Page 6

SIX

NO NICE GUYS

Theo

When it came to Natalie, what little self-control I still maintained was holding on by the thinnest of threads. The night before had been a form of cruel and unusual punishment.

The way she screamed, I was terrified I’d run into her bedroom to find her laying bloody on the ground. I was thankful that hadn’t happened, but knowing only a thin towel kept me from finally seeing every inch of her was nearly enough to make me waver.

Then I’d been stupid enough to stick around and cook dinner with her. But I couldn’t tell her no. The thought hadn’t crossed my mind. It hadn’t even been a possibility. I wanted to spend time with her.

And had I not gotten out of there when I did, the night was guaranteed to end completely differently. Likely with something I would make sure she would enjoy in the moment yet regret afterward.

I’d spent the night at work trying to erase the memories of her flushed skin and clean, freshly-showered smell. I’d tried to combat the memory of her quick breaths, striking blue eyes, and delicious curves with the vibration of the tattoo gun in my hand. But with every mark I made against someone else’s skin, I wondered how hers would feel beneath my fingers.

I wondered if she would be just as sensitive to my touch as she was to each of my movements and my stare. If she would be just as eager for it as she was for my words.

And when the gun hadn’t worked, when the rhythm and control ceased to have its usual effect, I spent a restless night imagining what would happen if I crawled into her bed, or better yet, if she gave in and crawled into mine.

Then I woke up early and went to a coffee shop to catch up on some schoolwork as an excuse to get out of the house. And when I realized I’d done everything and even worked ahead in more than one class, I went back to the house long enough to grab what I needed for the gym and leave.

Three hours of running, lifting, and several rounds with the punching bag, I still wasn’t any more under control.

I drove home from the gym with every window of my truck down and music blasting. Mostly to enjoy the last of the late summer weather, but it was also a pointless final attempt to get my mind right.

It was times like those when my mind was spinning and I couldn’t handle being inside of my own head that I would’ve called Ryder or asked him to hang out. But he was eight hundred miles away, and for other obvious reasons, I wouldn’t be confiding in him. I could have probably called him under the guise of just checking in, but he knew me better than that—two seconds on the phone, and he’d immediately known something else was up.

And the guilt that swirled in my gut told me enough that calling him was a bad idea.

I pulled up to the house with the green front door and cursed when I saw Natalie’s car still in the driveway.

I contemplated driving past and figuring out another way to spend my time, but I had nothing left to do. Robbie had given me the night off, so I didn’t even have that to fill my time. He’d said something about feeling bad that I’d been working so much and going to school that he wanted to give me a Saturday night free.

I fought him on it since my one friend was in another state, but he wasn’t going to give in.

A night off should’ve been a blessing, but in reality—in my reality—it was nothing but a curse.

I was out of the truck the second I stopped.

Just get it over with, I told myself. The quicker I got into the house, the quicker I could hide in my room like a fucking teenager.

But the second I reached out, key in hand to unlock the door, it swung open before me. My heart jumped into my throat, and Natalie nearly screamed.

“Holy fucking shit,” she muttered and steadied herself on her heels.

My eyes trailed up her body, eyeing the strappy heels on her feet and memorizing the fit of her black dress. It flared out at her knees but hugged the smallest part of her waist. The neckline was deep and showed off the delicate curve of her breasts. My mouth was watering by the time I noticed her curled hair that hung in black waves around her face, and the smokey makeup she’d applied around her eyes.

At once, all the blood in my body rushed to my cock, which quickly stiffened behind the thin material of my gym shorts. A slight breeze would likely have set me off. My perusal of her body was not one I hid, and the way her jaw slackened and her eyes glimmered with interest, I knew she’d noticed it for what it was.

“Going out?” I finally ground out.

She snapped her mouth shut, and she stepped around me out onto the porch, which was illuminated by the dim light next to the door and the final remnants of daylight.

She cleared her throat and brushed her hair over her shoulder. “Yep,” was her only response, and I narrowed my eyes at her as she continued fidgeting nervously. She tugged down her dress and messed with the fabric at her collarbone. The material cascaded down each of her arms where it cinched at her wrist.

She chewed her lower lip as her eyes darted to her car. She was more nervous than usual, and a very sick part of me liked to watch her squirm.

“Ms. Talkative doesn’t have anything to say now?” I smirked and leaned casually against the post to my left.

My comment had the desired effect as she rolled her eyes. And I was so fucked in the head that all I wanted to do was punish her right then and there for doing such a thing. I wanted to sit down on the bench just behind me and take her over my knee while any one of her neighbors could see. She’d have to be quiet as my hand marked her bare ass until it was so red and sore she’d feel me for days after. The burn would bring tears to her eyes, and that perfect makeup would end up smudged all over her soft skin.

Fucking the attitude out of her afterward was just as compelling.

“Yes, I’m going out,” she said, pulling me from my fantasies.

“With Caroline?” I tried, because something told me I should ask.

Nervously, she shuffled from one foot to the other, and I knew it wasn’t because her heels were already bothering her.

“Umm…nope. Not tonight.”

Quietly and patiently, I waited for her to explain. Something I learned from always being the quiet one, most people wanted to fill the silence. The longer it went on, the harder they worked to ease the awkwardness that usually accompanied it.

