A middle-aged nurse that looked like she'd had her fair share of hard livin' came out and called his name, shaking him from his thoughts. He tossed the magazine back onto the end table, gave the snot factory next to him a scathing look and went to get the tests over with.
After rehearsals, Alisha headed back to her apartment to grab a nap and a shower before she had to be back for that night's show. Sleep hadn't been high on her list of priorities since things with Big started. Not that she was complaining, but she definitely needed to catch up.
Things with him were…really good and, ever since the night of Thanksgiving, surprisingly uncomplicated. They didn't discuss what they were because there really was no need to do so. They were sleeping with each other and no one else and they enjoyed hanging out. That was enough for her, for them. Still, though, they kept it a secret from their friends. She kind of liked that they had this secret that was only theirs to share. Her life was usually so routine and his presence, their activities, made it anything but.
It surprised her that she liked his company as much as she did. Obviously the terrific sex with an incredibly gorgeous firefighter was a no brainer. However, nearly everything else about him was the antithesis of what she was normally attracted to. He was rude, territorial, supremely foul-mouthed, and while she suspected that he wasn't nearly as dumb as he liked to pretend, he wasn't what she'd call an intellectual. He made her laugh though, and when she felt his lips press against hers, or his hands glide over her body, all of those other things faded away and she just lost herself in the moments they spent tangled together.
Big was also a very talented musician and that really turned her on. They could talk about music for hours…not that they had talked for hours because they usually got distracted, but they could if they wanted to. Probably. She also loved hearing him sing and play the guitar. Fire Extinguishers played a gig the other night and she'd gone with Maggie to watch. That had been the toughest test yet in keeping their whatever a secret because the moment he sang I'm on Fire, she wanted to jump on stage and rip his clothes off.
Smiling, she scrolled through her iPod until Springsteen came up and decided to listen to him for the rest of the walk to her apartment. She was nearly home, and The Boss was singing about how this town rips the bones from your back when she felt someone grab her. She opened her mouth and screamed when Big turned her around and laughed, saying something she couldn't discern due to the music blaring in her ears. Yanking the ear buds free as her heart pounded in her throat, she glared at him and started slapping at everything she could get her hands on. "Big! Dammit, you nearly gave me a heart attack!" she scolded.
He chuckled, ducking a slap aimed for his face. "Sorry, Larrington," he said with a devious smile. "I called your name—didn't realize you had your iPod on."
"Somehow I don't believe that," she told him, pressing a hand to her chest, willing her heart to stop pounding a million miles a minute. "Jesus! What are you doing here?"
He stepped forward and wrapped his hands around her hips. "Thought I'd see if you wanted to kill some time with me this afternoon before your show."
She groaned, removed his hands and took a step back. "I would, but I'm exhausted. All I want to do is take a nap."
Big smirked. "A nap sounds awesome. Can I join you?"
Alisha smiled, but shook her head. "Call me crazy, but for some reason I don't think we'd get much sleep."
"Aw, come on, Larrington, we can just take a nap together. I'll keep my hands to myself. Scouts' honor," he told her impishly, holding up three fingers.
Her lips twitched. "Oh, you're no boy scout," she laughed dryly and rolled her eyes, not believing him for one second. Heading for her steps, she turned and motioned for him to follow. "I'm too tired to argue. Come on, then."
He grinned wickedly and followed her up to her apartment.
Big kicked off his shoes and stripped off his sweatshirt before flopping down on her bed and rolling to his side. He watched her unzip the pink hoodie to reveal a matching pink sports bra underneath. Her ass looked damn good in the tight black yoga pants she was wearing when she walked over to the window and opened it.
"Christ, Larrington, it's 10 degrees outside, do you need the damn window open?" he asked, feeling the instant chill in the room.
She cast a baleful eye in his direction and walked over and turned on the fan, a sassy smile on her lips. "My room, my nap—deal with it," she said lightheartedly, knocking the excess pillows to the floor and pulling back the covers. She pragmatically set both her cell phone and alarm clock to go off in two
