Page 14 of His to Teach
Then he kisses me, once, a soft press of his lips against the side of my neck, before pushing me away and into my car. I slide into the seat, staring up at him, feeling unsteady and dumb.
“I’ll call you,” he says, before shutting the door. He waits while I start the car, waits for me to back out. He’s still standing there, watching me, as I pull out onto the dark and deserted street.
And it’s only then that I realize I never gave him my number.
HARPER
Iwake up the next morning to the sounds of Emma banging around the kitchen, making a ruckus the way she does every morning. To say that Emma is not a morning person would be an understatement.
I lay there in bed for a moment listening to her make coffee and mumble to herself, the noises familiar. Despite the exorbitant rent, the walls in this apartment are paper thin and I’ve heard her make the same noises in the kitchen every morning since we moved in a year ago.
I stretch against my pillows, feeling slightly sore, my head throbbing. It’s a bit strange that I’m feeling the effects of a hangover this morning when I hardly drank last night.
A sudden flash of Nate directing me to limit myself to two drinks goes through my mind, and just like that the entire night comes rushing back to me, bringing the heat of a blush to my cheeks with the memories.
I went to Club Wyld last night. Images flash through my mind, all of the depraved and dark things that I saw. But I didn’t justseethose things. I participated.
I can still feel the warmth of Nate’s body as he wrapped his arms around me during the scene in the mirrored room,the strength of his forearm firm around my middle, his fingers reaching below the waistband of my panties.
Oh my God. I can't believe I actuallydidthat. There’s a hazy quality to my memories, almost enough for me to believe that I imagined it, dreamed it all up in my head. But I can still hear the rasp of his voice as he leaned in close to my ear and gave me orders, the goosebumps that rose on my skin with his nearness.
I may have a good imagination, but there is no way I imaginedthat.
My head throbs again and I wonder if it’s possible to have a hangover purely from sensation overload. It honestly wouldn’t surprise me. My body’s response to everything that happened last night had been over-the-top.
Regardless, I know I need to get some caffeine in me, and a few Tylenol wouldn't hurt either. I roll out of bed and reach for my old dressing gown, wrapping it around me. I take comfort in the soft warmth of the flannel, the familiar feel of it helping to ground me, reminding me of who I am and where I am and dragging my mind away from the surreal images of the night before. I leave my bedroom and head to the kitchen, nothing on my mind except the promise of coffee.
“Well look who’s finally awake,” Emma says, shooting me a devilish smirk. “I was about to go bang pots and pans together at your door.”
“It's no wonder I’m awake with all the noise you've been making in here.”
Emma looks at me expectantly across the kitchen. “So?” she finally says. “Are you going to tell me?”
I turn my back to her as I reach for a mug and head to the coffeemaker. “Tell you what?”
Of course I know what she's talking about, I’m just not exactly sure how much I want to tell her.
“Are you kidding me right now?” she cries. As I turn to the fridge to grab half and half, I see her throw her hands up in the air. “Harper, whathappenedlast night? I stayed up until well after midnight waiting for you. When did you get home? What happened at the club? Was it amazing?”
I hold up a hand, shaking my head. “Em. Can you chill out a little bit? I just woke up.” I collapse into one of the chairs at the table and Emma joins me, sitting on the other side.
“Sorry,” she says, her voice a shade calmer. “I’ve just beendyingfor you to tell me everything. You've been waiting for this for so long. How was it?”
“It was… Interesting.”
“Interesting?Oh no, girl. You're going to give me more than that.”
I smile in spite of myself. “I’m just… I’m still trying to process it. The whole night was kinda surreal.”
Emma’s eyebrows arch high on her forehead. "Surreal in what way? Did you talk to anyone? Did you see a whole bunch of kinky fun going on?”
“That's the understatement of the year.”
Her face lights up with excitement. “What did you see?”
I take a shaky breath. “Em, you seriously wouldn't believe it. You walk into the front room and it just seems like this really swanky, old world kind of club, you know? Like, all this dark wood and velvet chairs and heavy draperies. And the people! You would not believe these people.”
She grins again, eyes dancing. “Let me guess, lots of leather and assless chaps?”
