Page 26 of Tempted Hearts
It occurred to me that Juliette looked exactly like I thought she would, tucked in bed as she was. She didn’t wear much makeup, and besides her hair piled up and clipped in some claw thing, she looked exactly as she had all day… poised somewhere between beautifully feminine and extremely fuckable.
“I’m blind without them,” I said, putting my glasses back on. Considering the first part, I added. “You thought I had a dad bod?”
“No,” she scoffed. “Obviously I could tell you work out. But I didn’t expect…”
Mark this as the first time a woman was literally left speechless in my presence. The thought brought a smile to my face.
“Didn’t expect?” I prompted.
“Never mind. So anyway.” She leaned over to flip off the lamp between us, giving me a brief glance of her ample bosom before the room went dark.
“Do you sleep with the TV on?”
I settled in. “No. Who does that?”
“Lots of people.”
The room, nearly pitch black, smelled faintly of Juliette.
It was going to be a long night.
“Do you?”
“No. But I do usually scroll my phone before bed. It’s been weird without it.”
“That’s not good for your sleep.”
“Do you only do things that are good for you?”
I thought about that for a second. “I try my best.”
“So Mr. Perfect does have vices?”
Mr. Perfect. Far from it.
“I do.”
“What are they?”
“You first.”
She moved around in the bed. I’d been banking on the fact that I’d nearly fallen asleep at dinner at one point to get me through the night. But I was oddly wide awake and fully aware of the danger zone we’d entered stepping into this bedroom alone.
“Food. I love it.”
“There’s nothing wrong with loving food. It’s one of life’s greatest pleasures.”
“Sure, but some people have one bad food they like. Sweets. Or salty treats. I like all of it. Give me a cupcake or potato chips, and I’m here for it.”
“Cupcakes aren’t evil. In moderation, of course.”
“Of course. Now your turn.”
“Women,” I said before I could think better of it. Whiskey would have done just fine.
“There’s nothing wrong with women. They’re one of life’s greatest pleasures.”
Touché, Juliette. Smiling into the dark, I considered a few possible responses and discarded them all.
