Free The Key by Penny Reid Page A

despondently to the couch and flopped down on the divan, letting out an exaggerated huff. “This sucks.”
    As her perfume surround and invaded his sensibilities, he observed her pout, cocking his head to the side so that he could see her without lengthening their proximity; bottom lip slightly protruded, brow knitted, arms crossed below her chest, thigh against his. God, she was beautiful and he was so in love with her and she had no idea.
    He had tried- Lord knows he had tried to tell her; but she was always out of reach it seemed. Always involved or just out of a relationship or… some other lame excuse he had for being a coward.
    Once- he drove to Brown to visit her for a weekend and made his mind up that he would tell her once and for all- tell her that she was the only woman he had ever wanted and that he had been in love with her since before he remembered… but she’d gone and ruined his plan by telling him and all her roommates in the dorm how glad she was, how ecstatic she was that they were, after all these years, still such good friends… The kiss of death.
    The next time he drove to Brown she had a boyfriend.
    “Break it open.”
    She smacked his shoulder with her hand and shook her head, “Be quiet.”
    “Ow!” he held his shoulder as though wounded. “Stop hitting me.”
    She gave him a sideways glance and smirked at his hurt expression, “Oh brother…” twisting in her seat, she leaned towards him- placing a hand on his bicep- and kissed his shoulder. He had to tighten his jaw to keep from moaning- her breast brushed against the back of his hand; hair feathered over her face, caressing her cheek; his stomach clenched and he looked away.
    Fighting the urge to tuck the silky strands behind her ear, the urge to grab her by the elbows and arrest her mouth. Completely oblivious to his struggle, she smoothed her hand up and down his arm, stroking him restfully and sitting up, “Is that better?” She teased.
    Finding it difficult to breathe with her body so close he could only nod his head, clearing his throat.
    Her playful expression dissipated- and brow furrowed again- at his turned face. She bit her lip and ceased her teasing caress, “What’s wrong?”
    He sat up suddenly, stood, and moved around her artsy coffee table- now or never, “I, uh…” he rubbed the back of his neck, trying to quell the more than familiar desires. Suddenly frustrated when he could still smell her perfume even as he gained distance, he blurted out, “I don’t think I can do this anymore.”
    Her eyebrows raised, confusion clouding her features, her mouth shaped in an O. She stared at him, glanced to her right at nothing in particular, blinked once then raised her eyes back to his, “What do you-”
    He licked his lips, cutting her off, “I have business next Saturday, I can’t go with you.”
    The apprehensive expression vanished and she grinned, standing up, “Oh, is that all? That’s ok.”
    He followed her with his eyes, his face a vacant visor, as she picked up the keys and deposited them in the top drawer of her side table. Shutting the drawer with a flick of her wrist she walked into the kitchen- her heels clicking on the old wooden floor- leaving him in the center of her living room.
    When she was out of sight he dragged a hand through his messy blonde spikes and breathed out heavily, licking his lips again. He needed to strengthen his resolve. He needed to do this. He needed to cut her off… but he also needed her.
    She reappeared moments later with chocolate milk for her and a Samuel Smith India Pale Ale for him. Holding it out nonchalantly she gulped from her own glass, lowering it to reveal a brown milk mustache and a contented sigh.
    In spite of himself, he smiled and shook his head. “Anna…”
    She swiped her pink tongue over her top lip and smiled up at him, “You had me going for a minute there, Jake.”
    With his free hand he cupped her cheek and wiped the rest of the milk away with his