02 — Little Angel

Hell.

Fighting a hangover really is hell.

I open my eyes with difficulty, finding a terrible brightness. I groan, turning to the side and it again so my head doesn’t hurt anymore… But realization kicks me, and I suddenly open them once more, jumping up and sitting on the bed BECAUSE THIS ISN’T MY ROOM!

Oh, no.

Running my hand over the white sheets, I let out another grunt, throwing my back again on the mattress…

Damn it.

With my eyes tightly closed, I replay the scenes from last night.

Buying ingredients to make a pie.

Going to Eric’s house.

Finding Eric and Laura… Naked.

Drowning my sorrows in booze.

Meeting Julian Adams.

Argh! I finally understand why I ended up in Julian’s room… But of all the people I could meet, did it have to be him?

I get out of bed and glance in the mirror, noticing that not only are my eyes smeared with black makeup, my hair is messy, and I have an incredibly hungover expression, but I’m wearing a white shirt much bigger than my body, and that reaches my mid-thigh.

“Great, Angelee…” I mumble at last, entirely ignoring the chaos that’s my appearance and leaving the room to find, who knows, some strong coffee… And who knows, Julian may have already left for the company, and I won’t have to deal with this great humiliation…

Yep, it was too soon to say it.

I stop, freezing because Julian is there, leaning against the kitchen island, with a cup of coffee in hand and exposed abs… very exposed.

When his green eyes pause on me, he’s swallowing his coffee, which makes his Adam’s apple move. He lowers his mug, lifting the corner of his lips, “Good morning, Angel.”

I force a smile and move closer to him, reaching over the island to grab the coffee pot and a cup. But because of this innocent movement, my shirt lifts dangerously, revealing a bit of my butt. And I can swear that I see Julian staring at how I’m stretching out, almost sticking my belly on the counter… I catch his eyes going down my hips to my thighs… But he quickly looks away and clears his throat, taking a generous sip of the bitter coffee.

His gaze makes me feel funny even if he didn’t mean to.

When I finally reach over and start putting the coffee in the cup, I massage my temple while the proper dose of caffeine is put in. I even try to bend over again to return the pot to its place, but Julian takes it from my hands and, with extreme ease, puts it back.

I blink in surprise and say with sincere admiration, “What wonderful arms!”

Julian gives a sarcastic smile, “I work them to be.”

“Oh, I can see the effect…” I squeeze his muscle, noting how it’s stiff, and I smile mischievously, “Have you really put on weight?”

“Huh, so you remember that serious offense?” Julian raises an eyebrow.

“Hey, don’t be like that, that’s a compliment!” I slide my hand to his abs, lightly scratching the eight packs, “Keep it up; I’m supporting you.”

Julian clears his throat again, probably feeling a chill caused by my fingernails. Then he adds, in a mischievous voice, “You like my body, huh.”

“It’s good for the eyes, of course I do.” A naughty smile appears on my lips, and I shrug, bringing the cup to my lips. “I can understand why you’re so successful with women.”

He scratches the back of his neck, and I don’t pay much attention to his annoyed expression as I turn away, walking over to the couch… I just listen to him breathing deeply.

“By the way, did you change me?” I ask, throwing myself onto the couch and sipping my coffee. “Your shirt looks great on me. Should I try this style?”

“Very funny. You threw up on your clothes, and I wouldn’t let you anywhere near my bed all puked up.” He grimaces, probably because he had to quickly pick up my clothes and throw them in the washer. “You’re welcome, by the way.”

“Why would I thank you?” I look back over my shoulder, over the couch.

“They called your emergency contact because they would rather not leave a drunk girl alone. Your emergency contact is the company, but your father isn’t here… Have you forgotten that he’s traveling on business? I had to go instead…” He points at me, “And for that, you should thank me.”

“You were working that late? I thought your nights were reserved for women.”

Julian smiles sarcastically and places the empty cup on the counter, “Do you think I would come to you if I were with a woman?”

“I think so, yes.” I take a sip of the coffee, enjoying the strong flavor, a perfect measure for that damn hangover….

Then I’m startled to notice that Julian is suddenly too close, his arms on the couch, around my shoulders, murmuring next to my ear, “What a cocky girl…”

A shiver goes up my spine, raising my skin.

“Go get ready. We need to get to work.” He says in a husky voice, “And no, I’m not giving you the day off because you’re hungover.”

I grumble and drink all my coffee in a single gulp, getting up quickly to disentangle myself from his proximity….

What is this feeling... this little chill in my belly? Being around him is making it grow stronger.

“I’m leaving!” I say and leave the apartment quickly because staying inside is really toxic to my heart.

In the empty hallway, I finally inflate my lungs to their max, letting go in the next moment. And with small steps, I’m soon in front of my own apartment door... Because, of course, it’s not enough that Julian is my father’s best friend and my boss — he’s also our neighbor.

As I’m finally inside my home, I realize that I don’t have my phone with me. A growing sense of desperation takes over my chest... But when my eyes go to the couch, I see my purse lying on it — it’s the handbag I had with me last night, I’m sure.

I walk uncertainly over to the couch and pick up the phone that was, in fact, inside it. My head hurts, and the memories floods back… I remember that Julian tried to leave me at home, but when he opened the apartment and pulled me inside, I clung to him and asked him to take me to his place-

Gosh.

My cheeks burn, and I know I’m red.

I put my hands on his shirt and felt his warmth, and now I remember how he held me by my waist. His grip was so firm, strong… Just thinking about it makes a shiver run through my body.

Hah, I really shouldn’t have these reactions to my father’s best friend, but… He’s so hot…

Suddenly, more memories come. I remember leaning over his neck to inhale the scent of his masculine cologne and… Oh, no… I licked Julian’s neck!

A grunt escapes the back of my throat, and I close my eyes tightly, bringing my hands to my head — ANGELEE, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?

I quickly walk to the bathroom and lock myself inside, leaning against the door. I’m so damn ashamed right now.

Taking a deep breath, I try to forget that disaster… But then, I look at my pitiful reflection in the mirror, and great, I look like a real mess. It’s better to take a shower.

As I slowly unbutton his shirt, more memories of my drunk side return... And when I fully open it, I can’t help but hold my breath.

From the reflection, I can see that my plan was really to please Eric, as I’ve chosen my best sexy lingerie. The lacy white bra is so thin and transparent that the nipples can be seen through it, and the panties also reveal much of my pelvis, hiding just my clit like a gift to be unwrapped.

I suppress a giggle, imagining Julian’s reaction to seeing me in this…

Somehow, this idea excites me, bringing a tickle to my belly and making my entrance slightly wet.

“Oh no, this is dangerous…” I think, pressing my thighs together, having some wild ideas.