Stir Me (Rouse Me 2)

And our conversation bleeds into my week. Every beep of a new message sends a shiver down my spine. Alyssa may not be all mine yet, but she will be soon.

***

It's the middle of the afternoon when Alyssa calls.

"Hey," I answer.

"Can I come over?" Her voice is low, breathy.

Damn. There's no way I'm getting out of my meeting. I'll never hear the end of it from Ryan. But I can duck out early. Hell, I don't have much of a choice when she asks like that.

"Of course," I say. "But I packed up most of the house. I'm staying at the condo."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No."

She takes a deep breath. "I hate to call you about this. I know it's not fair. I asked for space and I don't want to drag you around." There's fear in her voice.

Something is wrong. "Ally, are you okay?"

"Yeah." She takes a deep breath. "I don't want to talk about it yet. I just want to be around you. To talk about nothing and drink too much coffee and watch some bad TV show."

"Of course."

"I'm going to leave soon. With traffic, I'll probably be there in an hour."

"I have a meeting."

"Go to it. I'll make myself comfortable."

"Comfortable how?"

"Do you mind being used as a distraction?" she asks.

I swallow hard. I like the thought of Alyssa getting comfortable in my bed, sliding off her clothes, draping herself over the sheets. Part of me is satisfied by it. I want her any way I can get her.

But I want all of her, not just her admittedly amazing body.

Still. This is what Alyssa wants. And it's tempting. Just imagining her on the couch, a coy smile on her face, her dress trailing up her legs--my blood starts to flow downward.

"Whatever you want," I say.

And just as my head is filling with all sorts of delicious ideas, there's a knock on the door.

Ryan.

He enters with his usual smug look and folds his hands. Like he thinks he's my fucking friend.

"I spoke to Mrs. Pike again," he says.

I shake my head. I'm not letting Ryan get to me. Not today. Not with everything I want waiting in my apartment.

"Yes?"

"She asked me to represent her." He tries to play it cool, like this isn't the best news he's heard all week.

"Sounds like she found what she wanted."