Page 13 of Throttle

Her voice, quiet and sweet, makes my pulse jump when she answers. I can't explain the need to hear her at this moment. “I thought you’d be enjoying some hang-around bouncing her boobies in front of your face.”

The fact she knows I bed a lot of women, like a second hobby, is disturbing.

“Nah, not tonight.” I spare her the truth, not wanting her to believe I’m a complete dickwad. “Hang on, I’ll face time you.”

“Wait, I have to tell you—”

I don’t give her the chance to finish her sentence before hanging up and clicking the camera on my iPhone. Her beautiful face shows up on my screen as she answers with her emerald diamond eyes shining under her adorable, studious glasses. When I see her in my shirt, my stomach does this weird floppy thing. A shirt I’ve been looking for.

“Is that mine?” I speak with a playful tone.

She grins. “Busted. Honestly, I thought you would have forgotten about it.”

“I did until I saw you wearing it.” My dick twitches when she reaches for her mug and she only has said shirt on and tiny boy shorts, catching sight of her toned ass.

Fuck.

It shouldn’t affect me as much as it does. Not her. Not Tequila. It can’t. She doesn’t deserve my disgusting, perverted thoughts.

Her dark hair falls over her shoulder while she nudges up her glasses. She rarely wears them, but when she does…

I brush away any thoughts of her acting as a sexy librarian. “Wanna finish our show? Or did you watch it without me?”

“Well, I could say I didn’t. But then I would be lying.”

“Oh, my sweet Tequila Rose. You're practically requesting to be punished.”

She freezes and starts nibbling on her bottom lip while my penis instantly swells.

Take note: refrain from expressing sexual desires to your attractive best friend.

I study her through the screen, and I can’t help but grin. With her hair piled high on top of her head and small strands brushing against her face, she looks stunning. Especially without makeup. But she’s always perfect.

I try to glance behind her because I've yet to step foot in her apartment. Even after years, I still don’t know her address. I give her the privacy and respect, though some days I’m tempted to follow her home. However, I can tell from the little view that the walls are smeared with colored flowers and artsy pictures in every corner. It's not shocking. Her personality screams delicate and alive.

“I passed my exam today! I actually thought I failed, so I was excited.” She tucks her loose strands of hair behind her ear. “Throttle?”

She knocks me out of my trance. “That’s awesome. But I knew you could do it. There’s never a doubt in my mind. You’re the smartest woman there is.”

She smiles. “I wish I believed in myself as much as you do.”

“I’ll always be here to remind you.” We stare at each other through our phones, me wishing I was there with her. “All right. Ready to watch episode fifteen?”

“Episode fifteen?! You accused me of watching it without you, and here you are, five episodes ahead of me.”

Smiling, I start one of the many shows we view together. It's something special between us. Video games, anime, tv, movies. I was the worst for her, despite her being a perfect match for me. I got my brothers, but that’s different. On a shit day, it’s her I want to talk to. Unfortunately, the ratio of bad to good days is unfavorable. Though I’ll save her the gory details of what I do behind closed doors, even if she already has a decent idea.

We silently watch the same episode, occasionally stealing glances at each other. She giggles at the funny parts and bites her nail at the suspenseful ones. I can’t help but stare a little longer than I should.

When I look again, she is completely silent and motionless. Her thick lashes graze the tops of her cheeks, and her chest rises and falls. Short, delicate breaths, I wish I could experience on my skin. I bet they’re soft and warm. Like being kissed by a flower.

“Sleep well, my Tequila Rose.” I hit end, close my laptop and light another cigarette.

This calls for an exception.

“What are we looking at, boss?” I gather my cut, hoping my nipples don’t freeze and snap off. Despite the sun rising, it's still a comfortable twenty-eight degrees out here.

“Yeah. I’m freezing my nuts off.” Tank rubs his hands together and Hush, who’s standing beside him, yanks up his hood.

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