ideas about what they could be, or how many she actually had.
Screw it, Ryan hit “call contact” on the screen and waited for her to answer.
Maiya stared at the phone ringing in her hand and her heart leaped into her throat. She covered her forehead with her palm, sucked in a breath and answered. “Hey.”
“I wasn’t sure you’d answer.”
Pulling the blankets back on the bed, she climbed in. “Why wouldn’t I?”
“I don’t know. Just wasn’t sure.”
She listened to him breathing on the other end of the line for what felt like forever. Pulling up her big-girl panties, she broke the awkward silence between them. “I’m sorry about before.”
“I’m not.”
“Ryan—”
“Listen, Maiya, forget about it okay? I mean…it’s all good. We still have to work together.”
There was some rustling in the background. “What are you doing?”
He cleared his throat. “Hmm? Oh, I’m getting naked.”
Visions of what his hard, naked body might look like flashed before her eyes and she bolted upright in the bed. “Fuck. Really?”
“Yes.”
She coughed and pulled the mental e-brake, forcing the thoughts of his body to pass right by. “I think… I think I have to go.” Don’t think about what his chest might look like, or his ass. Or…shit.
“Do you?”
“Um.” She got to her feet. This is such a bad idea. “Yes, I do. I need to go.”
“Well, if you’re sure.”
“I don’t— I can’t do this, Ryan. We shouldn’t…” She paced next to the bed. “I can’t. My job.”
“I know,” he whispered. “My job too, Maiya.”
A chill zipped down her spine, and not because she was naked. She walked into the bathroom and turned off the running water. “I like you, Ryan. Under other circumstances, maybe.” She grabbed a towel, set it on the floor beside the tub and stepped into the hot water.
“I like you too, Maiya. Wait…is that water I just heard?”
“No. Yes. Shit.” Hang up. Hang up the phone!
“Are you in the bath?” Amazement dripped from his tone.
She bit her bottom lip and didn’t answer.
“You’re in the bathtub right now, aren’t you? Answer me.” He exhaled. Loud and sounding quite frustrated.
“Yes. Did you just…growl?” Maiya let out a resigned sigh. Once again, she’d given in to his demands. Regardless of whether or not she wanted to. Why did she keep doing that? And why did it feel so good to know it flustered, and pleased him in ways she couldn’t even begin to fathom?
“You are going to be the death of me. Is your hair up?”
She touched the scrunchie holding her hair at the top of her head. “What? Why do you— Oh hell.” She needed to end this right now. “Good night, Ryan. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
“Mmm. Good night, Maiya.”
The call disconnected, and she stared at the screen for a second before tossing it onto the towel next to the tub. There were two more days left of the trip. Friday . Just have to make it to Friday. Then she’d go home and everything would go back to normal.
She’d have to avoid him though. Maiya slumped in the hot water, contemplating the impossibility of the idea. How to work with him and avoid him at the same time was not going to be easy. She should just sleep with him. A little bump between the sheets. Or in the car. Or in the shower. Or on the— Stop!
Truth was she couldn’t just sleep with him, because… shit. Because she liked him. She liked him a little too much . Worse, their sexual chemistry was four-alarm-fire hot. She’d end up getting attached, and then hurt.
Maiya rubbed her forehead, the effects of the two glasses of wine making their appearance. Her head throbbed, but she had a feeling the ache had more to do with Ryan than the wine.
Casual sex had never been a problem for her, ever. However, sex with Ryan would never be casual. Maiya faced an emotional fork in the road. Sinking lower in the tub, she let the warmth swirl around her. Without a doubt, if she made the wrong
Screw it, Ryan hit “call contact” on the screen and waited for her to answer.
Maiya stared at the phone ringing in her hand and her heart leaped into her throat. She covered her forehead with her palm, sucked in a breath and answered. “Hey.”
“I wasn’t sure you’d answer.”
Pulling the blankets back on the bed, she climbed in. “Why wouldn’t I?”
“I don’t know. Just wasn’t sure.”
She listened to him breathing on the other end of the line for what felt like forever. Pulling up her big-girl panties, she broke the awkward silence between them. “I’m sorry about before.”
“I’m not.”
“Ryan—”
“Listen, Maiya, forget about it okay? I mean…it’s all good. We still have to work together.”
There was some rustling in the background. “What are you doing?”
He cleared his throat. “Hmm? Oh, I’m getting naked.”
Visions of what his hard, naked body might look like flashed before her eyes and she bolted upright in the bed. “Fuck. Really?”
“Yes.”
She coughed and pulled the mental e-brake, forcing the thoughts of his body to pass right by. “I think… I think I have to go.” Don’t think about what his chest might look like, or his ass. Or…shit.
“Do you?”
“Um.” She got to her feet. This is such a bad idea. “Yes, I do. I need to go.”
“Well, if you’re sure.”
“I don’t— I can’t do this, Ryan. We shouldn’t…” She paced next to the bed. “I can’t. My job.”
“I know,” he whispered. “My job too, Maiya.”
A chill zipped down her spine, and not because she was naked. She walked into the bathroom and turned off the running water. “I like you, Ryan. Under other circumstances, maybe.” She grabbed a towel, set it on the floor beside the tub and stepped into the hot water.
“I like you too, Maiya. Wait…is that water I just heard?”
“No. Yes. Shit.” Hang up. Hang up the phone!
“Are you in the bath?” Amazement dripped from his tone.
She bit her bottom lip and didn’t answer.
“You’re in the bathtub right now, aren’t you? Answer me.” He exhaled. Loud and sounding quite frustrated.
“Yes. Did you just…growl?” Maiya let out a resigned sigh. Once again, she’d given in to his demands. Regardless of whether or not she wanted to. Why did she keep doing that? And why did it feel so good to know it flustered, and pleased him in ways she couldn’t even begin to fathom?
“You are going to be the death of me. Is your hair up?”
She touched the scrunchie holding her hair at the top of her head. “What? Why do you— Oh hell.” She needed to end this right now. “Good night, Ryan. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
“Mmm. Good night, Maiya.”
The call disconnected, and she stared at the screen for a second before tossing it onto the towel next to the tub. There were two more days left of the trip. Friday . Just have to make it to Friday. Then she’d go home and everything would go back to normal.
She’d have to avoid him though. Maiya slumped in the hot water, contemplating the impossibility of the idea. How to work with him and avoid him at the same time was not going to be easy. She should just sleep with him. A little bump between the sheets. Or in the car. Or in the shower. Or on the— Stop!
Truth was she couldn’t just sleep with him, because… shit. Because she liked him. She liked him a little too much . Worse, their sexual chemistry was four-alarm-fire hot. She’d end up getting attached, and then hurt.
Maiya rubbed her forehead, the effects of the two glasses of wine making their appearance. Her head throbbed, but she had a feeling the ache had more to do with Ryan than the wine.
Casual sex had never been a problem for her, ever. However, sex with Ryan would never be casual. Maiya faced an emotional fork in the road. Sinking lower in the tub, she let the warmth swirl around her. Without a doubt, if she made the wrong
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