Page 9 of Lucky Break
“Too much.” Tess blows out a breath and lets loose a humorless laugh. “You don’t want to know.” She begins climbing the stairs.
I hang back a few steps to appreciate her ass on the way up. I should tell her I’m apparently in the market for a new place, but I’d rather not get into that. The apartment I share with Celeste was my place before I asked her to move in, and I negotiated a decent price on the rent too, since the owner of the building also owns a few of the bars and clubs I play at regularly. Maybe I should be more outraged my ex assumed I’d be the one to move out. Maybe I will be tomorrow, but right now, I’m distracted by the sway of Tess’s hips.
“You have your keys?” I nag as we hit the second floor.
“Ha. Ha,” Tess grumbles. “You know I do.”
There was one time I walked her home when she left them in her work locker and I will never let her live it down. I also have to give her a hard time about how long it takes for her to find anything in that damn purse of hers. “Better start unearthing those suckers now.”
“Are you trying to get rid of me faster?” she jokes, but her words don’t sit right in my chest. Is that what she thinks? That I only walk her home out of obligation? That I don’t love her company?
“I don’t want to say goodnight at all.” An idea pops into my head. “Lars gave me an entire bottle of Jameson.” I stop outside her door and hold it up. “It’d almost be sacrilegious not to open it, don’t you think?”
She flashes me a grin, pausing to look up from her bag. “Do you want to come in?”
“Aye.” I try to act unaffected by her invitation. “I’ll even play bartender. You won’t have to do a thing.”
“Oh?” She raises her brows, finally unearthing her key and sticking it into the lock. “You think you can do it better, don’t you?” She swings the door open, walking inside and dropping her bag on the counter. “You think bartending is easy?”
“Listen, woman.” I shut the door and secure the lock, then set my guitar down. “If you come at me with that attitude, I might have to cut you off early.”
She laughs. “I’m going to change. Glasses are above the sink. There better be liquor inside one of them with my name on it by the time I come back.”
“I love it when you’re bossy.” Teasing comes easy. It’s familiar territory and washes away some of the tension I was feeling earlier. Busying myself in her kitchen, I open the Jameson and pour two drinks.
I walk over to her record collection and thumb through the stack of her favorites. Settling on James Taylor, I carefully drop the needle into place and adjust the volume so her neighbors won’t be annoyed.
She’s only gone a few minutes, but when Tess walks out of her bedroom she’s totally transformed. Gone is the temptress in the boots and fishnet tights. She’s traded her tank and shorts for an oversized t-shirt and pair of sweats that hang loose at her waist. Her makeup is washed off too. Impossibly, she’s even more stunning now. This version of Tess is the one very few ever see.My Tess.
My pulse picks up, racing with each second that passes. I’m at a loss for words, but somehow, I manage to murmur, “Drink?”
“Yeah.” She doesn’t quite meet my stare.
“Wanna sit?” I nod toward the couch as I retrieve the whiskey.
“Sure.” She nods but waits until I set the glasses on the small table near the couch before grabbing her purse. She pads over and takes a seat. Her couch isn’t very big, something I never took note of before tonight, but I’m grateful for the forced proximity.
“Here.” I hand her one of the glasses.
“Thanks.” She tucks her legs beneath her and leans back into the corner of the couch. She swirls the pale gold liquid around in her glass before taking a sip. Her eyes study me from above the rim of her glass.
I swallow mine down in two gulps.
The burn does nothing to dull the energy buzzing between us. Not more than a few seconds pass, but I swear the air practically crackles with tension. Only, I don’t know what to do. Should I crack a joke and play it off? Give in and see where it leads?
“So, I got you a little something.” Tess’s smile is soft, and she drops her gaze to her glass. She leans over to set it on the table and pulls her purse onto her lap.
For some reason, I can’t stop staring at her mouth. I hope whatever she’s about to give me involves a kiss. How have I never wanted to claim those saucy lips with a kiss before? It’s as if I’m seeing her fully for the first time in my life, and I can’t believe I didn’t notice before. Until tonight, I never even entertained the thought of making a move. Now, I can’t stop.
8
TESS
My fingers shakeas I dig through my purse. Callum’s making me nervous. I’m usually so comfortable in his presence, but not tonight. I don’t understand the way he keeps looking at me. It’s the way I’ve always wanted him to look at me, and my body lights up like a wildfire each time he stares. This is uncharted territory between us.
“I got you a gift. For your birthday.” I realize the time. “Shit. Which I guess is technically yesterday. I guess it’s a belated birthday gift.”
“You remembered.” His eyes twinkle and his lips curve with a soft smile. “Thank you.”
