Page 24 of Master Debater

“Dude, you’re so…” Willa made an exasperated noise. Why she would want to cover up such perfection was beyond me. From the way she talked, I could tell she wasn’t as confident about her body as she deserved to be.

“Turned on by your naked body and addicted to staring at it?” I pressed a kiss to her bare shoulder. “It’s a problem, I know. Although, it’s slightly less of one now that we’ve properly fucked.”

She shook her head, a gesture that was starting to become a common thing whenever we talked. “Oh, is there an improper way?”

“Hell yeah, and I’ll gladly give you a demonstration sometime.” I winced, hoping that wasn’t too close to making plans. Then again, I fully planned for us to enjoy more steamy sessions as time allowed. It’d be beneficial for the both of us.

I sat up, swung my legs to the floor, and reached for my clothes. “Now to decide…” I hopped a few steps before getting my other foot in my boxer briefs, and then worked on pulling on my pants. “Do I scale the balcony like a thief in the night? Or do I go the boring route and leave out the front door?”

Willa climbed out of bed, giving me a full view of that glorious ass before slipping on the panties and nightie she had on when I’d come in through the window. “While I appreciate you imitating Romeo to save the damsel in dildo distress, let’s not risk injuring any part of you that I might need for further rescue missions.” She hesitated, her forehead creasing as she stared at me. “Unless you’re embarrassed and don’t want anyone to see you were with me this late at night.”

I threaded my arms through my shirt, forgoing buttoning the front in favor of drawing her to me. “I’d be happy to shout from the rooftops—or the front porch—that I had sex with the gorgeous creature who lives inside. Given that late hour you mentioned, I just figured our neighbors might call the cops. If they haven’t already put in a noise complaint, that is, since someone is loud.”

She smacked my chest. “Hey, that’s your fault, not mine. I’ll tell them so too.” She caught the sides of my shirt and yanked me to her. “Sorry, Officer, but see this man?” One fist still gripping the front of my shirt, she released the other and ran her hand up and down my torso, as though she were filming a commercial that involved selling my body. “He gave me multiple orgasms. Go ahead and take in the perpetrator. Just…” Suddenly, she was leaning away from me to whisper to the non-existent officer. “Leave the handcuffs.”

The idea of her using her breakthrough on another guy sent a toxic swirl through my gut. “Oh, that’s it, is it? I gave you what you wanted, and now you’re going to try out your new skills on some other guy?”

“I guess if it depends on whether they send one cop or two.” A smirk akin to the one I’d used on her earlier curved her lips. Holy shit, I’d created a monster—a nymphomaniac one at that. “If there’s an Officer Hottie, don’t resist arrest, m’kay? I might need him to stay behind so I have someone to use the handcuffs on.”

I frowned, and she laughed and nudged me out the doorway, into the living room. She was kidding, right?

Right?

The thought soured my jealousy. At the threshold of her front door, I whirled around, no longer giving in to her nudging and creating an unyielding, threatening wall of flesh. “If there’s to be any sort of bondage, it’ll be with me, and you’ll be the one secured and under my command. Got it?”

So much for keeping my words casual.

A combination of passion and delight lit her eyes, and she sank her teeth into her lip, tempting me to drag her right back into her bedroom. But obviously she didn’t realize how serious I was about it being me, because she let loose her smile and said, “Goodnight, Nathan. Wish me luck.”

“With the cops?” I asked—more like barked, and an amused grin spread across her face. Nope, I didn’t like this one bit, despite knowing I couldn’t do a damn thing about it without ruining everything. Who knew I’d be the needy one at the end of the night?

“With my first week of classes. My office is all set up, but tomorrow, I’ll have students to teach.”

The knot in my chest eased. I bent, kissed her lips, and wished her good luck. I meant it too. By the time I crawled into my own bed, I was exhausted and too aware that if I were lucky, I’d get maybe five hours of sleep. Yet, instead of my mind filling with the busy week ahead, I was already anticipating the next time I’d be able to get my hands and lips on Willa.

Chapter 14

Nate

By Friday afternoon, I was a total zombie. I’d skipped the gym in favor of sleeping the past two days, and without being able to work out my frustration on a punching bag or set of weights, I felt extra on edge.

The other people in the office referred to it as grumpiness, and not that there wasn’t some of that in the mix, but Monday night had thrown off my entire sleep schedule. Not that I’d take back that time with Willa. Unfortunately, it emphasized I’d been correct about being too busy for anything besides casual, uncomplicated fun.

My phone beeped, followed by my legal assistant’s lilting southern voice. “You have a visitor.” The image of Willa flickered through my mind, and the tension that’d claimed my body for the past few days unraveled, even as my heart pumped faster.

“Your sister,” Madison finished, and my excitement crumbled at my feet, the rigidity I’d just ridded myself of creeping right through my body again.

Of course it wasn’t Willa. Why would my mind automatically go there, when I hadn’t told her the name of my law firm or the location of my office? She’d feasibly be able to figure it out if she tried. Fox, Hollis, and Associates was not only Googleable under my name, but it was also the only firm with “Fox,” now that my uncles had removed him from what used to be Fowler, Fowler, and Fox Law Partners. At one point, Gil and Bobby had joked they should just go with the Effing Law Firm, as we all had surnames that began with F. They’d also claimed we were all family, that slight difference in our names notwithstanding.

They were liars.

“Nate?” Madison’s voice jerked me out of my vindictive thoughts.

“Go ahead and send her on in.” I shook my head at myself. It’d be easier to convince myself that with my current caseload, my brain simply couldn’t handle any new information if this was the first time I’d blanked due to letting Willa occupy too big a piece of it.

While it’d be easier for her to simply find me at home, I’d spent twelve-hour days seated at this very desk, up to my eyeballs in files, only returning to the building we both occupied in the wee hours of the morning. Now I was wishing I’d gotten Willa’s number so I could text and see how her first week had gone.

Mom would have it, as she’d arranged for Willa to live on the bottom floor, but the number of questions she’d ask prevented me from asking for it. But the next time I crossed paths with my next door neighbor, I’d be sure to get it.

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