Page 24 of On the Line

“What’s that for?” she huffs, trying to sound casual.

“You know,” I say while I slowly trap her between my body and the shelves. Her back hits them and she startles but does nothing to push me off. “I’d love for you to prove me wrong. Show me you can be bad …” I rasp, looking her up and down. “Why don’t you do something a little depraved? Can you do that, sweetheart?”

Her eyes are wide, swiftly searching my face. The primal urge to pin her hips with mine is almost unbearable but I don’t move, waiting to see if she’ll object.

Finally, she holds up the chocolate bar, looking at me questioningly, before she whispers, “What does this have to do with anything?”

Slowly, I grin. I’m salivating. The anticipation of her reaction already tastes so sweet on my tongue.

“You’re going to go in the back, unwrap this.” I tap a finger on the Snickers bar. “And slide it up your pretty cunt.” Her breath hitches, and my cock swells against my boxers. “Then bring it back to me.” I crowd her just a little bit more. “I want to taste you on it.”

The silence that follows is electric, her eyes still wideand fixed on me. The air is practically crackling around us, and for one perfect second, I think she might actually do it. Until she shoves me off and throws the chocolate bar on the floor.

“You’re out of your fucking mind, salad boy,” she says heatedly, storming out of the storage room.

I regain my footing while I watch her march off. A sick thrill still racing through my veins.

That was even more entertaining than expected.

10

JAMES

My table is hemming and hawing over the menu, I keep my smile prim and proper while I wait for them to make a decision. In an effort not totap, tap, tapmy pen on my paper pad, I let my gaze drift.

Like a compass always pointing north, my eyes land on the kitchen. I can’t see Ozzy from where I’m standing, but it doesn’t stop me from staring at the pass like I’ll eventually conjure him up from force of will alone.

I’ve been avoiding him since he cornered me in the storage room a week ago. I knew he could be crude—all the line cooks are—but hearing him say the word cunt, especially referring tomine, unraveled me in ways I wasn’t expecting.

I ran out of there, terrified of what I would do next. But it’s left me craving to hear every single, filthy thing that could come out of his lewd mouth.

And that’s why I need to stay away.

I’ve avoided Zachary for almost as long. Luckily, he wasbusy with lacrosse practice all weekend so he didn’t have much free time to question my absence.

I’ve never even considered cheating on Zachary before. Although with all the illicit daydreams I’ve been having, it almost feels like I already am.

Maybe … I should’ve broken up with him a long time ago.

But it’s just not that simple … I can easily convince myself that I love everything about him—except the way he makes me feel. I’ve grown numb to the pain, not to mention that he’s somehow convinced me I’d be miserable without him.

The irony is painful to admit.

Anytime I try to imagine a life without Zachary, his words snake into my hypothetical freedom and tarnish it.

No one will ever love you like I do.

I’m the best you’ll ever have.

You’d be nothing without me.

“Miss?”

My eyes snap back to my table.

Shit.

I hope I wasn’t staring off into space for too long. I widen my smile. “Ready?”

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