extinguish them immediately and knock.
CHAPTER 7
Nate answers the door in a casual blue oxford shirt, buttoned up tidily to the neck. I want to undo the top button—or two—and ruffle his hair a bit.
“Hey,” I say, my tone carrying a sensual lilt. My smile is a serpent’s smile, and I don’t dare take my eyes from his.
“Wow,” he breathes, blinking when he takes in the length of my tight sweater dress. His eyes drop down, then shoot back up. “Uh…hey. You’re here.”
“Can I come in?”
His mouth slackens slightly and he watches me carefully, like a lion is about to pounce on its prey before his very eyes.
It’s his lucky day. He’s going to get a front row seat to that spectacle.
My mind goes numb as I step past him, but my body is a live wire. Ryder’s words have been thrown to the very back of my skull, where I’m sure they’ll wreak havoc later, but for now, I’m safe. There’s no going back once I do this. No repairing my friendship—or whatever I have—with Natalie, and no undoing yet another nail in my coffin.
But this is what girls like me do, right? This is my path. Nothing exists beyond this fate. And it has to be done.
“So are you ready to go?” Nate asks, shutting the door quietly behind him. I begin to amble around his living room, checking out his various sports trophies and academic award plaques. I don’t see a lick of dust anywhere, and there are coasters on the coffee table. Coasters. With palm trees on them. We’re in the fucking Northwest.
I’m feeling more and more edgy as I stroll around the couch, and I decide it’s time to get down to business. Natalie is working at the diner until six tonight. I’ll see her in passing, when I go in for my shift.
I don’t dwell on that thought.
“What’s the rush?” I respond, sending him a coquettish smirk over my shoulder. His hands move to his pockets, and I see his Adam’s apple bob. His face is pinched with tension as he watches me prowl around his apartment.
“No—no—nothing,” he stutters, making a move for the kitchen. “Can I get you something to drink?” His voice is coarse and tight.
“Please.”
He opens the fridge and reaches for a bottle of water. “Something with more kick,” I say, before he even pulls it from the shelf.
“Oh.” He stills. “Okay, sure.” I hear him rifle around in the fridge for a few seconds as I study the picture frames on the wall. There are pictures of him with soccer and baseball teams, and shots of him with his family. Portrait-type shots, where they’re all fanned out beautifully on a massive lawn, the landscape dripping with elegant oak trees.
He returns with two beers and I thank him, clinking our bottles.
“Thanks for coming with me today,” he says, eyeing me as I lean forward to get a better look at his shots of the Grand Canyon.
I go straight for the kill. “Do you want to fuck me before we go shopping, Nate?”
Beer sprays from his lips and he struggles with a cough, but that doesn’t deter me. I begin to cruise toward him, taking a slow sip of my drink.
“Wh—what? Elise—”
“It’s a simple question,” I shrug, my smirk tipping my lips to dangerously challenging levels. “See, because I think you do. I want you to, and I’m not ashamed to admit it. So, I say we just cut through the bullshit and skip the whole dance. Show me to your bedroom.”
“Natalie—”
“Is working at the diner,” I finish for him. I drop my chin playfully and I reach out for him, placing my hands gently on his chest. He’s strung so tightly, the tension bubbling beneath his muscles pierces my fingers. God, has he been getting any at all? “We have plenty of time.” Leaning in, I nudge the edge of his jaw with my nose. My lips skim the space just below his ear and he hisses through clenched teeth.
“Elise,” he chokes out, gripping my shoulders. The muscles in his throat flex as I kiss a trail along his earlobe. “Natalie’s your
CHAPTER 7
Nate answers the door in a casual blue oxford shirt, buttoned up tidily to the neck. I want to undo the top button—or two—and ruffle his hair a bit.
“Hey,” I say, my tone carrying a sensual lilt. My smile is a serpent’s smile, and I don’t dare take my eyes from his.
“Wow,” he breathes, blinking when he takes in the length of my tight sweater dress. His eyes drop down, then shoot back up. “Uh…hey. You’re here.”
“Can I come in?”
His mouth slackens slightly and he watches me carefully, like a lion is about to pounce on its prey before his very eyes.
It’s his lucky day. He’s going to get a front row seat to that spectacle.
My mind goes numb as I step past him, but my body is a live wire. Ryder’s words have been thrown to the very back of my skull, where I’m sure they’ll wreak havoc later, but for now, I’m safe. There’s no going back once I do this. No repairing my friendship—or whatever I have—with Natalie, and no undoing yet another nail in my coffin.
But this is what girls like me do, right? This is my path. Nothing exists beyond this fate. And it has to be done.
“So are you ready to go?” Nate asks, shutting the door quietly behind him. I begin to amble around his living room, checking out his various sports trophies and academic award plaques. I don’t see a lick of dust anywhere, and there are coasters on the coffee table. Coasters. With palm trees on them. We’re in the fucking Northwest.
I’m feeling more and more edgy as I stroll around the couch, and I decide it’s time to get down to business. Natalie is working at the diner until six tonight. I’ll see her in passing, when I go in for my shift.
I don’t dwell on that thought.
“What’s the rush?” I respond, sending him a coquettish smirk over my shoulder. His hands move to his pockets, and I see his Adam’s apple bob. His face is pinched with tension as he watches me prowl around his apartment.
“No—no—nothing,” he stutters, making a move for the kitchen. “Can I get you something to drink?” His voice is coarse and tight.
“Please.”
He opens the fridge and reaches for a bottle of water. “Something with more kick,” I say, before he even pulls it from the shelf.
“Oh.” He stills. “Okay, sure.” I hear him rifle around in the fridge for a few seconds as I study the picture frames on the wall. There are pictures of him with soccer and baseball teams, and shots of him with his family. Portrait-type shots, where they’re all fanned out beautifully on a massive lawn, the landscape dripping with elegant oak trees.
He returns with two beers and I thank him, clinking our bottles.
“Thanks for coming with me today,” he says, eyeing me as I lean forward to get a better look at his shots of the Grand Canyon.
I go straight for the kill. “Do you want to fuck me before we go shopping, Nate?”
Beer sprays from his lips and he struggles with a cough, but that doesn’t deter me. I begin to cruise toward him, taking a slow sip of my drink.
“Wh—what? Elise—”
“It’s a simple question,” I shrug, my smirk tipping my lips to dangerously challenging levels. “See, because I think you do. I want you to, and I’m not ashamed to admit it. So, I say we just cut through the bullshit and skip the whole dance. Show me to your bedroom.”
“Natalie—”
“Is working at the diner,” I finish for him. I drop my chin playfully and I reach out for him, placing my hands gently on his chest. He’s strung so tightly, the tension bubbling beneath his muscles pierces my fingers. God, has he been getting any at all? “We have plenty of time.” Leaning in, I nudge the edge of his jaw with my nose. My lips skim the space just below his ear and he hisses through clenched teeth.
“Elise,” he chokes out, gripping my shoulders. The muscles in his throat flex as I kiss a trail along his earlobe. “Natalie’s your
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