Read Online Darker Water by Lauren Stewart - Free Book Online Page A

from a
family some people have heard of means that some of those people
ask me for shit. Occasionally I say yes, but more often I say no
because people ask for very strange things. But no matter how
bizarre the request, I’ve never ordered someone’s head chopped off
for asking. Not even once.
    “So I’m pretty sure, no matter what you’re
about to say, you’ll still be alive five minutes from now.”
    “My roommate Hillary dangled a ticket for a
gallery opening in front of me and I really, really want to
go.”
    He let out a breath. “I thought you were
going to ask me to make an honest woman out of you. Although”—he
cocked his head—“that would mean I’d get to make a dis honest
woman out of you first. But I don’t get why that was so hard to
say.”
    “Because she has four tickets. One for her,
one for her boyfriend, one for me, and...” I waited for him to
acknowledge he understood. It didn’t take long. But he didn’t look
angry, just a bit wary. “Obviously, I’m not seeing anyone, but
after she found out about you, she, of course, assumed we’re dating
and she wants to go to this thing on, like, a double date.”
    “And you told her...?”
    “That in order to double date, you have to be
single dating which we aren’t doing. Now or ever.”
    He nodded. “Good answer. But I’ll go if you
want me to.”
    “What?”
    “Not as your date because I don’t do that
with anyone, even with you and your roommate.”
    “And her boyfriend.”
    “All the more reason—if it was just the three
of us, at least I could pretend the night was going to end really
well for me. But if you want me to go somewhere, I will. And I’ll
only ask for one thing in return.”
    I laughed, trying to clean up some of the
mess he’d created. “You’re evil, you know that? I could just see
her face if I told her I slept with you to make her happy.”
    “I’d like to think sleeping with me would
make you happy.”
    “I’m sure it would.” Probably too happy.
    “Lane, you know that I’d really like that,
right?”
    “Yes, Carson, you’ve been pretty clear about
it.”
    “And you know that I get a perverse amount of
pleasure reminding and teasing you about it, right?”
    “That’s also clear, yes.”
    “And you know that if it’s ever too much, you
should tell me so I can immediately stop, right?” He stood up,
putting his project under the worktable and tossing his gloves into
the garbage can. “I mean it.”
    “Clear.”
    “So should I?”
    I walked away from him. When he followed I
laughed. “I have an incredibly attractive, interesting man
literally following me around and telling me how much he wants me.
And even though I keep saying no or ignoring him completely, he
doesn’t give up. Do you have any idea what a stroke to the ego that
is?”
    He slipped his arm around my waist and pulled
me back against him, his breath warming my neck, his hand resting
low on my belly and holding me still. “He doesn’t give up because
there’s an incredibly attractive, interesting woman right in front
of him who will eventually say yes because she wants me to stroke
things besides her ego.”
    Being with him was torture. It was much
easier to say no when he was joking around. But when our bodies
touched and he spoke with a voice that went straight to my core, it
was nearly impossible to keep my hips from pressing against his
growing erection. We stayed in that position for a very tense
couple of seconds. Or maybe it was hours. Both of us coiled so
tightly, if either of us moved, there would be no turning back.
    “I can’t. Not yet.” It was more of a plea
than anything else—begging him to release me. After a deep sigh, he
did.
    “Until then, he gets to tease her mercilessly
and enjoy being incredibly sexually frustrated.” He went into the
small storage space connected to the shop area and got a beer out
of the mini-fridge/freezer he’d bought me. I mean him . I was
allowed to use it as long as I