Page 43 of All of Him
“But we’re coworkers and friends. If anything is going to ruin that, it’s going to be my awkwardness.”
“I get what you mean,” I assured her, still struggling to get words out clearly. “I like this, and I don’t want to ruin it with a one-night stand.”
“You also said you weren’t aone-night standguy,” she reminded me, pointing. “So, hypothetically, even if youdidlike me, you wouldn’t be acting on it so early.”
“You have a point,” I responded nervously. “But I don’t…like you, I mean.”
“I know,” she replied sweetly. “And I don’t like you either. But it’s been made pretty clear that we both find the other attractive,especiallyjust now, so we have to tread carefully.” Her voice rang with so much confidence despite what had just transpired.
I took that to mean that she was being truthful about how she felt, which relieved me. My dick, on the other hand, argued with everything we were saying. My body wanted her back on my lap.
“But I make you nervous,” I reminded her, trying to erase any doubt that she was bluffing.
She tossed a coaster at me, laughing.
“Don’t I?”
“Not anymore,” she said without skipping a beat. “Not anymore.”
23
Amanda
THE ENGAGEMENT PARTY WASin full swing. There were twenty-five people in my apartment, and I’d been running around all day to make everything perfect. Delia and Teel were happy with the setup, and the rest of the bridal party complimented me on the food and decorations. I was proud of myself but distracted.
With everything that had been going on all day, I hadn’t had much time to think about the night before.
Noah and I had stayed up until two, talking about everything and anything. He’d had plenty of time to let the beers go through him, so he ended up driving home after all. Thehome safetext he sent me?
Thanks for everything tonight. Home safe. You have a hole in your jeans.
I had.
There were times that had scared me as we sat and talked in my living room. It wasn’t the fact that he carried so much baggage or the fact that he straight-up told me he was bad at being a friend. What scared me was that I noticed little things about him. I noticed the way his nostrils twitched when he smirked, the way his eyes followed me as I took a swig of my drink.
And that we’d unintentionally turned each other on.
I’d never been in a relationship, and what I had with Noah was absolutely not a relationship. But I saw the potential. I saw something possibly happening months, maybe years down the line. That terrified me more than anything. I’d never been a girl for commitment, and he wasonlyfor commitment. It would never work, and the fact that I saw him as a potential boyfriend made me want to do everything I could to avoid breaking his heart.
Sitting on his lap? Probably not the best move.
What straddling himhaddone? Reminded me that it had been much too long since I’d been with anyone. With the promotion looming and all of my preoccupation with Noah, I hadn’t tended to that side of myself.
When I had felt him beneath me, I had been taken aback. Even though I found myself admiring him from time to time, I hadn’t expected for him to react to me in that way. If there had been more alcohol in my system, I might have moved against him. Thankfully, my self-control was intact. Whether or not we ended up progressing down the line, the look in his eyes had told me that it wasnotthe time. Not even close.
“Marcus,” I said, grabbing Delia’s bridesman’s arm, “does everything seem to be going well?”
Marcus turned to look at me, his blue eyes admiring my legs in my short black dress. Finally, they landed on mine with a glimmer.
“Everything is wonderful. You did good, Amanda.”
I breathed a sigh of relief and leaned against the wall next to him.
“Dating anyone?”
I shook my head, knowing exactly where he was going with this. I didn’t mind; I trusted him.
“You?” I asked.
