Page 20 of Dangerously Tempting

“Well,” he says slowly. “I will never try to correct you when it comes to women again.”

I can’t help the grin that spreads across my face. “You’d think the fact you’ve never even touched a pussy would be the first clue you shouldn’t be giving advice about women.”

He’d just taken a drink of his beer and starts coughing, his eyes wide with surprise. “You’re such a fucker,” he manages between coughs. “I’m gonna get a new best friend. One that takes my advice at face value instead of spinning it, and who doesn’t try to embarrass the shit out of me in public places.”

“You know you love me. Your life would be so boring without me.”

“It would be peaceful,” he bites back, and I kick his foot under the table, making him laugh. “You aren’t really dumb enough to try and kidnap her, are you?”

I scoff, rolling my eyes. “Of course not. I’ll have to figure something out, though. If she still wants nothing to do with me after we talk, that’s fine. But damn, to get stonewalled like this really sucks.”

He nods his understanding. “Been there a few times. It does suck, but sometimes the best thing that you can do is just let it go.”

“You’re gonna think I sound crazy, but,” I sigh. “I feel like I’m in too deep for that. I know we didn’t spend long enough together for me to feel like that, but we just clicked. I’ve never felt like that with someone so quickly. It feels like a total waste to walk away from that.”

“I don’t think you sound crazy at all.” He taps his finger against his beer mug, narrowing his eyes like he’s contemplating something. “You sound sure,” he adds, meeting my gaze. “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that, but you also know what it’s like being on the other end of that when it’s unwanted.”

I clench my jaw, glaring down at the table for a moment. He’s completely right and it makes me feel like the biggest jackass. After dealing with Tori, I would never want to come on like that to Amelia. “You’re right, which is why I’m going to find a way to make her listen, and if she tells me to fuck off, I’ll do it.”

He nods, pleased with my answer. “Then go for it. All in, right?”

“All in,” I agree.

When we call it a night and go our separate ways, I walk the short distance from the bar to my apartment, which is just a few blocks away. I can’t help but think as I go, needing to have some sort of plan nailed down so I know how I’m going to approach this.

My mind whirls as I try to get an idea and when I finally settle on one I feel like a weight has lifted off my shoulders. It’s not fool proof and she’ll still be able to tell me to fuck off without hearing me out if that’s what she truly wants, but I have to at least try.

She’s ignoring my messages, and the one time I tried to call she sent me straight to voicemail. It’s going to take a bit more to get her to listen, so I’ll make a good attempt. If she says no, I’m not sure what I’ll do, so for now I try not to even think of that possibility and plan for what I’ll say if she agrees to hear me out.

13

Amelia

Playlist: "I Can't Stop Me," TWICE, feat. BOYS LIKE GIRLS

By the time my work day comes to a close, I’m so done with this day. I just want to fall face-first onto my bed and sleep it away. Thoughts of Jameson have kept my mind pulled in multiple directions over the last week and the multitude of mistakes I made because of it has me wanting to rage. I must have had a look on my face all day, too, because hardly anyone has talked to me and a few even made themselves scarce upon my entrance to a room.

I’m still so angry, and I know from bouts of going to therapy that it’s a defense mechanism to keep me from feeling the hurt that’s hidden beneath. Doesn’t make it any easier to turn it off knowing that. It honestly makes me even angrier, because I allowed myself to be put into this position, and now here I am suffering the consequences.

I know I’m being dramatic. I know and still I can’t stop, because if there’s one thing that will push me over the edge it’s lies. I hate lies. Withholding things is the same thing in my eyes as straight up lying. If he’d have been forthcoming from the beginning, we could have run into each other again and just gone about things in a completely different way.

I take the elevator down yet a-fucking-gain, because I still refuse to go down the stairs and risk running into him. His day could already be over and he’d be nowhere to be found, but I don’t dare risk it. I’m at boiling point and I don’t want to cause a scene where I work.

Thankfully Hank’s day is over, too, so I don’t have to fake a smile for him as I make my way out the door past the nighttime doorman who never has much to say. We share a quick nod and I’m on my way down the sidewalk. The foot traffic is less around this time of day and I find myself coming up to a crosswalk by myself.

With the rules of the city, I glance in both directions to make sure no one is coming before stepping onto the crosswalk, even though the little red man is telling me not to cross. I’m only a couple of steps across when I draw up short as a motorcycle cuts in front of me and comes to a stop. I open my mouth to chew the driver out when they flip up the visor of their helmet and I’m met with a set of familiar green eyes.

“Get on.” The words are a demand that has me standing up straighter, my anger flaring.

“Are you out of your damn mind?” I shout as I ball my hands into fists, so tempted to hit him that I almost can’t control it. He scared the shit out of me.

“Just get on the damn motorcycle, Amelia.” He extends a helmet out to me and I glare at it.

“You’re really got a lot of fucking nerve, you know that?”

He just stares at me, lifting the helmet a little higher like he’s not going to take no for an answer. Knowing what little I do of him, that’s probably exactly the case. I cross my arms over my chest.

“If I get on that death trap, you’re not going to go fast and you’re going to fess up to everything.”

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