“Did you forget that I invited you?”
“No, I guess I just thought that what with the brooding and all that the invitation was off the table.”
“Quit being such a girl. You going to shower, or you want to go like that, all drooly and crazy haired?”
She lifted a hand to her cheek to wipe away any drool marks. “Are you sure about this?”
He pointed to her bathroom. “Go. Or I won’t share any of the coffee I brought over.”
“I have my own coffee.”
“I know. Decent stuff. Mine’s better.”
“Josh, I appreciate the offer, but I really don’t think—”
He pulled his cell phone out of his back pocket. “No problem. Just give my mom a quick ring and tell her you’re not coming. She’s already set a place for you at the table and has been talking about it for days, but I’m sure she’ll only cry a little—”
Heather groaned. “You’re evil. Also, you’re the one who screwed this up. Remember your whole beastly ‘I am man, I no talk’ routine? You were a jerk, Josh.”
He surprised her by giving her a steady look, sliding his phone back into his back pocket. “I know. I’m sorry. Really. Let me make it up to you.”
“How?” she asked, with narrowed gaze.
“Well, okay, I didn’t really have a plan beyond bringing you coffee,” he admitted with a sheepish grin.
Heather gave a fake-weary sigh. “Coffee’ll do.”
“You’re easy, Heather Fowler. Way too easy.”
“Says the guy who’s never gotten near my lady bits.”
Heather meant the comment as a joke, but his gaze seemed to darken, and his eyes drifted downward slightly.
“Hey,” she said, holding up a warning finger. “Don’t do that. I’m not becoming one of your women.”
“We’ll see, 4C.”
Heather rolled her eyes and reached for the covers, then paused as she waited for him to leave. He didn’t budge. He’d traded his usual Henley and jeans for a button-down dress shirt and slacks, and he looked good. Really good.
“Privacy, please?” she asked when he still hadn’t moved.
He grinned. “I knew it. That tiny little tank top doesn’t have any bottoms, does it?”
“I’m wearing underwear,” she muttered.
“Thong?”
She snorted, but actually, it was a thong. Not her favorite to sleep in, but she was a little behind in laundry. And she hadn’t slept in pants or shorts since she’d gotten her own place after college.
“Out,” she ordered.
“Prude.” But he left, closing the door behind him.
Once he was gone, Heather couldn’t hide the huge, happy smile as she flung back the covers and hopped out of bed.
She’d been surprised by how much she’d missed his presence in her life. And if he wanted to keep their friendship all flirty and on the surface, she could do that. Better than not being friends at all.
And hell, maybe if they got back to being friends, she’d stop having the naughty dreams about him that had been plaguing her sleep for weeks. Dreams of him pulling off her thong with his teeth, dreams of dragging her nails down his back as she lay pinned beneath him—
“Wow,” Heather muttered as she jerked open her dresser drawer. “So a cold shower then.”
“Why’s that?”
Heather squeaked in surprise, and spun around, clutching her bra to her chest as she glared at her neighbor.
“Josh!”
He gave her a lazy grin and held out one of the two mugs in his hands. “Coffee?”
For two seconds, her modesty demanded she order him out, but . . . what the hell. He’d already gotten an eyeful of her ass, and she really did want the coffee.
She marched toward him and accepted the coffee, ignoring his smug smile. “For someone who complains about his mother’s lack of boundaries, you’re definitely crossing some of your own.”
“What can I say, a chip off the old block. Also, 4C, can we talk about your bra choice?” he asked, nodding to the bra in her hand.
“No,” she said, taking a sip of the still-too-hot coffee.
“Because I’ve got to tell you, if we’re going to do the deed, I’d like to request something other than that light brown thing in your hand.” He wrinkled his nose. “It looks like something my grandma would wear.”