Page 20 of Walk of Shame
“Not very good.” His gaze dips to my mouth. “So I have a deal for you. I’m willing to prove myself, and here’s what I’ll offer even though it’s going to be a real challenge on my willpower. Give me a chance to spend time with you. You’ll have plenty of time alone to do the things you came here to do, because I’m stuck in this conference. But when I’m free, and if it works with your plans, I want to hang out with you, to get to know you properly. In return, I promise I will keep my hands to myself. I will honor your vow of celibacy and treat you like my best platonic friend. I promise I will not touch, kiss, lick or fuck you.”
His eyes darken and the air crackles between us. “Unless you ask me to, of course. Then I will do all those things and more.”
I gulp, my throat going dry. He’s offering me a way out.
A chance to have my cake and eat it too. And I want it.
The waiter chooses that moment to delivers our meals. He puts the plates down, asking us if we want anything else. When we say no, he takes his leave, and Christopher turns back to me. “Do we have a deal?”
My fingers twitch on my fork. I want my cake. I want to spend time with him. If it’s platonic, is that cheating? I bite my lip.
This is something I’ve never done. I don’t hang out with guys. And I want to know Christopher. Maybe from this disaster we can learn to be actual friends. Maybe that’s the silver lining. Because something about him calls to me, something I don’t think I can ignore, even though it makes no logical sense. This can be my vacation gift. To learn if friendship is possible. I nod. “We have a deal.”
“Good.” He points to my plate. “Now eat. I’m attending the conference with a group of my closest friends and they are hitting a dance club we heard about in an hour. I thought it sounded fun. Would you like to go?”
I love dancing. I pick up my fork and dig in. “Sounds fun.”
He gives me a cocky grin. “Well, all right, but don’t try and lure me into any slow dances.”
I laugh. “I’ll do my best.”
This isn’t what I expected, but it is something new. Something different that’s outside my comfort zone. A night out with an attractive man with no possibility of sex or seduction. I don’t have to try to figure out what he wants, who I need to pretend to be to catch his interest. I don’t have to worry about how I look, or if I’m dressed provocatively enough to get his attention.
I don’t have to be anything, but me.