1.

Alex's POV

"I am starving, Len." I didn't know when the words came out.

But it wasn't even food I wanted. No, it was way far from food. Lena... was doing something to me.

Lena narrated to me for the fifteenth time in a row how she tackled the intruder to the floor, her voice loud and excited as she paced her living room. Honestly, I stopped listening even before she finished it the first time. All I focused on was the way her tiny booty shorts clung to her curvy hips, the skin-tight crop top that stopped just underneath her boobs, riding up to show her bare midriff, and how her full lips moved with each word, hitting me with a hunger I couldn't shake.

"Then I just grabbed the lamp and told him if he moved, I'd bash his brains in!" Her hair was packed up in a messy bun, her glasses perched on her nose as she demonstrated some weird karate move, punching the air with ferocity.

The way her hips moved as she paced made the blood rush ten times faster in my veins. I shifted uncomfortably on her worn sofa, trying to focus on anything but the sway of her body.

"Alex? Are you even listening to me?" She stopped, hands on those curvy hips, head tilted to the side.

"Yeah, of course. Lamp, brains, real badass… you're killing me here."

These thoughts of her… What the hell was happening to me? Was I just noticing how hot my best friend was after being together for almost ten years?

I've seen Lena in bikinis countless times. Hell, I even helped her with that swimwear photoshoot last summer, holding the reflector while she posed. Not once did I feel this pull, this magnetic attraction that's making it hard to breathe.

Maybe it's the way her breasts press together in that crop top. Or how her smooth thighs catch the light of her apartment when she moves. Or maybe I'm just sex-starved and my body is reacting to any attractive woman in proximity.

But this is Lena. My best friend.

I dropped everything when she panic called at 10:45 PM. It's past midnight now, and I'm sitting in her cluttered one-bedroom apartment, strategically positioning myself to hide the growing evidence of my inappropriate thoughts.

"You said you were hungry, right? You want something to eat? I could make us some of those nachos you like, or even pasta," Lena offered, already walking toward her kitchen.

I couldn't help but stare at her ass as she moved. The curve of it, the way it filled out those shorts perfectly. God, I want to bend her over that counter and paint those pretty thick thighs with—

I stopped myself, horrified at the direction of my thoughts.

Is Lena doing this on purpose? Does she know the effect she had on me? Because this girl was definitely swaying her hips more than she normally did.

But when our eyes locked for a second while she pulled open her cabinet, she seemed oblivious to the fact that her little actions were seducing me.

I felt terrible for having thoughts like that about my innocent best friend. I knew what her ex did to her in the past, how he abused her, and now I felt even worse. I was no better than him, objectifying her when she needed a friend.

I stood up and followed her to the kitchen, needing to clear my head.

"Stop cooking, Len. It's late. I'm not actually hungry." I leaned against her counter, watching as she turned on the tap.

"You said you were starving," she inched closer to me. Her bare shoulder brushed mine, sending a shock up my arm. I flexed my fingers, itching to grab her waist, but held back as her fruity shampoo filled my lungs. I need to bury my face in that hair.

I want to throw off those glasses and taste those lips. Just grab her face and kiss her until neither of us can breathe.

I could do it. Right now. Just take what I want and deal with the consequences.

But there's Nancy.

Nancy, my fiancée, who trusts me completely. Sweet, kind Nancy who's planning our wedding while I'm here having inappropriate thoughts about my best friend.

I'm a fucking mess.

"I should go," I announced, shoving my hands into my pockets to make my pants cover my bulge. "It's late and Nancy's definitely wondering where I ran off to."

Lena's face fell slightly, but she nodded. "Yeah, of course. Thanks for coming over, Alex. My hero." She punched my arm playfully.

Despite everything, I laughed. This is what Lena does—cut through my tension with that easy smile, make me forget I run a billion-dollar company, that I have responsibilities waiting, that I'm engaged to Nancy.

"Change your locks tomorrow," I said, moving toward the door. "And maybe consider moving to a better neighborhood. This place is a deathtrap."

"On my salary? Please. Not all of us are billionaire CEOs with penthouses." She rolled her eyes, following me to the door.

"I'd give you a raise if you'd stop sneaking out early on Fridays to get your nails done."

"You wouldn't know about that if you weren't secretly watching me all the time," she teased.

If only she knew how true that was becoming.

At the door, I turned to say goodbye, only for Lena to press her sexy body against mine in a tender hug. Her arms wrapped around my waist, her face buried in my chest.

Shit.

Now I was sure she could feel my cock pressing against her stomach. I froze, not daring to breathe.

"What do I say?" I thought in panic, willing my body to behave for just a few more seconds.

"Alex?" She looked up at me with those innocent eyes. "W-Why are you hard?"