Chapter Twenty-Three
Marcus
G igi finally comes out of her room around noon on Saturday. She looks tired, rubbing her eyes. Her red curls are in a mess on the top of her head, t-shirt hanging off one shoulder and she has on those damn shorts she wears. Only today they’re the shortest I’ve seen yet and to top it off, she has on thick black thigh high socks. Fuck, thigh highs are one of my favorite things a woman could wear. Doesn’t matter if it’s socks or stockings. My eyes move upward, fixating on her exposed, freckled shoulder, and I feel my cock thicken in my jeans.
My brain scrambles with the feeling. This doesn’t happen for me at just the sight of some skin. We’ve spent so much time together over the past couple years, and my body never crossed that line with her. But the last couple of weeks have been different. She’s single, I’m not in a situationship. It’s as if my subconscious realizes the freedom we both have now. Maybe I’ve been stuffing it down all this time and didn’t realize it. I almost feel panic at this moment, because it feels like the floodgates have opened and I can’t control it.
I’ve always appreciated Gigi’s looks, her wild hair, and her small frame. But looking at her right now, I think of how her breasts would probably fit perfectly in my hands, the perfect curve of her hips where my hands could hold her in place. I rub a hand down my face with frustration and look down at the spreadsheet I’m working on. I feel like a sick fuck looking at her like that and an even worse friend thinking about the erection I’m fighting.
She yawns. “Good morning.”
I keep my eyes on my laptop. “It’s afternoon now.”
“I hate sleeping this late on my day off.” She grabs the coffee from the pantry. “I’m making coffee. Do you want any?”
“I’ll take a cup.”
She starts the coffee and comes to sit beside me at the counter. I can’t look at her, I can barely focus enough to say words. In my peripheral, I can tell she’s staring at me for a moment before speaking. “What are you working on?”
“Finishing up a couple things for work, so I don’t have to worry about it for the rest of the weekend.”
“It’s not healthy the amount that you’re attached to that computer outside of work.” She points at my laptop.
I straighten my back. “It keeps me busy.”
The coffee maker starts to gurgle, signaling that it’s almost done brewing. She gets up from her seat and grabs two mugs and the almond milk from the fridge. “Well, now that I’m here, I can keep you busy.”
“It will be an adjustment living with someone again.”
“Just think of me like one of the guys.” She hands me my coffee then reaches up to retie her hair, causing her shirt to lift, revealing her toned stomach. I quickly look down at my beverage. Before this morning, she would have been just one of the guys. Now it’s as if I can see her as a woman for the first time. This is so unfair and frustrating.
“What time is dinner?” She takes a long sip of her coffee and lets out a happy sigh.
I focus on appearing normal, like I’m not having an internal crisis. “Audrey said we can come over anytime after four. I was thinking we could head over around five.”
“Perfect, gives me plenty of time to run to the grocery store before I have to get ready. I’ll be back.”
She gets up from her seat, coffee in hand, and I have a full view of her ass as she walks away. Her hips sway just the slightest; I don’t think she knows she does it. It’s hard to take my eyes off of her as she disappears into her room.
God fucking damn it. I can’t allow myself to think these thoughts. Not just because she’s one of my closest friends, but we’re about to enter into a marriage that isn’t real. We’re going to spend a lot of time together. I made a promise to Linc.
I may have set myself up for failure.