Page 83 of Ink & Desire
He dips his head in a nod. “Fair enough. You sound like Henley.”
I toss the mascara back into my purse and turn to face him. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
He just grunts, but I think he secretly agrees with my assessment. He just won’t admit it.
Chapter 32
Corbin
I don’t know why I keep thinking of excuses to prolong my time with Avery. You’d think I would have gotten my fill of her last night. She spent the night in my bed, and I’d slept with my arms wrapped around her. Come to think of it, I slept better last night than I have in a long time. I refuse to consider that Avery’s presence in my bed is the cause of it. I’d just been worn out from the amazing sex we’d had. That’s all.
I work at convincing myself that for the entire walk to the diner. I keep trying to force myself to believe it the whole time she studies the menu while I try not to stare at her. What the fuck is wrong with me? I’ve never been this hung up on a woman before. Not even back when I convinced myself I was in love with my high school girlfriend in my senior year. She’d been a cheerleader taking a walk on the wild side with a bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks. I’d been just dumb enough to believe she liked me for more than the way I pissed off her old man. I’d been wrong, of course. Opposites attract is only a story people like to tell so they can pretend it’s possible. The real world isn’t like that. In the real world, the cheerleader dumps the bad boy for the football player after the homecoming game.
But that doesn’t hold a candle to whatever this is now. Usually after a call from my mother I’m in a dark mood for several hours, if not days. I sometimes disappear into a black hole of alcohol and depression until I can drag myself back to the light. It’s not healthy, and I’m not proud of myself. But I’ve always struggled when it comes to her.
I know I’d been heading in that direction this morning. I’d almost forgotten Avery was in my apartment until I walked back inside and saw her standing there looking adorably rumpled in my shirt. My dark mood hadn’t vanished immediately, but it had taken a backseat to whatever this other feeling is. I still don’t want to consider it’s anything more than infatuationmixed with a healthy dose of lust. But whatever it is, I want more of it. Whatever sunshine she’s got that can chase away my darkness, I want to hold onto it. I need it. And that scares me more than anything else about this whole thing.
I know I need to get a handle on whatever this is before it goes wrong. And it will go wrong. It always does. Avery and I don’t make sense for anything long term. Hell, we don’t even make sense as casual fuck buddies. We’re complete opposites. From the outside, at least. But the more I get to know the real Avery, the more I wonder if she and I are more alike than we thought. Not that it will matter in the end. This thing between us will burn fast and hot and eventually fizzle out like all the others before. I’m just trying to enjoy the ride while it lasts. I’ve just about convinced myself of that by the time our food arrives.
Avery digs in with relish. There’s none of the shy nibbling one might expect from a girl like her. She isn’t trying to put on a show with me like some women I’ve seen. I don’t know her full story, but I know she comes from money. That had to have impacted her upbringing. How much it impacts her now isn’t totally clear. She definitely has the designer wardrobe and the fancy vocabulary, but she’s not afraid to get her hands dirty. Or to eat like a 14-year-old boy in the middle of a growth spurt. I nearly laugh as she shoves a forkful of waffle into her mouth that I hadn’t thought would fit in there.
“I take it you like the food?” I ask, letting her hear my amusement.
“Mmhmm,” she says, mumbling around a mouthful of food.
She quickly chews and swallows, wiping her mouth on a napkin. Then she glares at me, but there’s no heat in it.
“Don’t ask questions as soon as I put food into my mouth,” she says.
“Why not? It’s funny to watch you struggle to answer.”
She rolls her eyes and takes a sip from her glass of water. “Yes, the food is delicious,” she says when she lowers the glass. “Sorry. I didn’t realize how hungry I was until it was in front of me.”
I lean across the table just a little. “Don’t apologize for enjoying something. That’s kind of the point.”
A pretty blush stains her cheeks and I know she’s not thinking about food any more than I am right now.
“You’ve got to stop making me think dirty thoughts in public,” she murmurs.
“Why? It’s fun to watch you get worked up.”
She shakes her head, smiling. “Eat your omelet,” she says gesturing toward my plate with her fork.
Still grinning, I pick up my fork and do as she says.
“What are your plans for the rest of the day?” she asks between bites.
I shrug. “All the boring day off shit, I guess. Laundry, grocery store, clean the apartment. You?”
“You mean after I go home and put on some clean clothes and some underwear?”
My gaze drops lower as if I can see through her jeans to her bare pussy. “You’re not wearing anything under those jeans?”
She rolls her eyes, but I can tell she’s not indifferent to me. “Nope,” she says. “Why? Is that bad?”
I shake my head. “No. I just wish you’d worn one of those sexy dresses yesterday instead of jeans.”
“Yeah?” she says, leaning toward me. “Why is that?”