Page 4 of Master Debater

My heart splatted in my chest, in desperate need of a defibrillator. Then again, I’d likely tell the paramedics not to bother resuscitating me. I’d hate to die of embarrassment twice in one night.

“Allow me to start over,” he said, a little laugh coming out when I removed my hand by yanking back my elbow as if I were pulling the string on a bow. It hung there awkwardly for a second or two before I plastered it to my side. “The name’s Nathan Fox, but I usually just go by Nate.”

“Willa Trainor,” I offered. “But I usually go by ‘how-about-we-pretend-this-never-happened?’ Sometime tomorrow, after I’ve showered and had a chance to put my road trip in the rearview mirror, I’ll come out of my side of the duplex, and we can pretend we’re meeting for the first time.”

Nate nodded, and the knot in my chest eased. Then he shook his head. “Even if I lied and agreed, that’s far too long a name for me to remember. And the truth is, Willa Trainor, that I’d never be able to follow through.” He bent his head, his voice dropping low as his mouth moved near my ear, and a pleasant shiver had its way with my spine. “It’s not every day a woman shows me her collection before we’ve even exchanged names.”

His gaze dipped to my cleavage, and his eyes darkened. I didn’t delude myself into thinking it meant anything more than I had on a tank top that showed off one of the things the good Lord had blessed me with in abundance. Plenty of guys enjoyed ogling the girls, but I had the hips, booty, and the tummy to match. So, while ripped guys like Nate might enjoy looking, and even occasionally sampling, they would never settle for my body type in the long run.

Not that I was searching for long run.

Or anything at all.

Perhaps Nathan Fox and I could strike an arrangement. I’d let him motorboat me to his heart’s content if he agreed to be my first new sexual partner in over eight years. We could also come up with another reward if he managed to give me an orgasm.

Again, that spot between my legs clenched, screaming yes, please.

But I knew better. The box of adult toys would be far less complicated and, better yet, I wouldn’t have to worry about them scrutinizing me while naked.

You’ve just let yourself go, Willa.

I wish you weighed what you did when we got married.

You just take a lot more work than you used to.

Suddenly, Nate dropped to his knees in front of me, and I took back everything I’d just thought—hell, I’d take whatever of this man I could get. “You’re bleeding.” He swiped his thumb across the top of my knee, a mere inch or so from where my skin hung in bloody patches and streams of crimson traversed my shins. My jaw dropped of its own accord, and it wasn’t

only on account of my injuries.

The apex between my thighs throbbed, sure it was about to get what it’d been hoping for.

Then Nate popped back up to his feet, with way more speed than I’d be able to, especially injured and after the long day I’d had. His fingers circled my wrist, much the same way as when he’d caught me and prevented me from falling, only with more tenderness. “Come on. I’m guessing your first aid supplies are in boxes, so we’d better head over to my place and get you all patched up.”

For reals, a ridiculously handsome guy was going to tend to my wounds? What else could I do but agree and allow him to pull me along?

Chapter 3

Nate

The contents of my medicine cabinet clattered together as I searched for the hydrogen peroxide and Band-Aids.

As soon as we’d stepped inside the en suite bathroom, I’d wetted a washrag and instructed Willa to sit on the tile that housed the giant tub and hold it to her scraped up knees.

It was so like my mother to rent out the first floor of the duplex without bothering to give me a heads-up. She undoubtedly did it on purpose this time, as she’d promised to keep the place vacant. The plan was to hire a contractor, renovate the place from top to bottom, and rent it out for three times the rate she never charged the tenants she found anyway. The woman collected stray people like crazy cat ladies collected vagrant felines, often opening her wallet and offering whatever she had, regardless of how far-fetched the sob story.

I’d have to hand it to her this time—she’d never rented to anyone so fucking sexy before.

I shoved aside the shaving kit I rarely even used anymore. People seemed to find the scruffy version of me more intimidating than the clean-cut version, and in my business, dominance was essential. Most people claimed possession was nine-tenths of the law but appearing intelligent and daunting landed closer to the truth. No one wanted a lawyer who was unsure of himself and too timid to do what it took to win.

There they are.

Loaded up with medical supplies, I approached the woman who’d crashed into my life about a half an hour ago.

Considering the boorish way I’d knocked her and her boxes over, perhaps I was the one who’d done the crashing.

I crouched next to Willa, my gaze snagging on her breasts. Not only were they spectacular, they now sat at eye level. I relived the memory of them rising and falling against my chest, her rapid, shallow breaths similar to how I assumed they’d be whenever she used the items in her box of various sex toys.

My blood pumped hotter, and I longed to do a lot more than play doctor. Strike that. That’s exactly what I want to play.

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