Page 106 of The Way I Hate Him
I find the lotion, and just as I turn around, Hayes stands from his chair, and I get a good look at him.
His chestnut hair is pieced out, styled slightly to the side but messy. A sexy, purposeful style that would stop anyone in his path. Jacklyn didn’t do much to his face, but what she did only highlights his light eyes, making them seem more dangerous and mysterious. And then there’s his bare chest, not a fleck of hair on it, smooth, thick, contoured . . . just impossibly attractive. God . . . I hate him.
I hate him so much for being that attractive.
I hate him for bringing me into his life because I was doing fine without him.
I hate he won’t even look at me the way I wish he would.
And I hate that even though he’s broken me a few times, I still very much want him.
Especially at this moment.
I want to walk up to him, wrap my hand around his neck, and bring his lips down to mine. And I want to not just kiss him, but I desperately want him to kiss me back . . . and that’s why I hate him the most.
He’s made me desperate for him.
It’s why I need to stay away.
After today of course.
“Everything okay?” he asks, a quirk to his brow.
“Yup,” I say as I squirt some of the lotion on my hand, the consistency not what I expected. It’s thinner and has that oily texture, but it’s not pure baby oil, which I’m sure will make it easier for him to get off.
I set the bottle down, rub the lotion in my hands, then step up to him. Jacklyn is busy cleaning one of her brushes, so it’s almost as if we have a small moment of privacy. I lift my hands to his pecs and then press my palms to his heated skin. I focus on anything but his face as I gently rub the lotion over his thick, strong chest. A chest I’ve never felt on a man before. Matt’s body had nowhere near this kind of physique, and anyone I dated before Matt was just a child.
Hayes is on a different level.
A much different level.
“Don’t do that,” he says quietly, catching my attention.
I look up at him and say, “Do what?”
“Bite the corner of your mouth like that.”
I didn’t even realize I was doing it.
“I wasn’t doing it on purpose.”
“Well, don’t.”
“Why not?” I ask as I move my hand down his abs. He sucks in as my hands skim over the individual stack of muscles.
Through clenched teeth, he says, “Because it’s hot.”
My eyes shoot up to his in surprise just as Jacklyn joins us. “Okay, sorry about that,” she says. “I had to clean my brush, but I’m ready. Looks like you’ve done his chest so far, perfect. I’ll follow in closely.”
And then, for the next few minutes, I rub lotion over Hayes, rubbing it in as Jacklyn teaches me, and she follows along with her highlighter. The entire time, I feel Hayes’s eyes on me, following my every stroke to the point that my heart’s nearly beating out of my chest when I finish.
When I step away, I can still feel every contour and flex of his muscles against my palm. I can hear his soft intakes of breath when I pay attention to a new part of his body. And I can feel the blaze of his eyes on me when Jacklyn goes to wash her brush again.
Unable to stand here under his stare, I give myself a few moments to collect myself as I wash my hands.Pull it together, Hattie. Be professional.No one else is on the verge of panting while in his presence.
“We’re ready for you,” Kevin says, popping his head in.
“Coming,” Hayes says but doesn’t move toward the door. Instead, he steps toward me and places his hand on my lower back before whispering, “You ready?”
