Jane: Well, since you put it that way, then vanilla with rainbow sprinkles.
Dexand I fall asleep on my couch with a bucket of popcorn between us, Netflix on, and the bottoms of our ice cream containers stuck to my coffee table. It’s the most unlikeliest situation, but in the morning when he’s flipping me pancakes, I realize I don’t mind a bit. I don’t despise Dex as much as I first did. The asshole is sort of growing on me.
Like a fungus. An asshole fungus.
Chapter 19
I’m in the magazine’s kitchen area making coffee when I hear Nate’s voice. My stomach clenches tightly as he rounds the corner from the hallway and walks in. He’s by himself, his phone up to his ear. It’s seven o’clock in the morning, an hour before anyone usually gets to the office. The magazine doesn’t officially open until nine. Dex and I thought we’d be the only ones here this early.
I guess we aren’t.
“Jane? Wow. You’re here early.” His hazel eyes flash at me.
“Good morning, Nate,” I respond, impressed that my voice sounds so steady. Inside, my body feels tightly coiled and needy. Last night, Dex and I both settled on the idea that Nate Cross set me up with Greg because he didn’t want me to be in a real relationship. The question remains though, why?
I cut right to the chase. “Did you realize Greg was transferring to California next month?”
Instead of answering, he slips past me and reaches for a coffee mug, his other hand presses against my lower back then slides down over the top curve of my ass.
“Oh yeah, right. That totally slipped my mind.” His hand doesn’t move and the heat from it burns through my pants, scorching my skin. I want to turn and melt into him, remind him of our kiss—the one he implied to a room full of people was the best one of his life.
My heart pounds hard in my chest so hard and fast I’m certain he can hear the rhythm it’s making. What the hell am I doing? What the hell is he doing?He’s dating Julia. My brain screams for me to push him away, to slap his hand off my ass, but my body wants him touching me, needs his hands on me. I clench my jaw from the war waging low in my stomach.
We’re at a standoff. His chest rising and falling, his eyes staring down into mine. Then his thumb, the one parked on the swell of my bottom begins moving, circling gently, his other fingers pressing harder.
I’m not sure how to react, there are so many emotions overwhelming my senses, and all my thoughts revolve around the sensations of his fingers moving softly, gently over me. What would he do if I told him what I needed right now? If I slipped down my pants and bared myself to him, bending myself over this counter, would he thrust those circling fingers deep inside me? Would he pull himself out and fuck me where Julia makes her herbal tea every morning?
I back away, stumbling over my own feet. I want to be with Nate so bad, but not like that, not behind Julia’s back. Not when I know that after being inside me, later tonight he might be inside of her. I would never be able to do that to a friend, or any other woman, it’s just not right.
I clear my throat and choke on my own saliva. I’m such a mess.
“Hey! What the fuck is taking you so long?” Dex calls out as he turns into the kitchen and abruptly comes to a stop to stare at us. If I decided to not step away when I did, Dex would have seen Nate’s hand on my ass.
For a split second, I wonder if he’ll walk away or will he say something to stop it? I shake the thought from my mind, it’s too silly to waste time thinking about. Dex wouldn’t care if Nate and I hooked up or not. None of it matters, since I’m the one who stepped away and no one saw or did anything.
“You’re both here early?” Nate asks, smiling wide.
Dex nods and reaches for the mug of coffee I poured for him. “We have a pitch at nine sharp and Jane and I are finishing an article we’re writing together.” He sips at his coffee and glares down at Nate over the rim of the cup.
I never realized how much taller Dex is compared to Nate. Next to Dex, Nate kind of looks like might be still in high school. I giggle, and both men look at me curiously.
I shrug it off and grab Dex by the arm, pulling him out of the kitchen area. “We have a ton of work before the meeting, so we’ll see you later, Nate.” I shove him into the hallway and he turns to me and laughs.
“What just happened in there?” he whispers in my ear.
I blink up at him stupidly and start cracking up—mostly because Dex and I are acting like two kids who walked in on someone doing something wrong. I still can’t believe we’ve called a truce and we’re keeping it.
He rolls his chair into my small workstation and wedges in next to me. “Spill it. What the fuck happened in there before I walked in?”
“I’m not actually sure. He went to grab a cup to pour coffee and his other hand went to the small of my back.”
Dex’s eyebrows pull together. “That’s not a thing. I thought, well, you looked flustered like something happened.”
“Said hand, slid down and settled on my ass.”
Dex’s face turns dark and his whole body stiffens next to me. “He touched your ass?”
Suddenly, I don’t want to share anymore. Dex looks like he’s going to fly off the handle. So I backtrack, “Accidently, and it was awkward andthat’swhat you walked in on.”
