Ali’s lips quiver just slightly, and he stares at me like I’m an alien. His chest rises and falls with deep breaths, and as soon as it looks like he’s about to lean in, Jordy approaches the table.
“Whew, it is slim pickin’s out there. Let’s just get drunk.”
Our spell is broken as we look away from each other and go back to pretending we’re just old friends.
21
Alejandro
Present Day
When I wake up, my head feels like it’s going to explode. My pulse throbs in my temples, making me reach for my head with a grimace.
“Fucking shit.”
Last night, Jordy and Dennis kept bringing us shot after shot and drink after drink. Charlie lucked out and found a chick to take home, leaving the rest of us in the club with nothing to do but get drunk.
I pull the comforter over my head, turning in the other direction, and come in direct contact with another body.
“What the fuck?”
I peel my eyes open and yank the cover off my head to see who’s in bed with me.
“What is happening?” Merrick mumbles.
“What are you doing in my bed?”
“Trying to sleep.”
“No, why. . .what happened? How drunk was I?”
“Pretty drunk,” he says with a chuckle, his voice deep and scratchy from sleep.
“But you’re in my bed.”
Merrick pushes the covers down to his waist, showcasing his chiseled abs, and showing off the newest tattoos along his side that I’ve never seen before.
My cock is already hard because I just woke up. . .morning wood and whatnot, but seeing a half-naked Merrick in my bed isn’t helping.
“Don’t worry. I was a complete gentleman,” he says, moving to sit up. “I gotta take a piss.”
When he stands up, I can’t take my eyes off him. He stretches his arms to the side, then brings them back in as he yawns. Every muscle flexes, and all I want to do is re-acquaint myself with his body.
His wide shoulders and upper back taper down into a slim waist, and two dimples rest above his ass cheeks, which are unfortunately covered by a pair of boxers.
Merrick glances over his shoulder and catches me checking him out. He smiles but lets me off without a sly comment before walking to the bathroom.
I flop back onto my bed and cover my eyes with my forearm. “Jesus Christ.”
After he’s done, he emerges through the door and I wish I would’ve just kept my eyes closed, because if I thought Merrick from the back was hot, Merrick from the front is a Greek god.
He was in shape before, but not like this. The muscles in his chest are full and thick, and his abs look like they belong on the body of a fitness model. Does he even have an ounce of fat on him? And good Lord that V. . .I know what that leads to, and I lick my lips just thinking about what’s resting behind those boxers. Well, I can’t really say it’s resting. He has his own morning wood tucked in the waistband of his underwear, and I can see just the tiniest bit of his tip peeking out.
“I used some mouthwash. Hope that’s okay.”
I divert my gaze from his body and look into his eyes. “Uh. Yeah.”
After shoving the covers off me, I get out of bed and head for the bathroom. Merrick lingers near the doorway, and when I’m about to pass him, he reaches out and grabs my wrist.
“Hey.”
I come to a stop and try to control my eyes. It’s not like I haven’t seen a half-naked man before. But this feels different. My brain has checked out and all I want to do is throw myself at him so I can have his body against mine once more.
“Good morning,” he says with a smirk, like he’s aware of the effect he has on me.
I grin. “Good morning.”
He allows his eyes to do a slow perusal down my body, unabashedly checking me out. When his gaze meets mine again, he says, “Lookin’ good, Ali.”
My cheeks heat as I duck my head, unsure how to respond to the compliment. My heart does a flip in my chest and my cock twitches.
“You, too.”
I ease out of his grip and rush to the bathroom where I internally scold myself for such a lame response.
My dick begs for me to stroke it, so I can release some of this tension, but I can’t do that with Merrick on the other side of the door. He doesn’t need to know I’m barely clinging to any sort of self-control.
Once I’m done with all my bathroom business, I step back into my room and find Merrick standing near my bedroom window wearing only a pair of jeans. He has his phone pressed against his ear, so I keep my mouth shut while I make my way to my dresser for some clothes.
He turns and watches me as he listens to whoever’s on the other end.
“Uh-huh. Yeah, I got it. Nope, I’m being good,” he says with a laugh. “No, you don’t have to worry about that. I have a friend here who will keep me in check.”
I turn and look at him and he arches a brow, giving me a crooked grin.
“Okay, bye.”
He ends the call and throws his phone on the bed.
“Sorry. Manager wants to make sure I’m behaving myself.”
I pull on my shorts and T-shirt. “Well, you do have a reputation.”
Merrick finds his shirt on the floor and pulls it over his head. “Yeah, but I told you it’s not true.”
“Not one-hundred percent.”
He sighs but doesn’t argue. “Ali, I have to know something.”
I cross my arms over my chest and lean against my dresser. “What’s that?”
“Do I even have
