“I know. It just feels weird for you to stay over when, um, you know, when we won’t be doing sexy stuff.”
“You make it sound like I’m a sex-starved maniac,” he grumbled.
She stared at him.
“Fine, you do bring out that side of me,” he conceded. “But I’m a big boy. I’m perfectly capable of keeping my pants zipped and just hanging out with you.” He sounded pensive. “What would you be doing right now if I wasn’t here?”
She instantly clammed up. “Nothing.”
“Liar.” He grasped her chin, tugging it upward so she was forced to look at him. “Come on, spill. I promise not to tell.”
Heat bloomed in her cheeks. “Fine. If you weren’t here, I’d bust open a carton of chocolate mocha mousse and watch a few episodes of the Vampire Diaries.”
AJ gawked at her. “You’re joking.”
“Nope.” He looked so horrified she couldn’t help but laugh. “It’s one of my guilty pleasures. Seriously, I’m addicted to trashy teenager shows. I watch them every night before bed.”
“Wow. You really don’t strike me as the type.”
She wagged her finger at him. “Hey, I thought we discussed the whole judging-a-book-by-its-cover thing. You’re not nice, and I watch cheesy television shows. Deal with it.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He sighed heavily. “Fine, I guess I’m in. But you’re gonna have to catch me up because I’ve never seen an episode of that show in my life.”
Brett beamed at him. “Oh my God. You don’t know what you’re missing.” Her earlier reluctance vanished as she took his hand and dragged him toward the living room. “Okay, so there’s a town full of vampires, and this girl—Elena—is torn between two vampire brothers. They’re both smoking hot, but one of them is kind of a dick. He’s the one I’m rooting for, though. Trust me, he’s way more interesting than the other one…”
AJ—God bless his sexy soul—didn’t utter a single disparaging remark while she chattered on about the show, and as they cuddled together on the couch, it occurred to her that they’d reached a turning point tonight.
Only she had no idea what it was, or where it would lead them.
Chapter Twelve
“So…what are you wearing?” AJ drawled the second Brett picked up the phone.
Her laughter danced over the line and tickled his ear. “A very skimpy dress, actually. You’d like it. It barely covers my thighs.”
The words sent a spike of lust straight to his cock. As his mind conjured up the image of her firm, creamy thighs, he wished she were there right now so he could yank her dress up and bury his face between her legs.
Yup. After two and a half weeks, his overwhelming desire for the woman still hadn’t dwindled. If anything, he just desired her more.
But in a few days, Brett’s father would make his decision about who’d be running the new studio, which meant AJ wouldn’t have to pretend to be Brett’s upstanding, responsible boyfriend anymore. The thought disturbed him more than it should, and a part of him didn’t want their time together to end yet. It was an idea he’d been toying with ever since the night at the grocery store. He’d shown Brett the ugliest part of himself when he’d confessed to the selfish act that had gotten his brother killed—and she hadn’t shied away from him.
Brett’s reaction hadn’t eliminated the guilt—he doubted that would ever go away—but she’d made him feel…whole. For the first time in his life, he’d experienced an actual sense of belonging.
“AJ? You there?”
He snapped out of his thoughts, realizing he’d lapsed into dead air. “Are you on your way to the bar?” he asked. It was Jordan’s birthday, so he knew Brett was meeting up with her brothers to celebrate.
“Yep. I wanted to have a couple drinks tonight, so I’m walking over there.”
“Crap. I was hoping you hadn’t left yet. I decided to join you after all.”
“Really?” She sounded delighted. “I thought you were working.”
“I was supposed to, but one of my barbacks asked for extra hours. There’s no reason for me to stick around if he’s here.”
“Then you definitely have to come by. Jessica’s going to be there, and I could use the moral support. One of these days I’m going to lose my temper and break her nose, you know.”
AJ cringed at the memory of Jordan’s shrieky girlfriend. Christ, he had no idea what Brett’s brother saw in the woman. Actually, scratch that. He knew exactly what Jordan saw—a gorgeous blonde with endless legs and a rack liable to make men drool.