The Arrangement Anthology 1(104)

My jaw drops open into an O. I slap his arm and laugh as my face gets hot. I can’t believe he said that, even with the playful tone in his voice. I know he’s joking, but it still makes me blush. “No! And never talk about this again. And get dressed. I’m not supposed to see you naked.”

“But you like it.” Sean grins and leans back, exposing his beautiful body.

My eyes sweep over him one last time. I know I won’t be with him again. “We’re not going to be naked friends. Get dressed. I’m taking a shower.” I stand and walk over to the shower stall. I stop for a second when I realize that he hasn’t moved. Glancing back at him, I ask, “What’s the matter?”

“Nothing. You’re just amazing, that’s all. I’ve been stunned into silence and immobilized…”

I arch an eyebrow at him. “And you want to see me naked.”

Sean’s eyes sweep over me in a carnal way that makes my heart jump. “I already have, and it’s not the kind of thing that I’ll forget.” He winks at me and leaves the bathroom.

My heart is hammering way too hard. I’m not sure what happened. After doing some very dirty things, I think we decided to be friends, and somehow it was my idea. I need to have my head checked.





CHAPTER 6





“Oooh! Get this one!” I throw my leg over the side of the bike after gripping the handle bars. I pull myself up onto the bike seat. The urge to say vroom! vroom! makes me giggle.

Sean is standing in the aisle at the motorcycle dealership. There are rows and rows of motorcycles. Some are shiny with tons of chrome, while others are bright colors and made of plastic. Sean folds his arms over his chest. “I’d need to lose my testicles first. That’s a chick bike.”

I straighten in the seat and cock my head. “It is not.”

He laughs. “Yes, it is.”

“How can you tell?”

Sean shakes his head and circles the bike before looking up at me. “One, because it’s pretty, and two, because it makes you look hot. Manly men don’t want pretty bikes, although I might get it for you.” He reaches out and lifts the price tag dangling off the handle bars. My car is no longer running. I left it in the impound lot and don’t plan on picking it up. It won’t run again. I’m currently carless.

I slip off the bike. “You’ not allowed to buy me anything.”

“What? Are you serious?” Sean looks up at me and drops the price tag. “Why?”

I shrug and walk around the bike, dragging my fingers over the shiny paint. “I want you to be sure that I’m not hanging around for your money. I like you the way you are, demented fetishes and all.” Sean’s eyes darken when I mention it. The way his gaze moves over my body sends a chill up my spine. It’s like his eyes are hands and I’m suddenly breathless.

I clear my throat and try to act like that didn’t just happen. “So, which bike are you getting?”

Sean runs his hand through his hair and down his neck as he glances around the showroom. His eyes sweep over a ton of bikes, but he doesn’t seem excited to be here. “No idea.”

“Then, let’s go somewhere else. Maybe the right bike isn’t here. Maybe we should be on a different lot looking at minivans.” The corner of my mouth tugs up as I tease him.

“Wise-ass.”

“I know you like my ass, but we’re talking about bikes. Jeeze, Sean. Focus.” I straddle another bike and look at the shiny chrome dials. I slide my finger across the glass faces, and then take the handle bars. I say it without thinking. “Vroom! Vroom!”

Sean laughs so hard that he chokes. The salesman that Sean banished looks over at as, but doesn’t say anything. Sean wipes a tear from the corner of his eye and steps toward the bike. He puts his hands around my waist and helps me down. God he smells good. “That is a dead giveaway that you’re not a biker. Stop freaking out the sales guy.”

Sean’s hands linger a beat too long. When his fingers slip away from my waist, I turn back toward the bike. “This one is the coolest bike in here.”

“You mean the prettiest.”

“I mean, this is your new bike. This one.” I point at it with both hands for emphasis.

“And why’s that?” Sean grins, and folds his arms over his chest. He tilts his head to the side and looks the bike over. It has shiny blue paint that matches his eyes and enough chrome to make it light up like a disco ball in the sunshine.

“Because it’s so blue, like impossibly blue. And it’s huge and manly, and…” I run around to the back of the bike and pat my hand on the seat. “And look at this seat! I could totally sit here for hours. It even has a backrest!” I’m all smiles, and mouthing buy me when the salesman approaches.