whisper. Lia suppressed a gasp. He did it?
Her hesitation towards Colin started to melt. “Thank you.” He didn’t say anything. All she heard were his breaths, close to her.
A tingling warmth spread through her body. An attraction stronger than her willpower prevented her from stepping back. I can’t. His smell. She could feel his whole body against her, through their clothes. His chest pressed lightly against her breasts. She sensed his growing hardness under his jeans. Well.
“It’s okay,” he said, his lips curling upward ever so slightly. Lia took a step back and got a better look at him. She felt his eyes slowly looking her over. She tried to suppress her shallow, rapid breaths. Her heart felt like it was going to jump out of her chest.
“I…I hope it helps,” he said. His eyes were shining, and she was tempted to grab him, and bring his lips to hers. Please kiss me all over and...No, stop it! She knew she was turning red, so she looked away.
“Want-to-have-dinner-with-me-tonight?” The words came out so rushed and quiet that she could barely hear him.
“Are you sure…I mean, your girl—” Not going to mess with her again.
“Oh, that’s nothing.” His cheeks turned bright red. He cleared his throat.
Okay. Really?
“So why—”
Colin scratched the back of his neck and took a deep breath.
“It’s a long story…There’s nothing worth talking about.” His body was tense and stiff. It was clear that he was done discussing Farahnaz.
“I’m really sorry, but I’m going to a party with my best friend.”
Colin lowered his head and swallowed hard.
“I would have liked to.” The words came out by themselves. Lia covered her mouth. So much for protecting myself.
“How about I give you my number, and you can call me if you…um…need company?”
Company? What does that mean? Colin had the eyes of a puppy hoping not to be admonished for being naughty. He pulled out a pen from his back pocket and wrote his number on a scrap of paper. “Here you go.” When his hand touched hers, she felt weak in her knees. He had turned her brain to mush.
He turned and walked back to his desk, giving Lia a perfect view of his tall and muscular body. Those shoulders. She had a weakness for those strong and muscular shoulders. She pictured him picking her up and holding her close, shielding her from all the pain. But what is his deal? She sighed and got to work setting up her first experiment. She felt giddy as she looked at all the solutions that he had so carefully prepared for her.
*************
“Hey Gianna, I’m home,” Lia called as she entered the apartment. It was warm and cozy inside, and smelled of pasta. Gianna was sitting on the couch, covered with a blanket, her face paler than usual.
“Sweetie!” Her eyes lit up. “How was your day?”
Lia sat down next to Gianna, curling up under the blanket.
“It was all right. But how are you? Are you feeling nauseous?” She held Gianna’s hand, bumpy with veins.
“It was totally fine. I’m an old pro. Just a bit tired, but I’ll sleep soundly tonight.”
“Did Paulo bring you that pasta?” Lia saw a dish of tortellini on the coffee table.
“Yeah, the sweet boy insisted I lay down here.”
“I’m so glad he’s helping out.” Lia felt relieved. This was all Gianna’s doing, though. She gave out so much kindness, that when she needed help, she was never lacking. She had rescued Paulo, and now he had made it his mission to care for her.
“Hey, will you be okay if I go out tonight? My friend Anu invited me, but I’m not so sure…” I really should stay here.
“Go, please go. I’m just sitting here, reading books.”
Lia gave Gianna a long hug. “Love you.”
“Now go get some rest. You look like you could use a nap.”
Lia was exhausted. All the opposing emotions had taken their toll on her. “Okay.”
She dragged herself into her room and crashed down on her soft bed.
When she woke
Her hesitation towards Colin started to melt. “Thank you.” He didn’t say anything. All she heard were his breaths, close to her.
A tingling warmth spread through her body. An attraction stronger than her willpower prevented her from stepping back. I can’t. His smell. She could feel his whole body against her, through their clothes. His chest pressed lightly against her breasts. She sensed his growing hardness under his jeans. Well.
“It’s okay,” he said, his lips curling upward ever so slightly. Lia took a step back and got a better look at him. She felt his eyes slowly looking her over. She tried to suppress her shallow, rapid breaths. Her heart felt like it was going to jump out of her chest.
“I…I hope it helps,” he said. His eyes were shining, and she was tempted to grab him, and bring his lips to hers. Please kiss me all over and...No, stop it! She knew she was turning red, so she looked away.
“Want-to-have-dinner-with-me-tonight?” The words came out so rushed and quiet that she could barely hear him.
“Are you sure…I mean, your girl—” Not going to mess with her again.
“Oh, that’s nothing.” His cheeks turned bright red. He cleared his throat.
Okay. Really?
“So why—”
Colin scratched the back of his neck and took a deep breath.
“It’s a long story…There’s nothing worth talking about.” His body was tense and stiff. It was clear that he was done discussing Farahnaz.
“I’m really sorry, but I’m going to a party with my best friend.”
Colin lowered his head and swallowed hard.
“I would have liked to.” The words came out by themselves. Lia covered her mouth. So much for protecting myself.
“How about I give you my number, and you can call me if you…um…need company?”
Company? What does that mean? Colin had the eyes of a puppy hoping not to be admonished for being naughty. He pulled out a pen from his back pocket and wrote his number on a scrap of paper. “Here you go.” When his hand touched hers, she felt weak in her knees. He had turned her brain to mush.
He turned and walked back to his desk, giving Lia a perfect view of his tall and muscular body. Those shoulders. She had a weakness for those strong and muscular shoulders. She pictured him picking her up and holding her close, shielding her from all the pain. But what is his deal? She sighed and got to work setting up her first experiment. She felt giddy as she looked at all the solutions that he had so carefully prepared for her.
*************
“Hey Gianna, I’m home,” Lia called as she entered the apartment. It was warm and cozy inside, and smelled of pasta. Gianna was sitting on the couch, covered with a blanket, her face paler than usual.
“Sweetie!” Her eyes lit up. “How was your day?”
Lia sat down next to Gianna, curling up under the blanket.
“It was all right. But how are you? Are you feeling nauseous?” She held Gianna’s hand, bumpy with veins.
“It was totally fine. I’m an old pro. Just a bit tired, but I’ll sleep soundly tonight.”
“Did Paulo bring you that pasta?” Lia saw a dish of tortellini on the coffee table.
“Yeah, the sweet boy insisted I lay down here.”
“I’m so glad he’s helping out.” Lia felt relieved. This was all Gianna’s doing, though. She gave out so much kindness, that when she needed help, she was never lacking. She had rescued Paulo, and now he had made it his mission to care for her.
“Hey, will you be okay if I go out tonight? My friend Anu invited me, but I’m not so sure…” I really should stay here.
“Go, please go. I’m just sitting here, reading books.”
Lia gave Gianna a long hug. “Love you.”
“Now go get some rest. You look like you could use a nap.”
Lia was exhausted. All the opposing emotions had taken their toll on her. “Okay.”
She dragged herself into her room and crashed down on her soft bed.
When she woke
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