrap a plush navy towel around my waist and saunter into the hallway. My footsteps falter as the apartment door swings open, and Andrew stalks in before slamming it shut again. He stutters to a halt as our gazes catch.