“Creative writing?”
She nodded. “The premise of your game sounds fantastic, and I can’t wait to dive into what you've written so far. However, I learned that writing can help with out-of-the-box thinking. Who knows, maybe you’ll figure out what’s missing while I read.”
She smiled down at me as I took the book out of her hand. Natalie sat back down across from me, and we began to work. I have to admit; I wasn’t big on creative writing. I’m not saying I couldn’t do it, but it wasn’t my first choice. At first, it felt as if I was doing homework, but listening to Natalie and trying out a few writing prompts sparked new ideas for a new game. She was right. These prompts were definitely helping, but not with my current manuscript.
“I got it!”
Looking up, I saw Natalie dancing in her seat as she was frantically writing on a scrap piece of paper.
“What you got, Nat?”
She slammed her pen down and picked up her chair to sit closer to me. The smell of vanilla and strawberries filled my nose, causing my mouth to water. She smelled as she tasted: sweet.
“Dex, what if you added a romantic plot twist to your story?”
“A romantic plot twist?”
She nodded and proceeded to explain everything she had jotted down while she read through my manuscript. At first, I was hesitant, but as Natalie explained her idea, I couldn’t help but smile. Sitting back in my chair, I rubbed my hand down my beard.
“Well? What do you think?” Natalie asked.
Standing up from my chair, I paced. “That might work. I can have the flame-bearer get overly engrossed with each trial completed.”
Natalie stood up and leaned against the table with a nod of her head. “Yes! Each time the flame-bearer completes a trial, they lose a part of their loved one’s voice of reason. Then, they get consumed with power and greed. The final boss level can be the ultimate test, power over–”
“Love,” we said in unison.
I grabbed Natalie by the waist and spun us in a circle. “Natalie, you are a genius!”
Her laughter filled the room as she threw her hands in the air. After a few turns, I slowly stopped moving and realized how soft she felt in my hands. As I gently placed her back onto her feet, her brown eyes locked onto mine. Her chest rose and fell slowly as her eyes trailed down to my lips again. I lifted my hand and rubbed my thumb across the bottom of her lip while I pulled her closer to me with my other hand.
“Dexter,” she breathed out as I lifted her chin. She pressed her body against me, and I could feel her erect nipples on my chest.
“Just a taste,” I leaned down and whispered onto her lips.
Her hands ran up my arms, causing the hairs to rise and my dick to twitch. My heart raced as she wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me closer to her. I should stop this. Natalie was off-limits, and if Key ever found out, it'd ruin our relationship. Hell, it'd probably ruin the relationship betweenhim and Natalie. Then again, she drew me to her. I wanted her more than I needed air and it was scaring the hell out of me. However, that wasn't going to stop me.
Natalie's phone rang, causing her to jump back. “Shit! I, I can't.”
“Nat, baby, wait.”
“Dexter, I won't lie and say that I am not attracted to you because I am. Ever since that night, I find myself thinking about the what if, but that's all it will ever be, a mere thought. We cannot cross that line. I love my brother too much to betray him.”
My shoulders slumped as I ran my hand down my face. “You're right. I don't want to hurt Key.”
Natalie snatched up her phone and walked into the back room as she answered it, and I gathered my laptop and backpack. My heart raced as rejection and disappointment raced through my mind. What the hell was I thinking? My feelings for Natalie needed to end now because she obviously didn't want me. Well, maybe she did, but at the end of the day, we weren't going to step into unknown territory. Besides, there was a very strong possibility that she was taken, and I wasn't about to touch what wasn't mine.
Throwing my backpack over my shoulder, I saw Natalie coming out of her office. “C'mon, I'll walk you to your car.”
“You don't have to, Dex.”
“It's late, and I'm not about to let you walk out of here by yourself.”
She nodded her head and gathered her items before we headed out the door. The walk towards our cars was silent and full of tension. I felt it, and I knew she could too. Natalie unlocked her door before I opened it for her. She opened her mouth to say something, but then quickly closed it and looked away. I gently grabbed her hand and pulled her into a hug.
“It's cool. We made a deal, and I'm a man of my word. Have a good night, okay?”
She nodded her head as she sat in the driver's seat and started her car. I closed the door and headed toward my truck. It was late, and I had an hour drive ahead of me. That should be enough time to get Natalie out of my head.
