Page 18 of Chasing Me

Her clean scent teased my senses, and suddenly I was hard and ready to go.I gritted my teeth and tried to get myself under control.Finally, I’d have her naked, laid out in my bed, ready to give herself up to every bad, dirty, lewd thing I wanted to do to her body.“Oh, I’ll give you an incentive, all right.”I bit her plump lower lip in warning, and she gave a tiny squeal.“You’re gonna beg me to get off.Maybe I’ll give it to you, maybe I won’t.”

Her pupils dilated, her breath came out choppy, and I knew she was wet and aching for me.I was about to say to hell with it, back her into the corner, and push my fingers into her pussy.

“Can I help you with something?”a voice interrupted.A guy wearing a store uniform looked at us with pure disapproval.

Quinn blushed and jumped away.“No, thank you.”

“Actually, I need some supplies.I have a list here.”I took it out of my pocket and handed it to the guy.

He looked happy he’d get a sale rather than a peep show.“I’ll get this right away, sir.”He disappeared down the deep aisles, and I laughed at Quinn’s face.

She hit me in the shoulder.“You’re so bad.Do they have any of those artistic greeting cards here?”

“In the back.”

“I’ll be right back.It’s Jessica’s birthday, and I forgot to pick one up.”

“Meet me over here.I have to look at some different brushes.”She nodded, and I watched her gorgeous rear swing back and forth before she disappeared.Grinning, I headed over to the brushes, and began picking them up and discarding different ones.

“You want to make sure they’re extra stiff.”

The husky voice rolled close to my ear.I jerked, turning around, and came face-to-face with Ava.She was dressed in her usual black ensemble.Her hair fell loose today, a dramatic red that matched her painted lips.Those green eyes were filled with amusement and a touch of something else.Hunger?No.

I kept my tone formal.“Hello, Ms.Goodridge.”

Her brow rose.“We’re not in class, James.Ava will be fine.”

I didn’t answer.Shifting my feet, I tried casually to bring some distance between us since she seemed super close, her head bent toward mine as if we were holding an intimate conversation.Her lips curved in a half-smile.“Stocking up?”

“Yeah.My brushes are kind of shot.”

She reached past me.Her arm grazed my chest, and she clasped her fingers around the brush I held.The breath got stuck in my lungs at the deliberate touch.“As I said, the stiffer the brush, the more it holds its shape and gets the job done.Of course, I can work with any brush.It’s just a matter of coaxing the right pleasure from it.”

Holy.Shit.Was I freaking out, or was she actually giving me a sexual innuendo?I kept silent, afraid to open my mouth, and her low laugh rumbled in my ear.Very slowly, she guided her hand back and rubbed my shoulder.“I’ve never known you to be so quiet, James.Cat got your tongue?”

I hated her manipulations.She hated my guts, and now she wanted to play head games?WTF?“I’ve never known you to be so...nice.”

“I can be very nice.Maybe we should discuss it sometime.”

“Okay, I’m done.Isn’t this card pretty— Oh, I’m sorry.”Quinn’s voice interrupted the psycho conversation, and I immediately jumped to the right so Ava’s hand was off me.Quinn looked back and forth between us with curiosity.“Hi, I’m Quinn.”

“My girlfriend,” I added quickly.

Ava reached over and shook her hand.“Ava Goodrich.James’s art teacher at the Brush Institute.”

Uh-oh.Quinn’s eyes widened, and suddenly she looked like a wet cat, all pissy and ready to spit.Her voice cooled.“Yes, James has mentioned you.”

Ava looked almost delighted.“I’m sure he has.James is an excellent artist.Sometimes it’s hard as a teacher to push my students in the proper direction, but I think he has raw talent that’s quite extraordinary.”

Quinn’s mouth dropped open.So did mine.“That’s what I’m constantly telling him,” Quinn said, her voice warming.

“It’s a difficult business.But I’m sure he has the passion needed to succeed.”

Quinn looked delighted at Ava’s compliments.I stared at my teacher hard, knowing there was something else going on.Ava beamed out a bright, fake smile.“It was lovely to meet you, Quinn.James, I will see you in class.”

She turned on her high black boot and left the store.Quinn gave a squeal and hugged me.“She said you have raw talent!Maybe that’s why she’s being so hard on you!She wants to push you because you’re the best.”

I wanted to tell her about the way she touched me and the things she said, but Quinn looked so happy and proud, I shut my mouth.Maybe tonight, I’d give her the full story, and we could talk.Quinn chattered nonstop as we paid for our stuff.“So, I’ll come over tonight, right?”I asked.“We’ll have a quiet night.”

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