Page 24 of Dark Encounter
Chapter 10
Grace
Ipaced the floor in the bathroom at the library, my heart racing in my chest. I wanted to give Erik my virginity. I knew he played a good game, but once he got me alone, I had no doubt that he would take care of me. He'd made me feel things in the last few days that I never expected to feel my whole life.
I was falling in love.
"Who the fuck are you kidding? You're already in love." I leaned forward and applied a thin coat of red lipstick. My clothes were ridiculous, but he seemed to find it humorous. Asshole. He knew why I wore them. I could see it all over his smug face.
I wanted to call Jenna so badly, but I knew she would force me to walk out of the library alone that night. There was no way I was letting that happen. I almost had him in my bed, and though it might only be for a night, I wanted it... bad.
"You can do this." I narrowed my eyes and jerked back as the restroom door opened and Nelly walked in. She gave me an odd sideways glance and closed the door to the stall she entered. I thought the moment was over. I wasn't that lucky.
"You do realize that when you're on the clock, you're supposed to use the restroom and get back to work. None of this dilly dallying stuff you seem to enjoy so much." Her voice was filled with disgust as the sound of her peeing filled the air.
"Right. Thanks." I walked to the door and slipped out into the hallway as quickly as possible. Gross. We'd worked together for a long time, but hearing her pee was out!
"You look like you're in a hurry to get somewhere." Erik's voice caught my attention, and I glanced up, finding him at the top of the stairs as if he were waiting to go down.
"My shift is over." I walked toward him and tried to still my beating heart. It amazed me how quickly he affected me. Every part of my body wanted me to move in closer, to reach out and grab hold of him. It was disturbing and new.
"Oh yeah? Going home to cook dinner for George?" He winked and jogged down the stairs.
I took off after him, trying hard not to trip over my skirt. Maybe it was a little too long for my own good.
"I'm really a good cook."
He stopped at the bottom of the stairs, and I ran into his back, yelping and reaching up to grab his shoulders. He spun around and smiled down at me as I pressed my hands to his thick chest.
"You know I want more than food, kitten."
"Fine. You can have anything you want. Just come with me." I brushed my thumb over his nipple and took a shaky breath as I gazed up into his dark eyes. "Please."
"You're not too proud to beg, are you?"
"I've never begged for anything, but I might be willing to with you." I hated how quickly I put myself in a subservient position with him.
"How many men have you dated, Grace?" He said my name with a hint of agitation.
"None." I moved around him. "I have other things to keep me busy."
"Like stacking books?" He opened the door to the library and gave me a cocky grin.
"It's better than what you do for a living. At least mine are books, not bodies."
He grabbed my arm and pulled me back roughly. "Hush. You don't get to talk about what I do in public. You think you know me, baby girl, but you don't. It's dangerous even walking on the same fucking side of the street as me."
I jerked my arm from his grasp. "I'm making clam linguine and salad for dinner. I live at-"
"I know where you live, Grace." He walked past me toward the parking lot, never looking back.
I'd felt like an idiot quite a few times in my life, but that was the worst by far. Had I really thought he would stop what he was doing and come have dinner with me? I was more than willing to open my body to him, and we both knew it, but why couldn't it start with something simple. Less frightening? Like dinner?
"Fuck you too," I whispered and walked around the building to my car.
I drove home in silence, forcing myself to work through the details of the upcoming library event instead of pondering on my stupidity.
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