by Lexie Ray
“That had to hurt,” she remarked, for lack of anything better to say.
“Yeah,” he mumbled. “Wasn’t the best of times.”
For perhaps the first time since he had entered her apartment, he fell silent. Even his legs stilled. It was disconcerting, and an uncomfortable feeling settled deep in the pit of her stomach.
“I’m sure it’s not all that bad,” Andrea said. “But if you’re more comfortable, we can keep the beard.”
“Thanks.”
“I can always dye it rainbow.” She realized it was the wrong thing to threaten when his eyes lit up and he grinned.
“I could rock a rainbow.”
She shook her head. “No.”
“I won’t stifle your creativity.”
“And I won’t stop you from doing whatever it is that you want to this freak that’s been following my models.”
The pure delight in his smile was a little disconcerting.
“Why do I have the feeling that you’re a little unstable?” she asked.
“Only mentally,” he dismissed.
“That worries me.” She took another sip of her coffee and looked him over carefully. Instead of shying away, he preened under the attention. “It’s going to take a lot of work to alter everything.”
“I could strut my stuff naked.”
“No.”
“I look really good naked.”
“I’m sure you do. When you’re done with your coffee, I’d like to measure you.”
He pressed the fingers of one hand against his mouth and gasped. “This is all moving so fast. I didn’t know you were so kinky.”
“For the clothes,” she said sternly.
“Right.” He drew the word out and ended it with a wink.
Andrea rolled her eyes and turned to head back into the living room. She didn’t turn when she heard Dwayne hop down and follow her.
“Can I measure you afterward?”
“No.”
“Before?”
“No.”
“During?” he suggested hopefully.
She bit her lip to keep from smiling. “No.”
It only took her a second to grab her measuring tape, pencil, and notepad. “I hope you’re not squeamish about being naked in front of dozens of people, because there’ll only be a few seconds to get changed during the show.”
“Doesn’t sound too different from Basic Training,” he said and shrugged.
She turned around and came to an abrupt halt. Dwayne had already shrugged off his shirt and pants and now stood in just his boxer briefs. Her first instinct was to yell at him for being so forward, but she got distracted by the way he was moving his arms.
“I don’t know what to do with my hands.” He balled his knuckles on his hips. “Too Superman?”
“Definitely.”
He shifted into an archery pose, dramatic and full bodied. “Yeah,” he smiled, “this feels far more natural.”
“Just hold them out.”
“Sounds unprofessional, but you’re the boss.”
Each muscle along his arms and chest stood stark as he did as he was instructed. Andrea prided herself on being immune to a pretty face and a flattering form; she would be horrible at her job if she wasn’t. Still, all that exposed skin made a flash of heat pulse through her, and her mouth ran dry. Telling herself sternly that it was just because she wasn’t quite used to his particular body shape, Andrea tried to shake herself out of her shock.
“You did need me naked for this, right?” Dwayne asked at her hesitation. “Mads took me to a tailor once, and that’s what they told me.”
It was a little harder than she expected to fall back into a professional, strictly business-like manner, but she was satisfied with her voice when she spoke again. “It’s necessary for a proper fit.”
“Okie dokie.”
Dwayne shrugged his shoulders and adjusted his weight like he was getting ready for a long haul. Then he stood completely unmoving as she came closer. Her stomach fluttered wildly as she stretched the measuring tape along the line of his arm. The fingertips of one hand pressed against his wrist while the other stretched to his underarm. He squirmed slightly and let out a soft chuckle.
“Tickles.” He smiled almost shyly.
“It’s fine,” she muttered as she forced herself to refocus on the task at hand. She jotted down the measurement and looped the tape around to measure his forearm and bicep.
“Is it good? Don’t get me wrong, I’d like ‘impressive’ or ‘breathtaking,’ but I’ll take good.”
Writing down the measurement, she smiled. “It’s adequate.”
“Oh,” he whispered as his eyes narrowed. “You’re mean, and I kind of love it.”
He squirmed again as she measured his chest and pretended to be bashful as she looped the tape around his hip. The look in his eyes made it clear that he wasn’t actually shy at all. He smiled slightly, and she rolled her eyes in an attempt to keep from smiling back.
“I’ve got to do your leg.”
“Okay.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “Are you sure I don’t get to do yours?”
“I’m sure. Part your legs.”
He spread his legs out and smirked. It quickly occurred to Andrea what had gotten him so excited. There wasn’t really a way that she could kneel down to take his inseam without looking a little suggestive. Not ready to look into the challenge of his eyes and admit defeat, Andrea put her hands on his hips and jerked him into the right position.
“Be gentle with me,” Dwayne said.
“I kind of want to hit you.”
“Well, you can be a little rougher with that, I guess.”
It was with a little spark of revenge that she slowly sank down onto her knees before him. His eyes went wide as a rosy hue flooded his cheeks. It was a look of sheer delight and surprise, like a kid who had just gotten the perfect birthday gift. A flash of heat pulsed through Andrea, a sizzling sensation that set her skin alight.