One of the things I liked about Natalie was that she didn’t always feel the need to do so. Like me, she was content with the silence. Unless I made her nervous, then she couldn’t help but babble a little.

I thought it was endearing.

And just as I expected, she clarified, “His name is Tanner.”

That was why she was being so coy and secretive. “You have a date?” I asked and was fairly impressed with the evenness of my tone. Especially when every part of me vibrated with the desire to do whatever necessary to keep her there.

“Yes, it’s my first one in a while…”

All I could manage was a nod as I clenched and unclenched my fists and held back the demand for her to stay. Realizing I simultaneously couldn’t demand that but eventually would if I kept standing there, I turned to walk inside.

But a small hand on my elbow stopped me in my tracks. Her nails, painted a shade that was almost as dark as her dress, dug lightly into my skin, and I wanted to feel them everywhere.

I jerked to a stop and turned to find her staring up at me with a deep furrow between her dark brows.

“Aren’t you going to tell me to have fun or something? Maybe wish me luck?”

I choked out a hollow, surprised laugh. My jaw hurt with the way I ground my teeth as I contemplated my answer.

“Now, why would I do that, Natalie?”

She dropped her hand and shivered. I nearly smiled at her reaction to hearing her name. I already knew she wouldn’t do that with Tanner. It was a reaction reserved specifically for me and stemmed from the nuclear connection between us.

“It’s polite,” she said, and I scoffed. Undeterred, she continued, “Okay, well, it’s just a nice thing to do.”

My laugh again was nothing short of hollow and cold. I took a step forward, and like she should have, Natalie took a step back, eyes wide and fixed on my face.

She was so much shorter than me that it was easy to tower above her without trying. And again, that dark part of me enjoyed the way she wanted to cower but didn’t.

“I don’t have any inclination to be nice, Natalie. And while it might be the polite thing to say, it wouldn’t be honest.”

In a move I didn’t expect, she stepped forward and tilted her head higher to maintain eye contact. We were so close that if she breathed deeply, her tits would brush against my stomach.

I held my breath.

“And why is that?”

Because if you have a bad time, you’ll be more eager to come back home to me.

I dismissed the thought as quickly as it appeared.

Everything about her had thrown me off. Her coy confidence left me ready to throw in the towel and cut all my losses. Another minute of verbal sparring, and I’d have her over my shoulder, heading up to her bedroom.

So, I caved and said, “Good luck, Natalie.”

It wasn’t the response she was expecting. Her slack jaw told me as much as I stepped back into the house and closed the door behind me.

Part of me wished she’d push back inside and demand to know what I meant. That she’d keep pushing me until we both broke. It wouldn’t have taken much at that point. Everything she did was a taunting tease. A taste of the forbidden that I knew I would never have.

I tossed my duffel bag onto the steps and immediately pulled open the fridge, hoping there was something that didn’t require too much work to prepare. The frozen meals I’d picked up were all I’d been able to afford, but they were beginning to taste like cardboard. Especially compared to the food Natalie and I had prepared together.

I scanned the contents ready to make do with whatever I could find, when my eyes landed on the middle shelf. In a clear Tupperware container were the chicken parmesan leftovers from the night before. On top of the container was a pink sticky note. I slid it out and read the note:

Your half of the leftovers.

It was signed with a heart and an “N.” Immediately, I tossed the food back into the fridge and shut the door hard enough the condiments rattled on impact.

The moment I began feeling sorry for myself, though, there was a faint sound I couldn’t quite make out. I glanced around the kitchen and heard it again. When it happened a third time, I saw Natalie’s iPad sitting on the island light up with a new notification.

I crossed to it as it dinged a few more times and reached to turn the volume down. But I stopped when I saw my name in one of the messages that lit up the screen.

Her phone must have been connected to the device, and seeing my name, my curiosity got the better of me.

There wasn’t a passcode, so it was easy enough to swipe open and find their most recent messages.

Caroline: Did you find your phone?

Natalie: Yes! It somehow wedged itself between the couch cushions.

Caroline: I love how you act like your phone did that itself.

Natalie: Fuck right the hell off.

Caroline: ANYWAY, good luck on your date!

Natalie: Ugh, thanks. I can’t believe I let you talk me into this.

Caroline: Umm…no, ma’am. I didn’t have to talk you into anything. You’re the one that agreed after living with your son’s best friend for like two weeks.

Natalie: Theo. His name is Theo, so please stop referring to him like that.

Caroline: Omg, that would be such a good name to moan.

Natalie: STOP! You are not helping at all.

Caroline: Right, right. So sorry. Well, I hope it all goes well! And maybe this will be enough to get Theo off your mind.

Natalie: We can only hope.

Caroline: Besides, I’ve heard he has a pretty big dick.

Natalie: How would you know?!

Caroline: Oh my gosh, Nat, TANNER—your date. I don’t know about Theo…although I bet he’s packing too.

Natalie: I’m done with this conversation. You’re the worst.

Caroline: Love you, too!

I turned the volume down, set the iPad back on the counter, and stepped away. Knowing she was struggling just as badly as I was, that she’d even decided to go out on a date to get me off her mind, changed everything.

Knowing she was as affected by me as I was by her was too tempting and intoxicating to ignore. Reading those messages, my will to stay away completely disintegrated.