I laced the knee high boots and reached for the red dress lying on my bed. Slipping it over my head was the easy part. The zipper jammed as I tried to draw it up.

“Damn it.” I tugged on it, fearful of pinching my skin or tearing the dress. Glancing around the room, I regretted the decision to send Teri to the restaurant early. Truth was, I didn’t want her to be at the apartment when Nick and Andy showed up.

Nick would laugh at me, like he always does when I get herself worked up over something as stupid as a stuck zipper. Brothers weren’t good for much else than harassment, unless you needed someone to bail you out of a really messy situation. Fortunately, I hadn’t had to pull that card with him. This wasn’t exactly an emergency, but it did irritate me to the point where tears began to pool in my eyes at the thought of having to ask for help.

The doorbell rang. “Fuck, fuck, fuck…” I chanted as I spun around the room. Snatching a sweatshirt from the laundry basket, I pulled it on and zipped it closed. The bell pealed through the apartment a few more times. “I’m coming, hold your horses!”

When I opened the door, I expected to be bowled over by my brother. His best friend, Andy, stood in the doorway with his hands behind his back. The tailored grey pants and black vest brought a sophistication to the messy mop of black hair I’d dreamed of running my fingers through for years.

“Where’s Nick?” I asked with my hand on my hip. I stepped back allowing him to come inside.

“Teri called him, told him to meet her at the restaurant. He sent me to pick you up.” His gaze raked over my torso and his brow furrowed. “You’re not wearing that are you?”

I glanced down at my sweatshirt admiring the image of Loki for a moment before shaking my head. “No, I uh, well…” I took the garment off and turned my back to him. “I got the zipper stuck and I can’t reach it.” Pulling my hair to the side, I pointed to my back. “Can you zip me up?”

His lack of response worried me. When I glanced over my shoulder at him, his green eyes were fixed on my bare back. “Andy? We’re gonna be late. Zip me up.”

The touch of his fingers against my spine sent a pang of longing straight to my core. How many times had I wished for an excuse to touch him? For him to touch me? The little pats on the shoulder and innocent touches friends share had been enough for a while, but lately, the need to be closer to him burned in the back of my mind.

He twisted the zipper until I felt it wiggle free from the fabric jammed between the teeth. Andy slid it up slowly, his fingertips gliding across my skin. I shivered and bit my tongue to suppress a moan. My body wanted to sway back into him, but I jerked the compulsion into compliance with reality. His hand lingered at the base of my neck before falling away.

I turned toward him. “Thanks.”

Andy’s expression looked pained as he nodded in response.

“Are you okay?” I asked, resting my hand on his arm.

“I’m fine.” He smiled and reached out to rest his hand on my lower back. “Let’s go. I’m starving.”

I leaned back against his touch. “So am I.” When our eyes met, I knew he caught my meaning.

We never made it to dinner.

 

Thanks for hanging out with me this month. I hope you enjoyed my teasers. I’m hoping to expand them into full length stories. Stay tuned for updates on new releases! My Prince of Whispers will be releasing in MAY!! You don’t want to miss him.

 

❤