The muscles of his legs were just as well developed as the rest of him and, as much as she tried to stop herself, she trailed her fingertips along his thigh as she pushed out the measuring tape. His leg twitched at her touch, and his breath caught. She glanced up and met his eyes. His beard did nothing to hide his huge smile, and his eyes crinkled with mirth.
“Hi,” he said.
Andrea glanced around with confusion. “Hi.”
“I’m having fun tonight. This is fun. You should do this more often.”
“Right,” she blinked slowly. “Whatever you say.”
“I like that we’re friends.”
“That’s a little strong.”
“We’ll get there,” he assured her.
It was harder to return herself to a professional mindset as she placed the end of the measuring tape against his inner ankle. He was almost humming with unexpressed energy. It seemed to seep into, and her heart began to pick up its pace. She swallowed thickly and began to pull the tape flush along his inner thigh. His flesh was warm to her touch and she found herself spreading her fingers more than necessary.
Dwayne’s breath caught as her hand came to a stop on the tender flesh of his crotch. For once, it sounded real and not put on for effect. While she managed to resist the urge to look up at him, she failed miserably to suppress the sudden need to mess with him a little. Angling in as if she couldn’t read the number correctly, she twisted her wrist and grazed the back of her hand across the bulge in the front of his underwear.
The result was instant. He gasped, his hips jerking forward before he could help himself. She glanced up the long expanse of Dwayne’s torso to see his head flipped back and chest heaving.
“Are you always so sensitive?”
“It’s been a while,” Dwayne said with only the slightest hint of defensiveness. He looked down and groaned. “And you are ridiculously attractive.”
“Ridiculously?”
“Oh, yeah. It’s like a cruel prank.”
Andrea scoffed an
d shook her head. “Does that line normally work?”
“Wouldn’t know. Never used it before.”
“I’m sure.”
She didn’t believe it for a moment, but it was a nice thought, and it did feel like he had put a lot of effort into sounding sincere. It left her feeling warm, flushed, and with the strangest desire to reward him. So, she let the back of her hand glide across him again as she pulled back. The motion was instantly met with a strangled moan.
“You’re killing me, baby girl.”
Not knowing whether to smile or roll her eyes, Andrea got to her feet. “I thought I was Cupcake.”
“Aw, you want to be Cupcake? Have you been reminiscing about the first time we met? That’s so romantic.”
“We met like eight hours ago.”
Dwayne flopped down on her couch with a contented sigh. “Oh, the memories.”
Andrea let out her frustration with a long sigh, something that she was sure was going to become a habit before this whole nightmare was over, and packed up her tools. She turned back just in time to see Dwayne pull one of her throw rugs off the back of the couch. There was no way the fluffy material was going to cover all of him, so he just draped it over his shoulder and snuggled up. He noticed her watching him and smiled.
“What are you doing?”
“It’s chilly, and the blanket’s really soft. What is this made of? Heaven? I’m going to say heaven.”
“You can’t just curl up naked on my couch.”
“I’m not naked. I have my underwear on, which is like most of my wardrobe when I’m alone.”
“You’re not alone. And you’re in my apartment.”
He lifted his head slightly. “Is there a dress code?” he asked earnestly. “I don’t have a blazer. Where would one even sell a blazer?”
“Shut up about blazers.”
“Okie dokie.”
She watched in utter bafflement as he settled back down against the couch and let out a loud yawn.
“Do you think anything good is on TV tonight?”
“Why does it look like you’re planning on staying?”
He looked like a kicked puppy as he lifted his head, his hair already a tousled mess.
“I can’t stay?”
“Why would you think that you could?”
“Well, you got me naked. And it’s getting late. And it’s a pretty long drive to my house.”
“So, you just think I’m going to sleep with you?”
He sat bolt upright, his eyes wide. “Is sexy time an option? I was getting the feeling that it wasn’t, but hey, if it is–”
“It isn’t.”
“Oh. Well, full disclosure, that makes me sad. I’ll just take the couch.”
“I didn’t offer the couch,” Andrea said.
She heaved another sigh as his face crumpled, and he slowly began to pull the blanket off his shoulders. He looked like a kid who had just been told he wasn’t allowed to play with the others.
Andrea glanced at her watch and sighed again. How was it three in the morning already?
“You can stay. On the couch.”
Dwayne’s face lit up. “Really?”
“I don’t want you crashing on the way home.”
“Thank you, Cupcake.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m going to bed.”
“Do you want to watch TV?” Dwayne asked quickly. “Just for a little bit?”
Now that she knew how late it was, exhaustion was instantly pushing down on her. It surprised her when she sat down on the couch anyway. She turned on the TV, and Dwayne instantly laid back down, settling his head onto her lap. He consumed the space, so she just draped her arm over his side. And if her fingers idly moved over the mountains and valleys of his stomach, neither of them mentioned it.
Chapter Five
A soft, persistent whisper brought Andrea out of her deep sleep. She twisted and pressed her face into the padded arm of the couch in a feeble attempt to drift back to sleep.
“Cupcake.” Dwayne drew out the syllable of the word until it was three times longer than it should have been. “Cupcake.”
She groaned, hoping that would be enough to get him to go away for at least fifteen more minutes. It didn’t work. She heard his voice drift closer. He had to be leaning over the back of the chair, his face a few inches from her ear.
