Page 8 of No Easy Catch
Jeff:Yeah, what’s up?
Amber:I’m chatting with one of those kids you think was involved and I started it trying to be sexy and, well… I’m not sure how to proceed in the conversation.
My phone buzzedand I waited two rings before answering. It wasn’t nearly enough time to calm my racing heartbeat or get my sweaty palms under control. “Yeah?”
“You’retalkingto him right now? In person? Are you an idiot? We need to be discreet.”
“Again, insulting me isn’t in your best interest. I created a fake account online, dumbass. It’s not in person.”
Silence. A loud exhalation. “Oh. Are you at your house?”
Why did I call him again?“Yes, why?”
“I’m coming over.”
Then he hung up.
“Shit!” I stood and admired my outfit. If I counted right, I had about thirty seconds to change from the booty shorts and baggy sweatshirt. I was sans makeup and had a coffee stain on the white material, but I didn’t have time to change. My account pinged with another message.
Dillon:Diva? I really like your profile picture. I’m still hurting from the injury and I think sending another picture, with less clothes, would make me feel better. Here, I’ll send you one as motivation.
Dillon: *image*
I gasped.He’d just sent me a dick pic.Oh my god. My first dick pic.Laughter overwhelmed me and by the time I calmed myself down, a loud knock sounded on my door.Jeff Maddow.“Uh, come in?”
He entered the room and three things happened simultaneously. His cologne filled my small room and I breathed in deeply. He noticed. Then he widened his eyes and pointed to the computer. “Is that a dick?”
“Oh yes.” I giggled again and had to cover my mouth with my hand. “Our boy Dillon wants me to send a slutty picture. I was thinking about doing the elbow thing to make it look like a butt.”
Jeff’s face remained perplexed, but slowly, it transformed from the hard, angry expression to one of amusement and my legs turned to noodles. I didn’t have to like the guy to be attracted to him and how massive he was standing in my room, three feet away from me. Plus, he wore another Henley shirt, showcasing his toned arm muscles and it was probably a good thing it was the dead of winter. I couldn’t promise how I would react to his bare arms.
Shit, his smile is growing.
“Fucking shit.” He threw his head back and howled, and didn’t ask permission before sliding a wooden chest from the end of my bed next to my computer chair and sat right next to me. “This is hilarious. Have you done the elbow thing before?”
“Not since high school. Dare we try it again?”
“I’ll take the shot. Make your arm sexy.” His eyes lit up with amusement, the deep gray almost the same color as the sky outside, and it was hard to ignore how my stomach swooped at our nearness. I had to remind myself.He thinks I’m a part of this scam. That I’m average. He’s out of my league.
I handed him my phone and shoved up the arm of my sweatshirt, making cleavage of my elbow. “Get it?”
“Oh yeah.” He laughed again, deep and rich in timbre, and handed me the phone. “Now I’m wondering if any of the pics I got were just arms.”
“Doubtful. It’s you,” I said, tensing at the realization of what I’d said. He didn’t comment and I considered it forgotten. “Okay, Dillon, let’s play.”
I sent the image and he opened it within the second.
Dillon:Great start. I want to see more. Show me those nips, babe.
“Oh my god.”I cringed and Jeff had the decency to wince. “Do guys do this? Do you do this? My roommates want me to start Tinder and Bumble but if this is what’s waiting for me, I’d rather date myself.”
He rubbed the back of his neck and shrugged. “I want to say no…but…yes?”
I closed my eyes and let out a frustrated breath.He’s not perfect. Good. Remember that.
SportsDiva:We can arrange that but I kinda got a kink for injuries. Tell me about yours. I want to imagine my hands on you.
“Nice.Let’s see what he says,” Jeff said, encouraging me.
