She grasped at the top before her boobs could pop out. "Stop being a perv. I know you're hard up, but you're not going to get me in the sack that easily. I actually need to get some work done. We can't all sit around eating Dove chocolates and watching Maury all day."
She had me dead to rights there. I turned toward my TV and even with the volume muted we could tell what was happening on screen. Three guys sat in chairs on a stage waiting to see which one of them was the actual baby daddy. Each prospective father wrung his hands nervously while the poor mother wailed to the unsympathetic audience as Maury read the results of the paternity test. You could tell when Maury ended the drama-filled speculation because two of the possible fathers suddenly jumped from their chairs, high-fiving and bumping their chests in celebration.
Olivia rolled her eyes, looking as disgusted as always. "Every episode is the same. I mean, who are these people?"
"You jest until you're up there one day," I teased her as I reluctantly switched to the Food Channel.
She snorted. "As if. Any guy I'm with has to bag his junk big time before he gets within ten feet of this. There'll be no baby cooking in this oven." She headed for the door, patting her stomach for emphasis. "I'll call you later."
"I might be busy," I said, nodding toward my bedroom.
"Ha, you wish. Good luck, gimpy. My money is on Alec."
I threw the magazine she had discarded at her retreating back. "You know we're supposed to be best friends, right? Shouldn't you be on my side? You know, that whole 'chicks before dicks' thing."
She pivoted around to look at me, cackling with laughter. "You're right. I'm definitely pulling for you because obviously you need some dick bad. You dirty girl you."
I stuck my tongue out. "Don't be a dick."
"Oh, there it is again. Good luck."
I grinned at her backside as she left my apartment laughing. Once she was gone, I picked up the remote and changed the station back to Maury, turning up the volume this time. I even stuck out my tongue at the door before grabbing a couple of chocolates from the crystal dish my grandma gave me last Christmas. So I had my guilty pleasures. Everyone did, including Olivia. Besides, it wasn't like I watched the Maury show every day. Okay, maybe it had become my version of crack during the past few weeks, but that was between me and my cat, Severus. And there was no way he would give up my secret. I could quit anytime I wanted to. Really, I could.
Alec was supposed to come home early that evening, but as it turned out, Operation Seduction was put on hold. He called, deciding to log more hours at the lab at school because he would be working a shift at the Red Moon the following evening. I couldn't help being disappointed, but I also didn't want to make him feel bad. I knew going into this relationship that he was a medical student. Between that and his job, our free time together was starting to become few and far between. Normally during my writing time I didn't notice his absence as much, but my brain was being a total douche at the moment.
Since my writing concentration was shot, I decided to veg the rest of the afternoon away by being a complete couch potato with my leg propped up on the arm of the couch. Severus settled himself on my lap, refusing to move. The only time he would leave was when he wanted a bite or two of food from his dish in the kitchen. That would be my chance to go to the bathroom, but when I returned, there was Severus, waiting patiently for me to settle myself once again on the couch. I stroked him behind the ears the way he liked while I bounced from one social media site to the next on my phone, scrolling aimlessly through my timelines. It was counterproductive, especially since I didn't comment or post anything, but it helped whittle the hours away.
***
The sound of the front door opening woke me sometime in the middle of the night. I sat up abruptly, grimacing in pain from a kink in my neck I had gotten from using the arm of the couch as a pillow.
Alec walked in looking thoroughly exhausted. "Hey," he said, trying for a smile that morphed into a yawn.
I stood up from the couch, dislodging Severus from my lap. He meowed his displeasure before trotting off to the kitchen. "Hey yourself. You look whipped, hon."
He yawned again, sinking down on the edge of the coffee table. "Long day. I didn't even get a chance to eat dinner."
"I can whip you something up," I offered halfheartedly while rubbing his shoulders. Looking apprehensively at the kitchen, I had to admit I was hoping he wouldn't take me up on the offer. I couldn't remember the last time I'd actually cooked anything. For that matter, with the exception of my Diet Coke, which I bought by the case, I wasn't sure I could tell you, even with a gun to my head, anything else that could be in the refrigerator.
Alec chuckled at my offer. "No, thanks, babe. No offense, but I can't afford to be laid up with food poisoning," he teased.
I tugged lightly on a lock of his hair. "Don't be mean. I'm perfectly capable of making you a sandwich. Oh wait. Isn't there still leftover pizza from the other night?" I bounced toward the kitchen with as much enthusiasm as my
crippled ankle would allow. Heating up pizza was definitely in my realm of capabilities. "It looks like there's three slices left," I called out after finding the pizza box in the fridge. "You want all of them?"
Alec trailed me into the kitchen. He leaned his hip against the counter and stood watching me with an odd look.
"What?" I flushed self-consciously, nervously tucking a lock of hair behind my ear that had escaped my ponytail as I slide a couple slices of pizza onto a paper plate. "You want these or what?"
He pushed himself away from the counter and slowly glided toward me. "You're pretty adorable when you're acting all domestic-like, but you really shouldn't be on your ankle." His eyes moved to my sore foot that I had slightly elevated off the ground to avoid putting weight on it. He stepped closer to me, resting his hands on my hips.
I held my breath as he dipped his head toward my neck. We'd been together almost half a year and I still wasn't immune to his close proximity. The holding-out-on-sex bet we started, which in hindsight was the dumbest idea ever, made it even worse. His warm breath gently blowing across the sensitive skin on my neck made the rest of my body shiver in anticipation. I could feel it from my toes and up my spine.
Alec's lips hovered over my shoulder without touching, turning my legs to jelly. I gripped the counter, trying to restrain myself from whipping around and tearing his clothes off. He was using his own Operation Seduction plan to turn the tables against me. I wanted to be the strong one, but I could feel my resolve blowing away like sand in the wind.
"About that bet..." he whispered huskily into my ear, the deep vibration of his voice making certain areas of my body practically spring to life.
"Yeah," I whispered, gripping the counter tighter. If I reached for him, I would be conceding. I could not lose this time. He pressed every lean hard inch of himself against my backside. Holy hell. The edge of the counter felt like a life raft. I couldn't, shouldn't, and most definitely wouldn't let go of it.