“Yes, Kase, I’ll be fine. Thank you.”

She hopped off of the bed and looked in the mirror. “Okay, well, if you need me, call me. I have a hot date to get to.” She adjusted her bra in the mirror, pushing up her breasts, then winked at me.

After Kasey had left, I put the phone on my dresser and leaned against the headboard, knees drawn to my chest. It had continued to ring, but I couldn’t bring myself to answer it. I didn’t know if it was because I didn’t want to talk to him or if I didn’t want to keep lying to myself about what I really wanted.

Maria barged in, snatched the phone from my dresser, and turned it off. “Come on. I’m tired of you just sitting in your room and listening to this phone buzz.” She blew out my candle, letting the room darken, and tugged on my arm.

Light from the hallway flooded into the room. “I can’t go out there. I’m so embarrassed.”

“It’s just Eros and Javier. They probably don’t even remember what happened. They were both so drunk at the party.”

I swallowed. Had Eros been drunk last night? He definitely was acting strange. Complimenting me. Taking me home. Caring for me. It wasn’t like him to do that, even if he was just empathizing with me.

“Dani, it’ll be fine. It’s just a movie.”

Nothing was ever just anything when Eros was there.

The scent of popcorn drifted into my room. I gazed past her, listening to Eros and Javier talk in the living room. There was no harm in watching a movie with them, right? Maybe it was just what I needed—to get out of my own head for a while. Then I’d answer Trevon’s calls and everything would be back to normal.

I followed her down the hall to the living room. Javier stared at me with his lip half-curled when I walked in.

My cheeks flamed, and I took a deep breath. He definitely remembered. No doubt. Probably thought about it all night. Wanted to come over and torment me about it. Why did I even agree to this again?

Maria leaned closer to me. “Stop thinking the worst.” She gazed at Javier. “He’s just being friendly.” Then she nudged me. “Who knows, maybe he wants you too.” She released my hand and curled into Javier on the loveseat.

My gaze drifted back and forth between the two, and I suddenly had an urge to lock myself in my room and never come back out.

“Well, are you going to sit down?” Eros asked.

I fiddled with my fingers. I was afraid that if I looked at him, I would forget about the one chance I promised myself that I would give Trevon.

His head was tilted slightly, those eyes dark. He sat on the other couch alone. I scurried to the single-cushioned chair—on the opposite side of the room—and sat. Even after last night, I couldn’t trust myself around him.

We gazed at each other for a few moments until the movie started. I kept my eyes trained on the screen, but my mind was too foggy to actually pay attention. My thoughts were ping-ponging back and forth between Eros and Trevon.

About halfway through the movie, I finally gazed over at him. I had the sudden urge to ask him about last night, to have all of my questions answered about what he had meant, to really talk to him for once—instead of some not-so-innocent flirting.

Maria made a soft noise from the couch. I gazed over at her and Javier and wrinkled my nose, trying to ignore whatever was happening under their blanket.

Eros cleared his throat. She stopped and giggled awkwardly, her cheeks tinting pink. “I’m going to go get some more popcorn in the kitchen.”

Javier wrapped his arm around her shoulder and leaned in closer to her. “Babe, stay here.” His hand slipped under the blanket, and she giggled again.

Oh, God. They were actually doing this right here, weren’t they?

I jumped out of my seat and grabbed the empty popcorn bowl. “I’ll go get it.” I needed to get out of here because, if I wasn’t careful, I would be next. Sitting in Eros’s lap, his fingers slipping into my pants, touching me in all the places I’d only ever dreamed of, the sweet scent of cinnamon keeping me in a complete daze.

When I reached the kitchen, I placed the bowl on the counter and took a deep breath. I couldn’t wait until this movie was over. I’d sneak back into my room and take a nice long nap—away from all of my problems with Trevon, away from all the nasty things Javier and Maria were doing, away from Eros.

Unless he haunted my dreams again. Then I’d be fucked.

My cheeks warmed. Figuratively and literally—in my dreams, of course.

“Let me help you,” Eros said from behind me. I sucked in a slight breath and fumbled with the bag of popcorn, listening to his footsteps. Closer and closer. Each step he took was dreadfully slow. It always was.

Calm, Dani. Stay calm.

One more step, and I felt the heat from his body against my backside. His fingers pushing my hair to the side. His breath on my neck.

Damn it.

I gulped and opened the microwave a little too forcefully, making the bowl slip off the side of the counter. Eros grabbed it before it fell and chuckled darkly. “Do I make you nervous, Dani?”

Trevon, Dani. Think of Trevon. The man you’re going to give another chance to. The man who was holding you in his arms, just a couple nights ago—before the big fight. The man you spent five years of your life on.

“No.” I lied. “You don’t.” I turned around to face him, chest against his, back against the counter. “You make me angry.”

Angry that I couldn’t control myself around him.

He tilted his head, inching closer to me. “And?”

“Frustrated.”

His lips twitched, and he moved even closer. His fingers curled around my waist. “And?”

“Anxious.”

His nose grazed against mine, breath on my lips. I wanted him closer. “How else?” he asked.

I gazed into his eyes, searching those deep greens. They were endless orbs that I never wanted to stop staring into. I could look at them for days, weeks, months, even years and never get tired.

“And, content,” I whispered.

He gently grasped the sides of my face, his thumbs grazing against my lips. “I want to kiss you.”

And I would’ve been lying if I said that I didn’t want him to.

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CHAPTER 13

OceanofPDF.com

Dani

For the second time in the past twenty-four hours, my lips were inches from his. I could practically feel them against mine—moving so slowly at first until we both couldn’t handle it anymore and were devouring each other.

I curled my fingers into his chest and shut my eyes, wanting nothing more than to close the distance between us. He pulled me an inch closer, his cinnamon breath making my lips tingle. God, I had never wanted anyone more than him.

Someone knocked on the door. “Dani,” Trevon said. “It’s me.”

I dropped my head, resting my forehead against Eros’s. For a moment, I enjoyed being this close to him. His fingers tickling my skin. The light hum of his breathing.

Trevon knocked again. I sighed and walked to the door. Tell him what you need to tell him and send him on his way. Don’t take his bullshit, Dani. I grasped the handle and opened the door.

He stood there in his blue baseball cap, hands stuffed into his pockets. “I didn’t think you’d answer.”

“I shouldn’t have,” I said.

After he stepped into the apartment, Maria and Javier glanced over. Maria wrinkled her nose at him and turned back to the TV, muttering something under her breath to Javier. Javier chuckled.

Trevon looked at them, then at Eros who was now leaning against the counter with his arms crossed over his chest. “Can we talk in private?” Trevon asked.

I nodded, gesturing for him to walk ahead of me to my room. When I passed Eros, he grabbed me by the wrist. “Remember what I told you the other night, Dani.”