Well within striking range, she thought. She was still contemplating hitting him as she rolled onto her back and peeled open her eyes.
“Morning, Cupcake,” he whispered with a grin.
Her vision blurred as she blinked up at him. It took her a moment to realize that it wasn’t because she was still waking up. He was just too close for her to focus on.
“Dwayne, do we need to talk about personal space?”
“Why? Do you think we should stand closer? I’d have to pick you up for that to happen. I bet I could. You look pretty aerodynamic.”
He rattled the couch and, for one fleeting moment, Andrea actually thought he was going to pick it up with her on it. She gripped the sides of her couch, sleep forgotten, eyes wide. Apparently, Dwayne got tired of that thought, though, and instead folded his arms on the back of the couch. It tilted under his weight.
“You ready for breakfast?”
“No offense, but I don’t really trust your cooking.”
“See, I know you keep saying ‘no offense,’ but it really seems like I should be taking offense. And besides, I didn’t cook it. I picked it up on my way back from my jog.”
“You’ve been for a jog already?”
“Oh, yeah. I had plenty of time. You sleep a lot. I did a whole workout, so now I can have pancakes.” He grinned happily and hurried out of her sight.
Grudgingly, Andrea sat up and raked a hand through her hair. It figured that Dwayne was a morning person. Personally, she lacked both the strength and desire to do much more than rest her chin on the back of the couch. With that accomplished, she figured she deserved to let her eyes drift close.
She was just starting to drift off again when a heavenly aroma caught her attention. Forcing her eyes back open, she squinted down to find Dwayne crouched in front of her, waving a cup of coffee under her nose. His eyes widened like he had been caught doing something wrong. Slowly, he lifted the cup to her. The second she took it, he scurried off back to the kitchen. While she had no idea what he was doing, she couldn’t ignore that his antics had taken the edge off the morning.
Holding the cup with both hands, she sank back on the couch. She needed the back of the couch against her side to keep her upright as she took a few deep sniffs of the steaming brew. By the smell, it seemed like he had gotten the mixture of sugar and cream almost perfect. The agency’s research must be thorough if it even covered how she took her coffee.
Deciding it was way too early to be thinking about that, Andrea closed her eyes and just enjoyed the moment. She didn’t remember falling asleep, but somehow, she had slept better than she had since this whole ordeal had started. Her muscles felt lax and her bones delightfully heavy. The peace was shattered as Dwayne bellowed ‘incoming’ and leaped over the back of the couch.
He bounced as he hit the cushions, the couch shaking under the impact of all his weight. Somehow, he managed to hold onto both of the takeout containers without spilling anything. Before Andrea could yell at him, he presented her with a box and a wide grin.
It annoyed her that the distraction actually worked. All anger was put aside in favor of pancakes. She put her coffee on the small side table and flipped open the box’s cardboard lid. Even though Dwayne had gone into the kitchen twice, he had only brought out a fork.
“Blueberry?” she asked.
“No, boysenberry,” he pouted. “Should I have gotten blueberry? You struck me more as a boysenberry kind of girl. I’m normally so good at that. Like, really good. I use it as a bar trick.”
“No,” Andrea laughed. “Boysenberry’s perfect.”
It was far too easy to envision Dwayne drunkenly
convincing people to bet on the bar menu instead of the pool games.
“So how long have you been up, exactly?”
He shrugged as he attacked his pancakes with gusto. “Few hours. Should I have woken you up? You looked so cute, all sleepy and drooling.”
“I wasn’t drooling.” Just to be on the safe side, she used her knuckles to wipe at her chin. “And letting me sleep was the better call.”
“You can always come running with me later.”
She groaned at the thought. “Didn’t you just go running?”
“Air Force, baby,” he said, and winked. “We’re always awesome. It’s a prerequisite.”
She rolled her eyes as she used the side of her fork to cut off a hunk of the pancake.
“Oh, Cupcake, while I remember,” Dwayne said conversationally, “Mads wanted to hang out with us today. I know, I know, we seem to be spending so much time with my friends lately. But I promised him we would.” He sighed wistfully and gave her an apologetic smile. “I invited him to join up with us and your friends today. It will be good for him to meet new people.”
“I feel like I should remind you that we’re not dating.”
Dwayne tilted his head. “That’s a weird thing to bring up without any kind of provocation.”
“There was provocation,” Andrea assured him.
“I don’t think there was,” Dwayne said with exaggerated thought. “Nope, can’t think of anything.”
Andrea looked over her plate and watched as Dwayne consumed his food with enthusiasm. Even with such a mundane task, his body vibrated with energy, ready for anything and everything. But even when faced with that primal strength, she didn’t feel threatened or intimidated.
Andrea wondered if Mads had taught him to play within the bounds of his strength and gentleness to put the people around him at ease. Or was it something he had always possessed? Something that was intrinsically him?
She couldn’t have been looking at him for more than a few seconds before he noticed and lifted his gaze. Looking out from under his eyelashes, he offered her an awkward smile.
“What? Have I got something on my roguishly handsome face?”
Andrea huffed out a laugh. “I was just thinking.”
“About what?”
