Page 19 of Bare
He smirked. “Yeah. Like that. But about fifty times worse.”
“Ouch,” she said.
“Ouch,” he repeated.
She glanced toward the door. “Is this your place? Should we go in before we’re both completely soaked?”
Sage would have her head if she knew Rosemary was suggesting hanging out in the apartment of a man she barely knew. But she was in DC with Ryker and his brother, and Rosemary was over playing things safely. It was their second date. She had friends who swiped right and met up with total strangers. She could damn well go into Aleksei’s apartment.
Besides, Sage was probably tracking her every step on Life360.
Sliding a strong lean arm around her waist, he pulled her against his side. Despite the chilly rain, his body was warm and hard against her hip and thigh. Heat curled through her abdomen, and she shivered. It had been far too long since she’d been with a man, and this man was temptation incarnate. Maybe he’d try to kiss her again once they were upstairs. This time, she’d be ready.
He pressed the umbrella into her hand, pulling her back to the present. “Let’s get inside. You’re shivering. Hold this while I unlock the door.”
He punched numbers into a keycode, guided her through the entryway, then took the umbrella and shook it dry, his long fingers quick and competent. He gripped her hand with chilly, wet fingers and led her up three flights of stairs to the doorway of the apartment.
“You’re not even winded,” he commented.
“Backpacking. I do a lot of backpacking and hiking,” Rosemary said. “Those stairs are nothing compared to the hills at Valley Forge.”
“I’m a big hiker too.”
Of course he was. Because why wouldn’t he be more perfect?
He used another keycode to unlock the apartment door. His movements were met with excited barking and scratching at the door. That was one of the wonderful things about dogs. They were always happy to see you.
He wrestled Jaka back from the door so she could shimmy in behind him. Jaka jumped at her legs.
“Down, girl. Down.” Aleksei’s voice was firm, but his hands were full of love as he stroked Jaka’s fur with one hand while holding her collar with the other.
She dropped down in front of Jaka, the wood floor hard under her knees. The dog lunged forward, gracing her with a wet, rough-tongued lick up her cheek. She wiped the drool from her face, laughing.
She rubbed Jaka’s soft fur as the dog quivered with excitement. “You’re a good girl. You just want to say hi, don’t you?”
Aleksei grabbed a blue leash from a set of hooks by the door. “I’m going to run her out quickly and then settle her in her crate. She and I went for a long jog today, so it’s bedtime for her anyway. Hang up your coat, grab a beer from the fridge, and have a seat. I’ll just be a few minutes.”
The front door shut with a hard thud, and she was left in eerie silence. It felt odd to be alone in someone else’s apartment.
She shrugged out of her jacket and hung it up, grateful to have the damp material away from her body. The jacket wasn’t quite as waterproof as she’d thought. She opened the refrigerator. It was sparkling clean with none of the chocolatesyrup spills or grape stems she always seemed to be wiping up in hers. Its limited contents consisted of beer, water bottles, a Brita, and eggs, with everything lined up neatly. She’d wait for him to hand out the beers. She shut the door and ran her hand along the round white kitchen table as she walked the few steps from the kitchen to the living area.
Oversized chocolate-brown leather chairs sat at soft angles at either side of a matching couch, forming a U around a rustic-looking wood and metal coffee table. IKEA-esque side tables stood on either side of the couch, and a tan braided carpet covered the weathered, large-plank hardwood floor. The opposite wall featured a fireplace, flanked by floor-to-ceiling bookcases. A television was perched atop a steamer trunk, angled in the corner of the room. Moss-green walls, earth-toned pillows, and Philadelphia themed artwork brought color and interest to the space. The overall effect was cozy and welcoming.
The bookcases held a small globe, a decorative tile from the Moravian tileworks, a framed copy of the Declaration of Independence, a replica Liberty Bell, and a few other innocuous knick-knacks, most of which continued the Philly theme. The books were a mix of tourist guides, local histories, and popular fiction—the kind they had in the B&B her mom took her to in Cape May the few times she’d been well enough to go to the beach.
The front door banged open. Her head snapped up at the sound, her eyes meeting Aleksei’s inquisitive gaze. She dropped her hand from the book she’d been about to pluck from the shelf. She hadn’t been doing anything wrong, but for some reason, she felt like she’d been caught snooping.
“Did you find the beer?” he asked as he hung up his coat and returned Jaka’s leash to its hook.
“I figured I’d wait for you.”
He smiled broadly, transforming the hard angles of his face into something softer and warmer. He lifted his hand, his middle and pointer fingers raised.
“Give me two minutes to get Jaka in her crate.”
She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. Anticipation was making her jittery, and her scalp was starting to sweat. She should sit. If she sat, she might feel more relaxed. She’d definitely look more relaxed than she did fidgeting with the stuff on his shelves. She eased onto the leather couch and thrust her nails under the edges of her wig for a quick scratch. If she scratched now, hopefully her head wouldn’t itch for a while.
The sound of footsteps, the refrigerator door, and the pop of cans opening heralded Aleksei’s arrival. He strode into the room, two tall silver-and-brown cans in hands, his long lean legs eating up the space between them. He was so striking, she almost forgot to breathe. His face was sharp angles and ocean-storm eyes. His movements hinted at the hard muscles she felt each time their bodies touched.
