Page 27 of Betting on the Bad Boy

Well, work and the fantasy life I’d created for the two of us on my laptop. He’d consumed my thoughts and thanks to the inspiration, I’d made it a quarter of the way through my next novel. Main characters Dante and Faith. I’d have to change the names later, but I was enjoying my erotic fantasy too much for the time being.

Although, I’d reached a point in the plot and was having some trouble. What if I let myself have one night with Dante? Just one to see if that would give me enough inspiration to finish my book and end my writer’s block for good?

“Yeah, I don’t know what I was thinking. I don’t have time right now either. In fact, I’ve got to get to the office.” Dante glanced at his watch. “Yep. Sorry, I’ve gotta go. See you around, Faith.” He wheeled around and covered the distance to the elevator in just a few steps.

As I watched him go, my mind rapidly attempted to process the possibility of a one-night stand. Would one night be enough? Did I have enough nerve to even suggest it?

He didn’t turn around, not even when the elevator door opened and he stepped inside. Maybe it would be better this way. The Dante in my head was much easier to control. I could make him do all kinds of things to me on paper without any of the emotional turmoil seeing the real Dante dredged up.

But somehow, my imaginary Dante didn’t smell the same as the musky, male, touchable version. And my pretend Dante didn’t make my heart skip a beat or cause my words to get caught up in my throat when I tried to speak.

Dammit. As the elevator doors slid shut, I swallowed the lump of apprehension in my throat.

“Hey, hold the elevator, will you?”

CHAPTER 15

Dante

I thrustmy hand between the elevator doors to prevent them from closing. The rubber edge ricocheted off my arm and the doors retracted. Faith stood front and center, shifting her weight from one foot to the other.

“Did you need something?” I asked, my mouth screwing into a frown. What could she possibly want now?

“Going down?” I cocked my head and waited.

She stepped into the elevator, then back out again. “I don’t know. It’s a dumb idea. Never mind.”

“Okay.” I released my grasp. I had a ton of work to do. Hanging out in the elevator on campus didn’t fit into my plans. The doors began to close again.

Faith wedged her boot between them, and they separated briefly, then began bouncing against her leg in an attempt to close.

“What’s going on, Faith?” I asked.

“I’ve never done anything like this before. It’s just?—”

“You’ve never ridden an elevator?” I shook my head, tired of her games. “Come on, it’s easy. Step inside and push the button. Not much to it.”

She let out a huffy breath as she took two steps forward.

“There, that wasn’t too bad, was it?” I tapped the button to close the doors.

Faith kept her eyes trained on the speckled taupe linoleum tiles. Her voice came out quiet and breathy. I strained to hear her over the whir of the ancient motor.

“I thought maybe we could... I mean... would you...”

Jesus, spit it out already. For an English major, she sure had trouble speaking the language sometimes. I leaned down to make eye contact. A combination of uncertainty and fear flickered across her face.

Something was really getting to her. I caught her hands in mine. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I just... I don’t know. I guess I’ve been thinking about what’s been going on between us, and it’s silly, really.”

“Silly?” I let out a laugh. “Hot and twisted, maybe. But silly?”

Faith let my hand drop, then leaned against the wall. “It’s just, I don’t have time for a relationship.”

“Yeah, that’s not really my scene either.” Where was she going with this?

She glanced up at me. “But I can’t seem to get you out of my mind.” Her eyes searched mine, begging me to laugh it off and send her on her way.