When you look at me I just can't lie

Chapter 13

She turned back to the TV and made a note to ask Mel to refer a therapist because she was losing her mind. Lena decided she wasn’t going to think about it anymore. The movie was pretty good. Kicking off her shoes she leaned back into the wall and pulled her legs under her on the bed.

Zander woke up and felt something soft across his fingers. Opening his eyes he saw Lena’s hair was spilling over his hand and she was laid out on the other side of the bed asleep. The TV was still on in a low murmur.

The fog of sleep cleared from his head and he remembered her admitting she didn’t want to sit at home bored and decided to use his place to avoid that predicament.

He wasn’t a stupid guy and it didn’t take much to see Lena Lowell was lonely, plain and simple.

Eh, there were worse people that could be curled up in his bed asleep.

He pulled his hand out from under her hair and that was enough to stir her awake. She propped her elbow up on the bed and took a look around until settling on his face. “This is weird.” Still marred by sleep she wasn’t putting on a mask to conceal her true thoughts.

“I guess. It’s ok, I’m awesome and lesser girls would’ve caved by now into admitting it. Naturally you took longer.”

Lena sat up and raked back her hair. “You keep telling yourself that. I heard the dig in there but I’ll hold off punching you until you’re not sick. What time is it?” she looked around until finding the clock just over his shoulder.

Zander threw off the covers. “Whatever time it is, it’s food time in my book.” He realized he was starving as he got out of bed. Yesterday he hadn’t been able to keep anything in and food was the last thing on his mind. Hopefully that wouldn’t be the case now.

Lena’s small bare feet patted behind him. “What do you have?”

He went to the fridge while she settled into one of the bar stools positioned around the nook. “Pizza is the official food of guys living by themselves.” He passed her a can of soda. “You in?”

“Sure.”

After the oven was done preheating he put in two personal pizzas. When he turned back around he first noticed Lena’s stare was dark and her eyes were on him, specifically his back and now chest. Honestly he hadn’t even thought to pull on a shirt. He was used to being alone around the house and wearing only his pants was a second nature.

The air was tense.

Her mouth was set in a firm line and her shoulders tense like she was holding a breath and angry about it at the same time. Being the perceptive guy he was, Zander was willing to bet Lena was mentally chastising herself for daring to look at him with such a sensual look in her eyes.

He should be teasing her and cracking a joke but the problem with that was his own reaction. He was staring at her exactly the same way. The attraction in her eyes lit a fire beneath his skin and it had nothing to do with the fever he had earlier.

This was dangerous, far too dangerous and they needed to snap out of it. Zander walked away to grab a t-shirt.

When he returned he expected Lena to be gone, running away like she was prone to do in all heavy situations. He thought for a quick second maybe it wasn’t as heavy as it felt to him but he quickly shook his head. He knew damn well what he saw in her eyes.

Lena was still seated on the nook holding her can of soda between her hands. “Finally you found your decency.” She was trying to spin the tables and pretend the little spell brewing just minutes ago never happened.

Zander wasn’t willing to play that game. “You were about to burn a hole through my skin with all your staring.” It wasn’t the first time either, he had seen how flustered she got during their last art session on the table.

An ugly sounding snort left her body. “You wish.”

“You’re blushing.”

“No, I’m not, the oven is on and it’s a little hot in here. You’re sick so you probably don’t notice.”

“That sounds almost like it’s true.”

Lena crossed her arms over the counter and leaned forward. “Is there something you’re trying to say?” her eyes were challenging him to address something they should both be forgetting.

But he wasn’t in the mood to forget or pretend. His skin was still tingling warm and the desire her stared seeped into him was rolling just as fierce like a second hadn’t passed. “Yes.” Zander reached across the counter, wrapped his hand around the nape of her neck, and pulled her into a kiss.

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AN: I have a new full length novel published. Check it out at my website isabellearocho.com please. It’s titled GAMES WE PLAY