Follow Me Darkly (Follow Me #1) - Helen Hardt Page 0,10

but you need to let go, babe. You’re missing out on adventures because of your ridiculous need to be in control. I’ve never even seen you drunk.”

Yeah. And no one ever would. I got over that when I was sixteen. I shared a bottle of Southern Comfort with a high school friend and puked all the next day. Never again. I allow myself two drinks if I’m driving—only one if I’m not eating—and no more than four if I’m not. If I get tipsy with the third, I don’t take it to four. I know my limits, and I stick to them.

“Sorry, Tess. You’ll never get me drunk. Tipsy, but not drunk, and don’t even bring up drugs.”

“Who said anything about drugs?” She shakes her head. “You know I don’t indulge. You don’t want to get drunk? Fine. You can let your hair down in other ways. Let’s get you laid.”

Classic Tessa. Sex is just sex to her. She can separate the act from the emotion. She’s lucky that way.

“I don’t go to bed with just anyone. I think I proved that last night.”

She shakes her head again. “That’s my point. Get laid. Have a one nighter. Yeah, you missed out on what was probably the one nighter of a lifetime, but Braden Black isn’t the only guy in the city.”

He’s the only guy I want.

I don’t say the words out loud, but they’re cemented in my mind. I blew it. I totally blew it.

In truth, I’ve never wanted a man the way I wanted Braden Black last night. My body responded to his every word, move, touch, in a way it never had before. I thought I could handle Braden Black.

But I couldn’t. Not when he kissed me, touched me, led me to his bedroom.

I was ready to let him take me in every way possible, do anything he wanted to me. I didn’t care.

And that frightened me more than anything ever had.

“As much as I’d love to search the streets for someone to take me to bed”—not—“I have to get to work. We’re shooting a selfie at that new pretzel stand this morning.”

“You’re not getting away this easily,” she says. “Tonight. We’re going out.”

“I don’t go out—”

“On work nights. Yeah, I know. God, Skye. Sometimes I wonder why I hang out with you at all.” Tessa rolls her brown eyes and smiles.

“Because you adore me,” I say, smiling back.

Tessa and I met in college at Boston University. We were on the same floor freshman year and got paired together for a team-building exercise during orientation.

We had nothing in common.

She’s a Boston city girl. I’m a rural girl from Kansas.

She studied accounting and sees everything in black and white. I studied photography and see everything in shades and layers.

She’s tanned and beautiful with a great body. I’m fair and reasonably pretty. Yeah, I’ll give myself a fairly good body, too, compliments of walking, yoga, and the occasional Jazzercise class.

But we clicked and are still friends today. I’d do anything for her. Except something ridiculous, like getting drunk for no reason or having a one nighter with a stranger just to get Braden Black off my mind.

I have my limits.

“I do adore you.” She smiles. “You’re not getting out of this, though. This weekend, prepare for some off-the-charts fun.”

…

The shoot went off without a hitch, and Addison promptly threw her pretzel in the trash. She hates carbs almost as much as she hates coffee. Actually, she loves carbs, but she can’t maintain her waifish figure if she indulges too often. I saw her put away a whole pizza once, though. I’m pretty sure she barfed afterward.

“I’m taking the rest of the day off,” she tells me. “Be sure to stay at the office until six thirty because I’m expecting some important calls.”

“Okay, have a good day.”

I head back to the office. I walk through the ornate hotel lobby—complete with crystal chandelier—to the conference wing where Addie’s office is. We keep it locked up when we’re out on shoots.

Someone’s standing outside the door and leaning against the wall. He’s wearing a navy-blue suit and reading the New York Times. I can’t see his face, but already my body reacts.

It’s him.

It’s Braden Black.

Chapter Seven

I check my watch. It’s noon. Lunchtime. Addie and I left around nine thirty to do the shoot. How long has Braden Black been standing there?

Don’t get too excited. He’s probably here to see Addie.

I clear my throat.

He lowers his paper. His expression is noncommittal. Is he happy to