She slammed her lips closed. Why did she have to mention his penthouse? She wanted to forget about that night, and from his actions, he did too.
Quickly changing the subject, she said, “What are you doing here?” She had a date in thirty minutes. Luckily, she’d gotten ready early and had plenty of time before she needed to meet Henry.
“I wanted to talk to you about the night at the club.” He propped a hip on the side of the sofa arm.
She glanced at the floor. “You promised we were going to pretend it never happened.”
“I know I did. But I wanted to make sure you were really okay.” Was it her imagination, or did his eyes soften as he said those words?
“Of course I am. Nothing happened,” she said. They’ve been through this. Why was he dragging it back up?
He tilted his head to the side and examined her face. “So, we’re good?”
“Yep. Uh-huh.” She nodded. “I was drunk and feeling a little sorry for myself. That’s an instant scratch from my memory bank.”
Theo frowned. “Why were you feeling sorry for yourself?”
Never in a million years could she tell Theo that she was still a virgin at her age. Would he think she was some kind of freak? She couldn’t bear that pain.
“I turned thirty. That’s a huge number. I wasn’t dealing with it very well.” That wasn’t a complete lie. Shewasfeeling sorry for herself for turning thirty, but it wasn’t because of her age. It was all the things she hadn’t done before she’d reached it that depressed her. Finding love and the man of her dreams, having sex, getting married, and starting a family. Time was ticking, and she had a lot of work to do to get those things checked off her list before it was too late.
Speaking of late, she had a date she needed to get to. She looked at the clock on the wall. Dammit, she needed to get to the bar fast; that meant she had to leave now.
Theo regarded her, confusion crossing his face. “Thirty is when your life really begins. It’s when you know who you are, what you want, and have the maturity to go for it.”
And that’s what she was doing. Starting now… by going on a blind date. “I’m sorry, I have to cut this visit short. I’m actually on my way out.” And having him in her apartment—in her tiny living room—was sucking the air out of the space, causing her heart to race. Maybe she should cancel her date and stay home with Theo instead. She’d gladly skip her date for another kiss—another touch.
“Where are you going?” he asked, snapping her mind out of her fantasy.
“Oh… umm… I have a date, and if I don’t get going ASAP, I’ll be late.” She picked up her purse and keys from the coffee table.
“I’ll drive you.” He pushed away from the sofa.
“No, that’s not necess—”
“I insist.” His mouth tightened. “You don’t want to keep your date waiting.” Why did it sound like he gritted those words out?
“Okay, thanks.” She reached for the door.
“Wait,” he called, and she turned around. “You missed a button.”
The top she wore had two small buttons at the side of her neck. She always had trouble threading them through the tiny holes. Before she could reach up to fix it, Theo’s hands were on her shoulder. His fingers brushing against the exposed skin on her neck. A wave of heat flushed over her, and she held her breath. It seemed to take him forever to button it, so she turned her head to glance at his face. Clear blue eyes stared down at her and settled on her lips. Just like he had at the Empire State Building. Again, she wondered if he was going to kiss her.Prayedhe’d kiss her! She bit her lower lip in anticipation.
He squeezed his eyes shut for a beat, took a deep breath, and then stepped away. “Done. Let’s go.” He rushed past her and out of the apartment.
With a heavy sigh, Chloe’s shoulders slumped, and she grabbed her coat and followed him out. What had she expected? A repeat performance of the night at the club? No, he’d never step over the friendship boundaries.
Even if they both wanted to.
Chapter Twelve
Whatthefuckwaswrong with him?He couldn’t be in a room with Chloe without wanting to strip off her clothes and throw her on a bed. Hell, any piece of furniture would do. His cock had stood at attention all because he’d touched her goddamn shoulder. Hershoulder!His body didn’t normally react this way. He couldn’t run out of her apartment fast enough.
As she slid onto the leather passenger seat, his gaze dropped to her legs. Even though she wore black jeans that hid her skin, they didn’t hide their toned shape. He pictured himself removing them slowly, trailing his tongue along the way, and draping them over his shoulders as he rammed into her. God, he needed to get himself under control—fast.
He peeled his gaze away and concentrated on the road. After she gave him the name and location of the bar she was going to, he turned up the music on the radio and navigated his car through the streets. If he couldn’t hear her voice, then maybe he could keep his mind focused on the road and not on the porno playing in his mind. Ethan needed to watch Chloe himself or get someone else to do it. Theo was out.
After I drop her off, I’ll call Ethan. And tell him what? That he was lusting after his sister? Wanted to get his hands on her body until she screamed his name? He couldn’t tell Ethan any of that, and Theo also couldn’t back out of his promise. A promise to a friend was as strong as titanium. All he needed to do was get laid—with someotherwoman—and all would be right again. He’d have his itch scratched, and then he’d go back to seeing Chloe as Ethan’s little sister—all interest in her forgotten.