people at ease. “Correct.”
“This is my career,” says Marie firmly. “My future. And you need the money to pay for next semester at Statham, so it’s your future too. Consequently, we need to do everything we can to get you some writing inspiration, stat.”
“You totally rehearsed this,” I say, accusing.
“I did.” She waltzes up to me, swipes the apology chai, and hands it off to Adrian, who pretends like he’s not gulping it to get the taste of my cookies out of his mouth. “With Adrian.”
What the actual fuck. “How are you two suddenly best friends slash partners in crime?”
Adrian opens his mouth, but Marie cuts him off. “It’s not like I didn’t know that the Sex King has sworn off other girls in order to chase you. It’s all anyone’s talking about, and…” She blushes. “I read his column. Anyway, he showed up this morning asking for you, and we got to talking.”
Adrian shoots me a boy smile full of apologetic charm. It’s possible that the microwave behind me groans in longing. I’m not having it.
Okay, maybe I’m having it a little.
But that’s no reason to let him know. “Just tell me. What’s going on? Let me guess, you’re both axe murderers and you’re both about to reenact the plot of the first Saw movie?”
“Better,” says Marie happily. “You and Adrian are you going to act out all the erotic scenes in my book. Then you’re going to write them.”
My jaw falls to the center of the earth. “I think I’d prefer the Saw scenario.”
Adrian leans languidly on the table. “You didn’t tell me she was that kinky, Marie.”
“Oh, you have no idea,” she says, elbowing him.
I hate her. I hate her entire line of descendants. I hate her great-great-grandmother’s ghost. “Have you lost your freaking mind? No, no way, NO on a biscuit with ham and gravy—”
I’m shaking my head so hard that I don’t see Adrian get up. In a flash, he’s before me, pressing a finger to my lips. His touch sends an electric shiver down my whole body. “You don’t have to,” he says softly. “I won’t make you do anything you don’t want to do.”
At the moment, the only thing I want to do is pop his finger in my mouth and suck it, but that’s my uterus speaking over my brain.
“Clothes on,” says Marie quickly. “Obviously. Like, you won’t actually be doing it. It’s just to get a feel for what you’re writing about.”
I open my mouth to refuse again, but I hesitate. Marie’s right. I need cash bad. It’s not like we’ll actually be hooking up, and maybe it really will help. I can’t deny how my body is responding to Adrian’s barest touch. For the first time in weeks, for a brief moment, I feel like I could sit down and write.
It’s not like I’m selling my body for money, or auctioning off endangered tiger pelts, or anything awful. It’s just a creative exercise. That’s all.
Adrian lets his finger trail down my lips until he’s no longer touching me at all. My skin crackles, wanting him back. “I could help you,” he says.
“You owe me,” adds Marie from behind us. “Do this and I promise I’ll forgive you.”
The word that escapes my mouth next is, “Okay.”
A slow, easy smile spreads over Adrian’s face.
“We’ll try it once,” I correct. “And if it doesn’t help my writing, no more.”
“There’s one more condition.” Adrian won’t look away from my eyes, not once. “Have dinner with me on Friday.”
“Adrian—”
“Just one dinner,” he amends. “After that, I’ll stop begging. Promise.”
“I’m surprised you’ve been begging,” I say, probing the edge of the question that’s been hounding me all week. “You don’t seem like a guy who normally begs.”
“I’m not.” His gaze sizzles over my body. I suddenly wish I was wearing something more attractive than jeans and a T-shirt, but he looks at me like I’m wearing sexy lingerie. “Only for you.”
“Well, that’s settled then.” Marie
“This is my career,” says Marie firmly. “My future. And you need the money to pay for next semester at Statham, so it’s your future too. Consequently, we need to do everything we can to get you some writing inspiration, stat.”
“You totally rehearsed this,” I say, accusing.
“I did.” She waltzes up to me, swipes the apology chai, and hands it off to Adrian, who pretends like he’s not gulping it to get the taste of my cookies out of his mouth. “With Adrian.”
What the actual fuck. “How are you two suddenly best friends slash partners in crime?”
Adrian opens his mouth, but Marie cuts him off. “It’s not like I didn’t know that the Sex King has sworn off other girls in order to chase you. It’s all anyone’s talking about, and…” She blushes. “I read his column. Anyway, he showed up this morning asking for you, and we got to talking.”
Adrian shoots me a boy smile full of apologetic charm. It’s possible that the microwave behind me groans in longing. I’m not having it.
Okay, maybe I’m having it a little.
But that’s no reason to let him know. “Just tell me. What’s going on? Let me guess, you’re both axe murderers and you’re both about to reenact the plot of the first Saw movie?”
“Better,” says Marie happily. “You and Adrian are you going to act out all the erotic scenes in my book. Then you’re going to write them.”
My jaw falls to the center of the earth. “I think I’d prefer the Saw scenario.”
Adrian leans languidly on the table. “You didn’t tell me she was that kinky, Marie.”
“Oh, you have no idea,” she says, elbowing him.
I hate her. I hate her entire line of descendants. I hate her great-great-grandmother’s ghost. “Have you lost your freaking mind? No, no way, NO on a biscuit with ham and gravy—”
I’m shaking my head so hard that I don’t see Adrian get up. In a flash, he’s before me, pressing a finger to my lips. His touch sends an electric shiver down my whole body. “You don’t have to,” he says softly. “I won’t make you do anything you don’t want to do.”
At the moment, the only thing I want to do is pop his finger in my mouth and suck it, but that’s my uterus speaking over my brain.
“Clothes on,” says Marie quickly. “Obviously. Like, you won’t actually be doing it. It’s just to get a feel for what you’re writing about.”
I open my mouth to refuse again, but I hesitate. Marie’s right. I need cash bad. It’s not like we’ll actually be hooking up, and maybe it really will help. I can’t deny how my body is responding to Adrian’s barest touch. For the first time in weeks, for a brief moment, I feel like I could sit down and write.
It’s not like I’m selling my body for money, or auctioning off endangered tiger pelts, or anything awful. It’s just a creative exercise. That’s all.
Adrian lets his finger trail down my lips until he’s no longer touching me at all. My skin crackles, wanting him back. “I could help you,” he says.
“You owe me,” adds Marie from behind us. “Do this and I promise I’ll forgive you.”
The word that escapes my mouth next is, “Okay.”
A slow, easy smile spreads over Adrian’s face.
“We’ll try it once,” I correct. “And if it doesn’t help my writing, no more.”
“There’s one more condition.” Adrian won’t look away from my eyes, not once. “Have dinner with me on Friday.”
“Adrian—”
“Just one dinner,” he amends. “After that, I’ll stop begging. Promise.”
“I’m surprised you’ve been begging,” I say, probing the edge of the question that’s been hounding me all week. “You don’t seem like a guy who normally begs.”
“I’m not.” His gaze sizzles over my body. I suddenly wish I was wearing something more attractive than jeans and a T-shirt, but he looks at me like I’m wearing sexy lingerie. “Only for you.”
“Well, that’s settled then.” Marie
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