Page 9
Story: The Christmas Bet
I think about it for a moment. This would be good for me to get to know her more, learn more about what makes her tick. I look around us as we stand on the sidewalk in front of the building. This could help put us back on a path to me actually pulling this bet off.
But the thought turns my stomach. I hate myself for this. I should just call this whole thing off. Be the decent human I just told her I was, not the asshole who will eventually break her heart.
“Sure. I’d love a beer.” I nod and give her a smile. There’s a part of me that is happy she’s inviting me up, but the other part of me is sending out the red flags that I’m about to make a huge mistake.
Obviously, I ignore the warning.
Chapter 6
Allison
Awesome. And I mean that in the most non-awesome way. I can’t believe he’s actually coming up to my apartment. When I asked him, I was trying to be nice, but I thought he would turn it down. We haven’t exactly had the best start. But he said yes, and now he’s here, standing in the middle of my apartment.
“Wow, this is a nice place. And you have a great view too,” Conner says as he looks around.
“Yeah, it was definitely a lucky find. It’s one of the reasons I haven’t moved. This is a beautiful building, I have a shit ton of closet space, and the view of Central Park is an added bonus. So, beer?”
“Yes, please.” His hands find his pockets as he continues to look around.
I head into the kitchen, taking a deep breath as I cross the threshold. He’s here in my apartment.
Why did you invite him up?
Because of the whole dirty sex thing. Well, that was before. This is now, and he genuinely seems sorry about the whole thing. And he’s not that bad of a guy. He’s actually quite sweet when he’s not conspiring with my best friend to take me on a date. I open up the fridge and take out a couple of Torpedo Extra IPA bottles. I pop the tops on the bottle opener over the trash can and take a very deep breath before I head back to the living area.
I find him sitting on my couch holding my copy ofEnter the Black Oakby Monique Edenwood. He’s reading the back of the book, smiling and chuckling to himself. He flips through the pages and must come across one of her spicy scenes when he shifts uncomfortably and clears his throat.
“Doing okay there?” I ask as I come up to the couch and set the beer in front of him. Sitting down next to him, I take a sip of the IPA and taste the pine and citrus ale as it hits my tongue. I study him as he places the book on the table and grabs hold of his beer.
“Not at all. You really do like your books. Your bookshelf is stocked to the brim. You may need a bigger one,” he replies with a laugh. “Honestly, I think you need to come into this century. There is this thing called an e-book.” His brows reach his hairline as he tilts his head.
I smile and reach over to the end table and open the drawer. I pull out my Kindle and place it on the table. “I know.” The corner of my lip goes up. So, I have a lot of books, and a lot of e-books. Basically, I could spend the rest of my life reading and I probably wouldn’t get anywhere on my ‘to be read’ list. I may have a slight book problem, but I digress.
Conner lets out a deep chuckle. “Okay, I’ll shut up now about your books.” He picks up his beer and tips it back. I can see his Adam’s apple bobbing as he takes a long pull. “So, why was your friend Lacy so hell bent on you coming out tonight?”
I let out a groan and lay back against my couch. “Because she thinks I need to keep dating to find Mr. Right, sooner rather than later.”
Conner narrows his eyes. “I’m not following.”
“Um, this is kinda heavy for a first date.”
“So that means there will be a second?” He grins.
“Ha!” I shake my head as I smile. “Maybe.” I feel the couch move and a sudden warmth on my side. I turn my head, finding his face is close enough to mine that our noses almost touch. “What are you doing?”
“Something I’ve wanted to do since I walked into Legends.”
Before I can react, his lips crash into mine. His tongue runs along my bottom lip as he coaxes my mouth open. Opening my mouth slightly, I feel his tongue brush against mine, making me moan into his mouth. My heart’s beating wildly in my chest. His kiss brought down every ounce of defense I had. There’s no fighting against this.
From the inside out, I feel like I’m on fire. Slowly, he leans me back against the arm of the couch and hovers over me, his lips feverishly working against mine.
Conner’s arms box around my head against the arm of the couch. His body presses against me, igniting every nerve ending in my body. He groans into the kiss, causing me to push up against him in need.
His fingers slide down to the side of my face, gliding over my neck until his hand finds my left breast. He cups it, and my head tips back, breaking my lips away from his. He kisses along my now exposed neck. Conner shifts his hips and starts grinding against me, giving me the friction I’ve been craving. The friction I need to push me over the edge.
Without warning, a dinging cuts through the air, and Conner instantly pulls back. The spell between us is broken. Our breaths are coming out fast and heavy. I turn my head towards the table and see my phone there. I’m internally cursing whoever just decided to blow me up. Also, I should have put the damn thing on silent.
