Chapter 15

Brittney’s pov.

The moment I heard Jordan’s voice, I instinctively reached for my handkerchief, wiping my face in an hurry. I didn’t want him to see me like this.

But he was already beside me.

His warm palm cupped my cheek so gently that it made my breath hitch. “Britt… are you okay?”

His eyes searched mine, his thumb brushing just beneath where a tear had fallen. There was concern in his gaze, mixed with frustration. Like he hated seeing me this way but didn’t know how to fix it.

I let out a weak laugh trying to play it off. “Yeah, I’m fine. I was just going through my stuffs….. something flew into my eye.

Lame, so lame. I didn’t even believe myself.

His brows furrowed. “You sure?”

I nodded and he studied me for a moment. “Thank God,” he murmured. His hand dropped from my face and reached for my hand. “C’mon let’s go to bed.”

I hesistated, “I’m fine here.”

“No, you’re not,” he said gently, his tone leaving no room for argument. “You need rest and that couch is evil.”

I glanced at the bed, and then back at him. My pride and heart were at war again. But somehow, being next to him felt safer than being alone with my thoughts.

Somehow I managed to go to bed with him, we lay backing each other and Jordan muttered a ‘good night’ before switching off the light.

But I couldn’t sleep. My heart felt heavy, dragging me back into the memories I waa trying so hard to escape. Thoughts of Tony, of everything I had lost. I closed my eyes but they burned behind the lids.

I rolled over, hoping to find comfort but instead, I found him.

He was asleep, peaceful and still. The soft fall and rise of his chest was oddly soothing. A lock of his hair had fallen over his forehead and I found myself staring.

His lips were slightly parted, pink and inviting. His skin looked flawless, touched by the moonlight, like something out of a dream.

I swallowed hard. God how long have I wanted this?

Since high school, I’d crushed in him from a distance. And now here he was beside me, yet he still felt so far out of reach.

My hands lifted off its own accord, hovering just inches from his face, tempted to brush that stray hair away. To feel him just once. But before I could, his eyes fluttered open.

Amusement flickered in his gaze and that maddening smirk curled on his lips. I yanked the duvet over my head in pure embarrassment.

“You know,” he said in a voice mixed with laughter. “It’s a crime to sneak a peek at someone. Especially your boss.”

I poured under the covers, “you should be grateful I snuck a peek at someone as ugly as you.”

I could feel his grin without looking. “Say that to my face.”

I turned to face him reluctantly, “I said, I could never look at an ugly ass like yours.”

He chuckled, flashing those perfect white teeth. “And yet you kept looking…”

I opened my mouth to fire back but I got stuck somewhere inbetween his eyes and mine. I was completely stupidly lost in him, there was something about being this close, it stirred something dangerous inside me.

“….so what do you think?”

I blinked. “Huh?”

He raised a brow. “You are zoning out again.”

Oh God. He’d been talking and I heard none of it.

“You can’t stop staring, Britt,” he teased. “Admit it.”

My cheeks flushed and I turned my back to him again. He laughed behind me, then moved closer, his breath grazing my neck. His cologne wrapped around me like a second skin. I felt it in my lungs, in my bloodstream.

“Just admit you’re crazy about me,” he whispered, his lips brushing the shell of my ear.

I raised my hand to swat him away, but accidentally smacked his face. He let out a dramatic yelp.

“My eyes! Brittney, help I’m blind.”

My breath caught in my throat and I turned to him. “Oh my God! I’m so sorry.”

I reached to open his eye, trying to blow into it gently, but the second I leaned closer, he grabbed my wrist and pulled me in.

Our faces were inches apart, close enough that I could feel the heat radiating from his skin. My heart pounded rapidly as his minty and warm breath teased my lips.

His gaze fell on my lips, then back to my eyes. “You’re beautiful,” he whispered.

Goosebumps rose along my arm and I forgot how to breathe.

His hand hovered over my jaw, fingers brushing the side of my neck, and my heart hammered so loud I swore he could hear it.

His face inched closer and a breath away from mine. My lips parted and….

Bzzz. Bzzz.

His phone buzzed on the nightstand, the screen lightening up the dim room.

He sighed, forehead resting against mine for a second. “Of course…”

I laughed nevoursly and backed away, my pulse still racing. Jordan groaned and reach for his phone glancing at the screen. “work-related.”

“Take it,” I said quickly, grateful for the excuse to pull the covers over my head. “It’s fine.”

But it wasn’t, my heart was doing back flips, and my skin still tingled where his breath had touched it.

As Jordan answered with a groggy annoyed voice, I stared at the ceiling wondering what would have happened if his phone hadn’t rang.

Would i have kissed him? Or would he have kissed me back? What would it have meant?