once in a lifetime connection and I was blowing it? I didn’t want that sort of connection with anyone now, but I might want it later. Wait. No. My occupation was only part of the problem. Noah would never bend the way I needed a man to bend. He wasn’t the right guy for me.
Or was he? Fuck!
Our words from the other night echoed in my mind.
I’m in charge. Always. And I don’t think you’d like that very much.
Maybe I would.
Damn him for making me second-guess my first instincts. Torn, and none too happy that my feet were now moving after him, I rushed into the hallway.
“One date.”
He paused, and I caught my breath. He didn’t jump with joy or gloat or anything that I expected. More unpredictability from the curious Noah Wolfe.
I kept my distance and tried to remain firm, even though I was conceding in a big way. “I’ll give you one date. I can’t… You’re my friend, Noah.”
I laughed at how pathetic I sounded, but I had to see if there was something special here, seeing as he was being so damn persistent.
“You have plenty of friends, Avery. Let me be something more.”
“Don’t you get it? You’re my only friend. The others... They don’t know me at all.”
“Well, you don’t make it easy.”
“They don’t know me because I don’t want them to. None of them see inside my apartment, and they don’t know where I go to school or what I do in my free time. You think I don’t open up with you, but you’ve seen more of my personal business than anyone else has in years. I’ll go out with you on one date, but if it doesn’t work out, you have to promise we can still be friends.”
A slow smile curled his lips. “Deal.”
That seemed too easy. “Really?”
“Really. But Avery, this isn’t business. It’s pleasure. There are no ground rules, so prepare for anything.”
I swallowed, fearful he’d do something terrifying like take me skydiving or bungee jumping or convince me to sleep with him. “Okay, but—”
“No buts and no rules, Avery. That’s the only rule. No rules.” He grinned as he shut the door behind him.
What did I just agree to?
15
Avery
“Come on…” I fussed with my uncooperative hair. Up, down, half-up, sloppy bun, nothing looked right.
I growled and threw my comb at the mirror. “Damn it, Avery. Focus!”
It was just a date. A stupid date. I went on four to five dates a week. This was no different.
“I have too much makeup on.” Returning to the bathroom, I scrubbed my face clean and started over.
Halfway through lining my eyes, my phone pinged with a text from Noah.
* * *
You ready?
* * *
Shit. It was almost seven.
* * *
Not yet. fifteen minutes.
* * *
I stared at my phone as text bubbles bounced, disappeared, bounced, and disappeared again. Then I waited another minute, but nothing came.
I didn’t have time to sit there and wait for his response, so I went back to my makeup. The text came through a few minutes later, when I was just finishing up my eyes.
* * *
Time’s up. I’m coming over.
* * *
My gaze shot to the mirror. My hair wasn’t done. If it was staying down, I had to curl the ends or at least add a braid. A knock sounded at the door.
I rushed into the hall. “I’m not ready. Come back in twenty minutes!”
“We agreed on seven.” His voice was muffled through the door.
I took several slow steps to the door but didn’t touch it. “I’m not dressed.”
“Perfect. Let me in.”
I rolled my eyes. “Five minutes.”
“Avery.”
“Please…”
He sighed. “Fine, but your ass better be ready in five. Hurry up.”
I shook my head, not used to that sort of talk from a date. Rushing back into the bedroom, I flipped over my head and roughly brushed out my hair, spritzing it with some product meant to give it a beach look.
I applied a light layer of gloss to my lips and jerked on a pair of boyfriend jeans with an intentional tear at the knee. My cropped, off the shoulder, cream sweater paired with cream stilettos took the look from casual to sassy. I just needed to find earrings.
He knocked again. “Time’s up.”
“I’m coming!” Distractedly, I yanked open the door.
“You’re not supposed to come until the end of the date,” he greeted with a cocky grin. And damn, he looked good.
I rolled my eyes. “I just need to find my earrings.”
“Wait.” He caught my hand and pulled me back to