“Huh,” Steph said, sounding a little disappointed once I’d finished. “I mean, holy shit. But huh. I’m surprised he didn’t whip it out and start doing the helicopter or something once you two were alone at night. He really just went to sleep?”

“Yep,” I said. “And now he’s not in the room. I have no idea where he went.”

“Probably all sweaty and lifting weights somewhere. Guys who look like that practically never miss a day. Remember when I dated Sven? He kept a pair of dumbbells by the toilet so he could ‘get a pump while I do ‘da dump’. Disgusting. But those biceps? Mwah.”

“Ugh. That’s disgusting. But, maybe you’re right. He could just be working out, I guess.”

“So you guys get a spa day and some fancy dinner? Are you excited?”

“Kind of? It means I’ve got to spend all day with him. But then again, I don’t know how much talking we’ll really be doing during a spa day. Maybe he’ll keep his pretty mouth shut for once and just enjoy the treatment.”

“Hmm. Unless they put you in a sauna together and he starts stripping his clothes off. Or maybe a romantic hot tub.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose. “It’s just so frustrating. After Eric, it sounded so easy. All I had to do was stop giving guys a chance and nobody could hurt me again. And it was working just fine. But this guy makes me… ugh. He’s obnoxious. Mostly, at least. It’s just that there’s something about him, it–”

“Talking about me with your girlfriends?” Dean asked. I had no idea how he’d let himself into the room so quietly, but he was standing at the foot of the bed in a sleeveless shirt and glistening with sweat.

“Pearl?” Steph asked, but her voice was quiet because I’d let the phone fall from my ear.

“Gotta go, bye,” I said quickly, then hung up.

“I was talking about someone in a movie,” I said.

“Oh, was it that Thor guy? He’s dreamy.” Dean moved to the closet where he’d hung up his clothes and pulled out an outfit. He looked over his shoulder, grinning at me like a total fucking hearthrob. His hair was dark and wet with sweat and dangling in front of his dazzling eyes. He didn’t even bother pushing the hair out of his eyes–of course he didn’t. He probably knew how ridiculously good he looked with those perfect white teeth and slabs of tanned muscle clinging to his flesh.

“Yeah,” I managed. “The Thor guy.”

Dean’s grin widened like he knew I was full of shit, then he went behind the frosted glass door to our bathroom. I probably should’ve averted my eyes, but I stared at the blurry shape of him behind the door and watched him peel the shirt off his back. I chewed my lip when he slid down his athletic shorts.

The shower water started running and he stepped straight in–not even waiting for it to warm up. Animal, I thought.