I’m about to knock when the door is pulled open, and I stagger through it. I narrowly avoid hitting a short blonde woman in the face with my fist, and we both make shocked noises. Hers is maybe more manly than mine at this point. I’m already on edge, in my defense.
The woman looks me up and down and then turns back to Ellie. “My God, that was quick. Did you order extra-large?”
I have no idea what’s going on, but apparently it’s fucking hilarious.
“Go,” Ellie says, gesturing for her to leave the room. “I’ll see you at class, okay?”
“Okay, sweetie.” She gives me another once-over. “But if you need a raincheck, I’ll totally understand.”
She disappears down the corridor, and I close the door behind me. Ellie smiles, friendly and open, and it makes my heart do a little tap dance. It’s a real smile. A genuine one. The first authentic reaction I’ve seen from her since we ran back into each other. At least the first positive one.
“We were talking crap,” she explains, her cheeks flushing a sweet shade of pink. “Looking at dating apps, and wondering if they delivered. Stupid stuff, sorry.”
Dating apps? Is Ellie dating?Well, why the fuck wouldn’t she be…and that’s fine, asshole. That’s not what this is about.
“Uh. It’s nice to see you Maddox. How are you?”
She’s making an effort. She tucks a curl behind her ear, and it drives me wild.
Fuck. I came here wanting to make amends, wanting us to be friends. But that’s going to be harder than I thought. As she stands up and I get a full view of her curves in a business suit that would look sensible on someone else, pretty much everything is harder than I thought. I’m glad I’ve got my full-length coat on, because nothing says ‘I’m a celibate man looking for a platonic relationship’ quite like a raging hard-on. I shift the bag I’m carrying in front of myself just for good measure.
“I’m good. And I, uh…I brought you a gift.”
Surprise flashes across her face, then she looks pleased, beaming at me. Damn, if it isn’t the cutest thing ever. It makes me want to bring her gifts every single day, just to see that sparkle in her eyes. “Really?”
“Really. Call it a ‘making amends for hurting your feelings’ gift.”
“There’s no need for that. I’m the one who should be making amends. I’m sorry I assumed you were some kind of…um…” Her blush deepens, and her hands go to her cheeks.
“Fuck toy?” I suggest, loving it when she squeezes her eyes shut and nods. “That’s okay. I forgive you. And you do believe me now, when I say I didn’t pass because I didn’t find you attractive?”
She nods some more, her curls jiggling, her breasts doing all kinds of distracting things beneath her plain white blouse. I shift my stance, trying to give my cock a little room. This is so fucking awkward.
“I do, and thanks for explaining it to me. And you’re still celibate?”
She bites her lip as soon as the words fly out, like she regrets them. If her face got any redder, she’d spontaneously combust. Again, so cute. I could torture her a little here. Flirt with her. Enjoy the fact that there’s clearly still a spark between us.
But I let out a sigh and rub my hands through my beard. I can’t do that. It wouldn’t be fair to either of us, especially when she only sees the man I am now, not the kind of man I was. The one I’m still capable of being if I don’t keep my darkness in check.
“Yep. That’s not changed since two nights ago. Look, Ellie…I like you, okay? I still remember our time together. The easy way we talked to each other. How much we laughed, even when we were sharing some pretty deep stuff. If you’re open to it, now we’ve cleared the air, I was hoping maybe we could be friends?”
“Friends?” she echoes.
Shit, I can hear the tinge of disappointment she’s trying to hide, and it’s hotter than hell. She wants me. And now I have a fleeting image of pushing her down on the desk, sinking to my knees and sliding my tongue inside her pussy.
“Friends,” I say again firmly. She can’t see the effect she’s having on me, and I long ago stopped listening to my dick’s advice. My dick never got me into anything but trouble. Ellie—and her body—could be addictive, and I can’t allow that to happen.
She pauses, scrunching her lips, and seems to consider it. “Well. Maybe we could. A lot will depend on what this gift of yours is.”
She stares at my crotch area, and for an awful moment I think she actually can see the party going on in my pants. Then I realize she’s looking at the bag. The bag with the gift inside it.Numbnuts.
I pass it over. “Sorry the packaging is a bit battered,” I tell her. “I keep hold of anything I get like that and use it again.”
“Saving the planet one gift bag at a time?”
“Something like that, yeah. Is that lame?”
“Not at all,” she protests, peeking inside the bag. “I’m exactly the same. Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness,right? I’ve started a few sustainability initiatives since I’ve been here. I’ve even got Mason recycling his coffee grounds.”
