Page 44 of Next Time We'll Fall

“I wasn’t going to take off any clothes until you told me to.”

“Okay,” I say, shrugging, and head over to the other side of the room next to my desk and tap my fingers against it.

All of a sudden, I’m nervous. Like, really nervous, in a way that I haven’t felt in years, and my mouth feels dry. I just stand there.

“Cat got your tongue?” he says, and I turn back to look at him.

He stands up and walks across my small room and stands next to me. I feel his finger trace down the nape of my neck, and I shiver suddenly.

The way he touches me is light, feathery, delicious.

“You need to calm down, my darling,” he says softly as he presses his lips to the back of my neck. “I don’t bite, unless you want me to,” he growls into my ear, and I look up at him with wide eyes.

There’s an intense expression in his gaze, and I feel like I’ve made a bad decision. I feel like I should not have invited him into my room. I feel like Little Red Riding Hood, stuck with the wolf, who’s only just realizing that he’s about to eat her.

I made a mistake. I let him bait me into something that I’m not sure was the smartest thing I’ve ever done.

“Let’s talk about something,” I say quickly. “Let’s talk about movies.”

“Movies?” he says, looking disappointed. “What movies?”

“Let’s watch a movie,” I say, heading back over to the other side of the room. I grab my remote control and turn on the TV. “What do you want to watch?”

“You can decide,” he says as he comes back over.

I take a seat on the side of the bed, and he sits next to me.

“I don’t want to watchShowgirls, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

“Showgirls?” I stare at him. “Why would I want to watchShowgirls?”

“I don’t know. Maybe because it’s a little sexy, and there’s a couple of lap dance scenes, and maybe you needed some heads-up on how to give one.”

“I don’t need to watch a movie to figure out how to give a lap dance,” I say, laughing. “I’m pretty sure I can figure it out just fine by myself.”

“Have you ever given one?” he asks.

“No.”

“Okay. Well, that’s good.”

“I don’t plan on giving you one right now either, if that’s where you think this is going.”

“Would I assume that?”

“I didn’t say you assumed it, but I’m letting you know right now that if you think bringing up lap dances is going to make me all of a sudden want to give you a lap dance, you’re wrong. Just like you were wrong when you brought up the wet T-shirt competition. I’m not just going to go into my bathroom and hand you the shower hose and say,Spray me down so I can shake my boobies at you.”

“Pity. I’d quite like to see your boobies again, all wet in your white T-shirt.”

“Really?”

“What? I’m just being honest. You know those men there last night weren’t there to talk to you about classical music or what movies you enjoyed. They were there to see your tits. So crass. Would you rather I lie? Would you rather I say they were there to find out if you were a good person?”

“No. Just like I won’t lie and say that women are interested in you for your sense of humor.”

“What? Are you trying to say I’m not funny?”

“I’m not trying to say it. I am saying it.”