Page 111 of Fame & Chaos

I want to pull her into my lap.

I want to kiss her again.

I want to drag those ridiculous pajama pants down her legs and finally feel her skin against mine properly.

But I won’t.

Because if this friendship arrangement is going to work, then I need to prove I can respect her boundaries.

Still… the way she keeps smirking at me tells me she feels this, too.

That same pull.

That same tension crackles between us.

And honestly, I don’t know how much longer my self-control is going to survive sitting this close to her without completely combusting.

Chapter Nineteen

Caleb

We finish dinner wrapped in an awkward, lust-filled tension that makes it hard for me even to swallow my food properly. Every second sitting this close to Indi feels dangerous. All I want is her, and keeping my composure is taking every ounce of restraint I have.

I honestly don’t know how I’m supposed to survive this whole ‘friends’ arrangement without completely losing my mind.

She places her empty bowl onto the coffee table before stretching her legs across mine and smirking at me knowingly.

I chuckle softly and start massaging her feet. “Subtle there, Indi.”

She laughs. “I know, but it worked, didn’t it?”

Rolling my eyes, I grab the cushion from behind me and throw it at her. Giggling, she catches it and tucks it beneath her head before snuggling deeper into the couch like she fully intends to stay there all night.

“I’m a sucker, and I’m not ashamed of it,” I mutter.

She looks at me then, really looks at me, and her smile hits me so hard I nearly forget how to breathe.

“Don’t stop,” she says softly.

Dragged back to reality, I glance down and continue massaging her feet while she melts further into the couch with a quiet moan.

Jesus Christ.

She moans again, and I stop massaging her, staring at her in disbelief. “Indi, you cannot make noises like that.”

Her eyes widen with embarrassment. “Sorry. It’s just… I haven’t had anyone massage my feet since…” she trails off awkwardly. “Well, since you.”

“That’s good, I’m glad you’re enjoying it.” I laugh quietly. “But seriously, stop moaning like that because it’s making me think very inappropriate things. And considering this whole ‘friendship’ arrangement we’ve got going on, you’re making this really fucking difficult for me.”

“Sorry, I didn’t think.” She immediately pulls her feet away and sits upright.

“I don’t have to stop—”

“No, it’s okay.” She cuts me off before smiling softly. “How about a cuddle instead?”

Honestly? That might be even worse.

But the way she’s looking at me right now, like she needs me to hold her, makes it impossible to say no.