Page 23 of I Could Be Yours (The Toronto Terror #6)

ESSIE

“ H ow excited are you for an actual vacation?” Indigo, one of my colleagues, sips her lemon drop martini.

“With an entire hockey team,” Cosmo adds.

“Literally, you’re living the dream,” Tanvi sighs.

“It’ll be so fun,” I agree.

The hockey players are hot, but it’s the broody engineer I’m looking forward to spending time with naked. The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end as I glance over to find the very man who has been living rent free in my head since Vegas, walking through the door of the bar.

Cosmo’s gaze follows mine. “The hot nerd vibe is so strong.”

“Isn’t that the guy you were talking to last week? The one who chased off your creepy influencer stalker?”

“It is.” My heart rate spikes, and I turn back to my work friends. “Do I have anything in my teeth?”

“You are runway ready, girl,” Tanvi assures me.

I fluff out my hair, roll my shoulders back, and adopt a warm smile as he approaches. Other parts of me warm as his gaze finds mine. His friends head to the pool tables, but he crosses to me .

“Hey, Ess.” A smile curves his full mouth and his gaze roves over me on a slow sweep.

“Hi, Nate. Here for a little after work unwind?” I ask.

“Yeah. It’s our regular spot.”

“It’s becoming ours, too.” Cosmo extends their hand. “We’ve heard all about you. Good things, though.” They wink. “I’m Cosmo.”

“And this is Indigo and Tanvi. They work on set with me.”

“It’s great to meet you.” Nate waves at them, then turns back to me. “We’re about to rack up. If you want to join, we could play doubles. If pool is your jam.”

“Essie loves playing with balls,” Indigo offers.

Cosmo snorts and Tanvi elbows them in the side.

Nate smirks.

My cheeks and everything else heat.

“She would love to,” Indigo says for me.

“Ess?” He extends his hand.

“Sure, why not.” I slip my fingers into his and let him help me down.

“You should have stuck around the other night. Flip went over to Dred’s and got his ass kicked at chess,” Nate says quietly.

“You miss my nipples that much, eh?”

“We both know I’m a sucker for pretty things that sparkle.” He settles his palm on my lower back. “And I happen to love the way you moan my name when my mouth is on you.”

“Are you getting me back for all the texts in Vegas?”

“Is it working?” We reach the pool tables, and his thumb sweeps along the exposed skin of my back, sending a shiver down my spine.

“Maybe.” There was no way I could disappear into Nate’s bedroom with him while my best friend’s brother was wandering around the apartment. Nate is far too pleasure focused, and I don’t have the ability to stay quiet when he’s working his magic tongue .

Two guys, both of whom are vaguely familiar, look up at our approach.

“Essie, these are my colleagues, Greg and Malcom.”

“We met briefly before when you stopped by the office, but we weren’t formally introduced.” Greg shakes my hand enthusiastically.

Malcom is shy and subdued, blushing as he says hello, and ducks his head.

“You guys okay to play doubles?” Nate asks.

“Yeah, of course,” Greg says, and Malcom nods his agreement.

Greg breaks and Nate offers to let me go first, but I decline, happy to stand behind him and check out his ass while he lines up his shot. “Twelve, corner pocket.” He motions to his intended target and takes the shot, easily sinking the ball. He sinks one more before it’s Malcom’s turn.

“Do you guys come here a lot?” I tap my cue from side to side as Malcom lines up his shot.

“More often as of late.” He glances at me. “How about you?”

“Same.”

Malcom sinks one ball, but misses the second, making it my turn. I survey the table, looking for the path of least resistance. “Nine, right corner,” I call out, then line up the shot. It bounces off the left side and rolls right, landing neatly in the corner pocket.

“Nice shot.” Nate high-fives me.

I sink two more balls before it’s Greg’s turn.

A couple of guys in suits come over to say hello while Nate grabs another round of drinks. I feel a little out of place in my high-waisted black pants, heels, and pink cropped tank. Their names are Neil and Gordon and apparently they work in the finance department at the same company as Nate.

Neil tips his head. “Do you work with these guys?”

I laugh. “No. I’m a friend of Nate’s. ”

“Right, yeah. I’m pretty sure we would have noticed you in the break room.” Gordon gives Nate a quirked brow.

“What do you do? Are you a model or something?” Neil asks. I’m sure he’s just trying to make polite conversation.

“I’m a makeup artist.”

“Like at the mall?”

I fight not to roll my eyes. This is so awkward. I don’t want to feel self-conscious, or less than, but Nate is brilliant, and surrounded by book-smart people. “You’re probably thinking of a cosmetics store. I work with TV actors on set,” I explain.

Neil’s eyes glaze over. “Right. Got it.”

“It’s an art, really.” Nate sweeps my hair over my shoulder and wraps his arm possessively around me. “Essie sees beauty in everything and knows exactly how to enhance it.” He gazes down at me, expression intense. “But you’re not an alchemist; you’re a chemist and a creative.”

“I wouldn’t say I’m a chemist,” I hedge.

“Really? You know the chemical composition of the products you use, just like I know the chemical composition of steel.”

I grin, remembering how sexy it was to have him reciting that random fact while naked between my thighs. “You should never combine alpha or beta hydroxy or vitamin C with niacinamide or you’ll look like you were running in the August heat.”

“I wish you’d been my chemistry partner in high school,” Nate murmurs.

“I’m not sure we would have gotten much work done, but after-school study sessions would have been way more exciting.”

“I wouldn’t mind a time travel machine right about now,” Nate says.

I smile sweetly up at him. “That’s what role play is for.”

Greg clears his throat.

I’d completely forgotten we had an audience.

All of the guys are staring at us. Malcom’s face is red.

“Nate’s up,” Greg says helpfully .

“Right. Yeah.” Nate releases me and steps up to the table.

None of the remaining shots are easy.

Nate rubs his chin.

I want to rub my thighs together.

He moves around the table, eyeing the shot, and gets into position. But I can see from this angle that he’ll be off, not by much, but enough.

“Hold on.” I come around behind him.

He looks over his shoulder as I press my body against his.

He raises a brow. “We’re on the same team, sweetheart. You’re not supposed to be distracting me.”

I lean over him. “You want me to distract everyone else?”

“Not like this, no.”

“You’re going to miss the shot; I’m helping.” I adjust his left hand, fingers dragging across his broad back as I circle him, and adjust the right one, then kiss him on the cheek. “You’re all set.”

He takes the shot and sinks the ball.

I wink; he smiles.

He calls the eight ball and sinks it, too, giving us the win.

I grab my purse as the guys rack up.

Nate frowns. “What are you doing?”

“I have a dinner date with Trixie Rixie.”

“You’re leaving?”

“I’ll see you in forty-eight hours.”

He links our pinkies and drops his head. “When will you be done with dinner?”

“I don’t know.” I kiss his cheek. “Stay hungry for me.”