Total pages in book: 116
Estimated words: 110624 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 553(@200wpm)___ 442(@250wpm)___ 369(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 110624 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 553(@200wpm)___ 442(@250wpm)___ 369(@300wpm)
“Too bad,” Desiree said.
Go away. Shoo!
She walked away, and I could breathe again. Michael started making small talk with me, and I went along with it. Like I said, there was nothing wrong with him. I was going to have to get through this casual date whether I liked it or not.
When Ryan started a conversation with Michael about work, I whispered to Tarah. “So, now I know why you tried to get me all dolled up. Nice try but no cigar.”
She sighed. “Nina…I knew nothing about this.”
“Liar,” I whispered.
She looked over at the guys as if to make sure they weren’t listening. “I did want you to get dressed up for a guy tonight…but it wasn’t for this one. It was for—”
“Jake!” Ryan shouted.
I turned around to see Jake walking toward our table. It felt like my heart started beating again after a two week hiatus. He was dressed up, wearing a sexy navy button down shirt rolled up at the sleeves and dark jeans. His hair was slightly wet. He looked so incredibly hot. I felt like I was going to crawl out of my skin.
He was looking straight at me when he approached and said, “Sorry I’m late. Happy birthday, Nina.” I flinched when he moved in and kissed me on the cheek, the scent of his cologne now permanently invading my senses. Then, his eyes darted over to Michael and Ryan across the table. He took notice of the seating arrangement: Ryan across from Tarah and Michael across from me. There was an awkward silence.
I looked over at Jake who was now giving them a dirty look. He had figured out what he had walked in on.
Ryan spoke first. “This is our roommate, Jake. Jake, this is Michael Hunt, my co-worker.”
Jake reached out his hand. “Mike, is it? Mike Hunt?” Jake had a devious look on his face, and I knew immediately what he was doing.
Mike Hunt. My cunt.
No one said anything. Then, the shit show continued when Desiree walked over with our drinks. “Jakey…there you are. I thought they said you were in Boston.”
“Funny you should point that out, Des. Tarah had told me it was Nina’s birthday dinner, so I came home early to surprise her.” He looked at me. “Turns out, I was the one surprised.”
Oh…God. Did he think I planned this date?
He handed her his drink menu. “I’ll take a vodka straight, Des.”
I hated that he called her “Des” and wanted to rip my hair out.
“You got it,” she said, batting her lashes flirtatiously before trotting away.
Tarah stood up. “Jake, there is something upstairs I forgot to show you. It’s broken, and I don’t want to forget to tell you about it. Do you mind…before we order our food?”
He raised an eyebrow at her and glanced over at me. He looked upset, and I wanted to scream out in frustration. Then, he got up and followed her out the door.
Trying to regain some semblance of composure, I made small talk with Michael and sipped my white wine, which I really hoped started to kick in soon. He started asking me about my nursing aspirations. While I was answering his questions, all I could focus on was what Jake and Tarah were discussing upstairs.
When they returned to the restaurant, Jake sat back down next to me and downed the vodka that Desiree had brought for him, smacking the empty glass down on the table. He looked over at me and cracked a smile. There was no longer any anger lingering in his beautiful green eyes.
After we ordered our food, Michael continued asking me questions in an effort to get to know me. I stumbled on my words when Jake’s warm hand suddenly slipped under the table and onto my bare thigh. My breath hitched, and I froze as his hand moved under my dress. His thumb grazed the edge of my bikini line. Then, he squeezed my thigh and slid his hand forcefully down the length of it. My skin burned from the friction of his touch. He was staking his claim and my body was getting the message loud and clear. I was wet and so turned on that it felt like I was about to go insane.
Thankfully, Ryan had started a different topic of conversation with Michael, so I no longer had to use what little brain juice I had left to formulate sentences. I bit my bottom lip and looked over at Jake who was sliding his tongue ring between his teeth, looking frustrated again, almost angry.
He pulled his hand away from my leg and got up from the table. I assumed he was going to the bathroom until my phone buzzed.
Meet me in the hallway.
There was a side door that led to the staircase leading up to our apartment. I assumed that was what he meant. My heart palpitated as I excused myself from the table “to go to the bathroom.” When I opened the door, he was standing in the stairwell with his hands in his pockets, looking uncharacteristically shy.