wasn’t his. He was one of a kind and sweet.
Watching them, she hugged herself and leaned back against the bench. She wanted to go inside and bury herself in her work, but even while she turned her head, her ears refused to stop listening to them joking and laughing. After an hour or so, Charmaine stood and gathered the trash from Amaya’s gift and the unopened present from Elliot.
“Amaya, it’s time to go in,” she announced.
“Aww.” Amaya pouted, but she hugged Elliot and ran to the building.
Elliot moved at a more sedate pace, his hands in his pockets. When Charmaine passed beside him, he spoke. “Do you think I can play with you again sometime?”
Her nether regions came to life at the suggestive words. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Charmaine, I like you. I think we can enjoy each other’s company, with no strings and no…traps.”
She glanced at him. Desire stirred inside her, but she dared not. “I can’t let anything distract me.”
He stepped into her path, blocking her from continuing to the building. “Why can’t you let anything distract you? Distractions are what life are about, and they’re not all bad.”
“If you start spouting that stuff about stopping to smell the roses, we’re going to have a problem.”
He held up his hands, grinning. “I won’t, but it stands, doesn’t it?”
“No. My app is my rose.”
“Hmm. Okay, I accept that. How about a lily to go with your rose.”
She burst out laughing. “You are so crazy. A man who calls himself a lily?”
His cheeks pinked. “I wasn’t saying I was the lily!”
“Too late now, Lily.” She ducked around him and jogged to the building. “See you later.”
Charmaine left him standing there and hurried after Amaya. When she let the two of them into the apartment, she put Elliot’s present aside and made lunch for her and Amaya. A couple hours later, when her niece napped, Charmaine remembered the gift. She grabbed it from the shelf where she had placed it and walked back to the living room. Another glance at the bed found Amaya still sleeping, and Charmaine sank to the couch.
“What the hell?” She choked and then had to smother a laugh at the gift. The entire time she waited, she had been thinking it was something special, kind of a declaration of love. Of course that was silly, because they weren’t dating. The last she had told him was to get out of her apartment, so unless he was crazy, he wouldn’t be telling her he loved her any time soon.
Charmaine pulled the small purple box out of the bigger one. This set up had been done by Elliot from the look of it. The handwritten note, which was more chicken scratch than anything was abrupt. “Happy birthday. Thought this would come in handy.”
“He’s got balls that’s for sure.” She stood and walked over to the wastepaper basket next to her desk and tossed the box into it. As if he had ESP, Elliot called her phone right after. “Hello?”
“Did you like your gift?” His voice was deep and rumbly. She licked her lips.
“I threw them away. I can’t believe you gave me condoms for my birthday.”
“It’s the thought that counts.”
“The thought that you want to get into my panties?”
“There’s that and…”
“You’re impossible.”
“At least you’re not mad at me.”
“Who says I’m not mad? I’m steaming.” She couldn’t produce the fire behind the words. In truth, she was amused. Maybe if they hadn’t had the experience in the quad from earlier, she might have been angry. Elliot had his various sides to him. She saw it, but he was also a man. No one could fault him for that much.
“Did you really throw them away?”
“Yes.” She pressed a hand to her mouth, trying not to laugh. “Good-by, Elliot.”
Charmaine ended the call because she wasn’t sure what direction to go in. For a moment, she stood over the trashcan. The thing was empty except for the condoms because she never used it. The purple box
Watching them, she hugged herself and leaned back against the bench. She wanted to go inside and bury herself in her work, but even while she turned her head, her ears refused to stop listening to them joking and laughing. After an hour or so, Charmaine stood and gathered the trash from Amaya’s gift and the unopened present from Elliot.
“Amaya, it’s time to go in,” she announced.
“Aww.” Amaya pouted, but she hugged Elliot and ran to the building.
Elliot moved at a more sedate pace, his hands in his pockets. When Charmaine passed beside him, he spoke. “Do you think I can play with you again sometime?”
Her nether regions came to life at the suggestive words. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Charmaine, I like you. I think we can enjoy each other’s company, with no strings and no…traps.”
She glanced at him. Desire stirred inside her, but she dared not. “I can’t let anything distract me.”
He stepped into her path, blocking her from continuing to the building. “Why can’t you let anything distract you? Distractions are what life are about, and they’re not all bad.”
“If you start spouting that stuff about stopping to smell the roses, we’re going to have a problem.”
He held up his hands, grinning. “I won’t, but it stands, doesn’t it?”
“No. My app is my rose.”
“Hmm. Okay, I accept that. How about a lily to go with your rose.”
She burst out laughing. “You are so crazy. A man who calls himself a lily?”
His cheeks pinked. “I wasn’t saying I was the lily!”
“Too late now, Lily.” She ducked around him and jogged to the building. “See you later.”
Charmaine left him standing there and hurried after Amaya. When she let the two of them into the apartment, she put Elliot’s present aside and made lunch for her and Amaya. A couple hours later, when her niece napped, Charmaine remembered the gift. She grabbed it from the shelf where she had placed it and walked back to the living room. Another glance at the bed found Amaya still sleeping, and Charmaine sank to the couch.
“What the hell?” She choked and then had to smother a laugh at the gift. The entire time she waited, she had been thinking it was something special, kind of a declaration of love. Of course that was silly, because they weren’t dating. The last she had told him was to get out of her apartment, so unless he was crazy, he wouldn’t be telling her he loved her any time soon.
Charmaine pulled the small purple box out of the bigger one. This set up had been done by Elliot from the look of it. The handwritten note, which was more chicken scratch than anything was abrupt. “Happy birthday. Thought this would come in handy.”
“He’s got balls that’s for sure.” She stood and walked over to the wastepaper basket next to her desk and tossed the box into it. As if he had ESP, Elliot called her phone right after. “Hello?”
“Did you like your gift?” His voice was deep and rumbly. She licked her lips.
“I threw them away. I can’t believe you gave me condoms for my birthday.”
“It’s the thought that counts.”
“The thought that you want to get into my panties?”
“There’s that and…”
“You’re impossible.”
“At least you’re not mad at me.”
“Who says I’m not mad? I’m steaming.” She couldn’t produce the fire behind the words. In truth, she was amused. Maybe if they hadn’t had the experience in the quad from earlier, she might have been angry. Elliot had his various sides to him. She saw it, but he was also a man. No one could fault him for that much.
“Did you really throw them away?”
“Yes.” She pressed a hand to her mouth, trying not to laugh. “Good-by, Elliot.”
Charmaine ended the call because she wasn’t sure what direction to go in. For a moment, she stood over the trashcan. The thing was empty except for the condoms because she never used it. The purple box
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