My chest is rising and falling as I try to get myself to come down from the high, my body still objecting to not finding its release. Conner stands, adjusting the very thing that was pushing against my core moments ago.
But the thought turns my stomach. I hate myself for this. I should just call this whole thing off. Be the decent human I just told her I was, not the asshole who will eventually break her heart.
“Sure. I’d love a beer.” I nod and give her a smile. There’s a part of me that is happy she’s inviting me up, but the other part of me is sending out the red flags that I’m about to make a huge mistake.
Obviously, I ignore the warning.
Chapter 6
Allison
Awesome. And I mean that in the most non-awesome way. I can’t believe he’s actually coming up to my apartment. When I asked him, I was trying to be nice, but I thought he would turn it down. We haven’t exactly had the best start. But he said yes, and now he’s here, standing in the middle of my apartment.
“Wow, this is a nice place. And you have a great view too,” Conner says as he looks around.
“Yeah, it was definitely a lucky find. It’s one of the reasons I haven’t moved. This is a beautiful building, I have a shit ton of closet space, and the view of Central Park is an added bonus. So, beer?”
“Yes, please.” His hands find his pockets as he continues to look around.
I head into the kitchen, taking a deep breath as I cross the threshold. He’s here in my apartment.
Why did you invite him up?
Because of the whole dirty sex thing. Well, that was before. This is now, and he genuinely seems sorry about the whole thing. And he’s not that bad of a guy. He’s actually quite sweet when he’s not conspiring with my best friend to take me on a date. I open up the fridge and take out a couple of Torpedo Extra IPA bottles. I pop the tops on the bottle opener over the trash can and take a very deep breath before I head back to the living area.
I find him sitting on my couch holding my copy ofEnter the Black Oakby Monique Edenwood. He’s reading the back of the book, smiling and chuckling to himself. He flips through the pages and must come across one of her spicy scenes when he shifts uncomfortably and clears his throat.
“Doing okay there?” I ask as I come up to the couch and set the beer in front of him. Sitting down next to him, I take a sip of the IPA and taste the pine and citrus ale as it hits my tongue. I study him as he places the book on the table and grabs hold of his beer.
“Not at all. You really do like your books. Your bookshelf is stocked to the brim. You may need a bigger one,” he replies with a laugh. “Honestly, I think you need to come into this century. There is this thing called an e-book.” His brows reach his hairline as he tilts his head.
I smile and reach over to the end table and open the drawer. I pull out my Kindle and place it on the table. “I know.” The corner of my lip goes up. So, I have a lot of books, and a lot of e-books. Basically, I could spend the rest of my life reading and I probably wouldn’t get anywhere on my ‘to be read’ list. I may have a slight book problem, but I digress.
Conner lets out a deep chuckle. “Okay, I’ll shut up now about your books.” He picks up his beer and tips it back. I can see his Adam’s apple bobbing as he takes a long pull. “So, why was your friend Lacy so hell bent on you coming out tonight?”
I let out a groan and lay back against my couch. “Because she thinks I need to keep dating to find Mr. Right, sooner rather than later.”
Conner narrows his eyes. “I’m not following.”
“Um, this is kinda heavy for a first date.”
“So that means there will be a second?” He grins.
“Ha!” I shake my head as I smile. “Maybe.” I feel the couch move and a sudden warmth on my side. I turn my head, finding his face is close enough to mine that our noses almost touch. “What are you doing?”
“Something I’ve wanted to do since I walked into Legends.”
Before I can react, his lips crash into mine. His tongue runs along my bottom lip as he coaxes my mouth open. Opening my mouth slightly, I feel his tongue brush against mine, making me moan into his mouth. My heart’s beating wildly in my chest. His kiss brought down every ounce of defense I had. There’s no fighting against this.
From the inside out, I feel like I’m on fire. Slowly, he leans me back against the arm of the couch and hovers over me, his lips feverishly working against mine.
Conner’s arms box around my head against the arm of the couch. His body presses against me, igniting every nerve ending in my body. He groans into the kiss, causing me to push up against him in need.
His fingers slide down to the side of my face, gliding over my neck until his hand finds my left breast. He cups it, and my head tips back, breaking my lips away from his. He kisses along my now exposed neck. Conner shifts his hips and starts grinding against me, giving me the friction I’ve been craving. The friction I need to push me over the edge.
Without warning, a dinging cuts through the air, and Conner instantly pulls back. The spell between us is broken. Our breaths are coming out fast and heavy. I turn my head towards the table and see my phone there. I’m internally cursing whoever just decided to blow me up. Also, I should have put the damn thing on silent.
My chest is rising and falling as I try to get myself to come down from the high, my body still objecting to not finding its release. Conner stands, adjusting the very thing that was pushing against my core moments ago.