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Mingled in with humiliation and fury is something else—a hot burning desire that pools between my legs and makes my nipples even tighter. As infuriating as Tate Harrison is, I can’t deny that he’s a very attractive, sexy man, and his eyes on me feels erotic in a way I’ve never felt before.
But this can’t happen. I’m essentially his boss, and I will not put my new position as principal in jeopardy for a hook-up.
Ripping my arms out of his grip, I draw my robe closed tightly over my breasts and glare up at him. “Not one word, Mr. Harrison.” I point my finger at his face, which still has a hungry, wolfish look that’s doing nothing to extinguish the fire of desire between my thighs. “Not. One. Goddamn. Word!”
I storm past him before he can see just how humiliated and horny I am, and I literally run toward my car, hitting the fob to open the door, throwing myself inside. As I watch Tate jog up the stairs to his apartment, I relive our collision over and over again. Each time my cheeks burn when I think about his hungry eyes on my breasts and the very obviously bulge in his shorts.
Before I can spiral completely out of control, I fish around in the central console, and my fingers brush the smooth glass of my phone. Thank god! I grab the handset and peer up at Tate’s front door to make sure it’s closed before I jump out of my car, lock it and hightail it back to my apartment.
Once I’m safely locked in and back on the couch, I chug half my glass of wine to settle my nerves and swipe my phone open.
No messages.
I can’t help the stab of disappointment that twists in my stomach when I glance at the time and notice it’s nine-fifteen. NerdGuy has messaged me without fail every night this week around this time so why not tonight? Has he grown tired of me because even though our messages are verging on flirty, he wants to step things up and doesn’t think I do? Has he matched with someone else? All these thoughts flash through my brain, and I realize I’m letting Patrick back in by doubting what NerdGuy and I have going on. I’m pissed at myself for letting my confidence—a confidenceI’ve spent time slowly and painfully rebuilding since my divorce—be stripped back so easily.
NerdGuy has given me no indication that he’s bored with our interactions. I mean, he’s fifteen minutes late, and it’s Friday night. He could be out with friends or working late. We made no solid arrangements to message tonight. He owes me nothing.
Jesus, I need more wine if I’m going to spiral completely out of control! Just as I rise from the couch to pour myself another glass, my phone bleeps with the tone I’ve assigned to the Curve Connection app, and my heart leaps in my chest. I reach out and see the notification that I have a message from NerdGuy. Before I can swipe to unlock the screen, I take a deep cleansing breath. I can’t act like an over-eager teenage girl. I need to give it some time before I reply.
I make myself go to the kitchen, fix some popcorn and a glass of wine, load the dishwasher and wipe down the countertops. I don’t want to play games but I do want to manage my expectations. If a twenty-minute delay is going to cause this much drama in my head, perhaps I’m not cut out for online dating.
As I settle back down on the couch, the app beeps again so I deposit my drink and snacks on the coffee table and swipe my phone and open the app.
NerdGuy: Hi babe. How’s your day been? Sorry I’m late, got caught up in a thing with my neighbor.
NerdGuy: Babe? Hope you haven’t fallen asleep but if you have that’s okay. I know your job can be emotionally draining. I just sit at a desk all day looking at a screen. You’re shaping the minds and hearts of the future.
I read his messages and feel my heart swell. He’s so kind and thoughtful, he already knows how much my job means to me and how, even though it can be wonderful and fulfilling, it does take an emotional toll on me. I can see the green dot by his name which means he’s still online so I type out a message and settle back into the sofa, not even reaching for my Kindle tonight.
Chapter 8
Tate
Scrubbing my hair dry after my shower, I hear the muffled sound of my phone beeping in the bedroom. Quickly, I wrap the towel around my waist and retrieve it from under the pile of damp running gear I threw on the bed after my encounter with Jess.
Jesus, just thinking about it makes my cock thicken and tent the front of the towel. When she slammed into me and I grabbed her, the thin plaid robe she was wearing slipped to reveal the tempting valley between her firm breasts. I got a little peek at her hard brown nipples before she pulled away, and I swear to god, it took every ounce of restraint not to pick her up by her round ass and pin her against the wall. I could see by the way she grazed her eyes hungrily up and down my body that she was having similar dirty thoughts to me, but we both knew it would be a terrible idea.
So instead of acting on my desire to ravage her, I took my ass upstairs and threw myself into a cold shower. I can’t even let myself think about Jess while I jerk off, so a cold shower it is.
But with the arrival of a message from TeacherGal, my evening takes a pleasant turn, so I pull on a pair of sweatpants and head into the kitchen to grab a beer from the fridge. I swipe open the app as I settle into the recliner and smile broadly when I read her message.
TeacherGal: I have an embarrassing confession. I thought you’d lost interest because you were late messaging me. I bet you had no idea you were talking to a pathetic loser :(
I chuckle at her honesty and sense of fun, taking a swig of beer before I message her back.
NerdGuy: Oh, you’re a pathetic loser as well? I had no idea. I haven’t seen you at the meetings [crying laughing emoji]
TeacherGal: Really? I’m the one in the corner crying into the donuts because someone has taken the last glazed one.
NerdGuy: Well I’m sorry I was late, didn’t mean to make you feel like a loser. How’s your day been? Any funny stories to share?
TeacherGal: Hahahahaha, actually yes. I was hanging out with the first graders today and they were learning about the farm in preparation for their field trip. One little girl asked me, “When a cow licks itself does it taste like hamburgers?” I honestly laughed for 10 minutes. Kids are so amazing. I never even considered that to be a possibility. [laughing emoji, cow emoji, tongue emoji, burger emoji]
I chuckle to myself at the story and feel something in my chest squeeze. It must be incredible working with kids. I’ve seen it during my time at Crescent Bay Elementary; the chatter of excitement in the classrooms and the hallways, the way the teachers make learning fun and stimulating. It must be so rewarding, a lot more so than being a slave to the keyboard like I am.
As usual, we fall into easy conversation about our week at work and things that have happened in the news. I’m a huge Seattle Whalers fan, so I talk a little about our prospects for the season, and she admits she’s never seen a hockey game before. She’s more of a baseball fan and follows the L.A. Angels, so we agree that if we decide to go on a real date, we’ll do one at a hockey game and one at a baseball game.
We talk well into the night, much longer than we have all week, but I figure it’s Friday night so neither of us have work in the morning. However, I feel like I should check in just in case she’s too polite to call an end to our conversation.
