Page 84 of Inflame

“Did the margaritas finally kick in?” I ask, in awe of Claire’s fiery personality that seems to flare when I least expect it.

“No, but my common sense sure did.”

I move my finger up to touch her red stained lips. “I would have loved to see how far you could swallow me by the red ring you would leave on my dick. You will look so beautiful looking up at me with your mouth stuffed full.”

“It’s amazing how reluctant I am based on your flowery description. I must be the only lame person not jumping to be first in line,” she responds sarcastically with a roll of her eyes. It’s her coping mechanism and way to deflect away from how she is really feeling.

“One taste of what I can offer you and you will be begging for more.”

“Is this what overconfidence looks like?”

“Trust me, I will lick you from hole to hole until you will be writhing with an orgasm so intense that you will need me inside you to lessen the force from it. You will never have to fake it with me, and I will know if you dare to try. I will be anything but lazy when I finally have you. My body is made to worship yours.”

My thoughts are interrupted by the waiter bringing Claire her obscene tray of pancakes. I am glad, though, because all the talk on what I would do to her was getting me hot and bothered.

“Do you ever get tired of overstepping?” she asks me, looking at the food.

I shrug. “Not really.”

“Of course not.”

24

CLAIRE

“Consider it an offering of peace,” Nic says softly, nodding toward the food.

He gives me a boyish shrug that only makes him look innocent. He’s not though. There’s nothing about him that isn’t dark and dangerous. He just hides it all behind a sexy smirk or a nice gesture. But this man is lethal.

When the plate of miniature pancakes arrived, my heart dropped. Strawberries, blueberries, syrup, whipped cream, and chocolate sauce are arranged around a pile of fluffy pancakes. It is a feast for my eyes, and I can’t resist. I dig right in. I indulge.

I am tipsy but not enough to ignore that the man who is seated beside me is fucking with my head. Between the margaritas and the pancakes, he is trying to wear me down.

“Seems like you keep finding yourself in the middle of an unwanted threesome tonight,” I point out, motioning between me and my food.

Nic huffs out a laugh. “Yeah, this seems really unfair to me too.”

“Oh yeah, you are totally the victim.”

“In a way, I am.”

I shake my head at him. “You are crazy. At least you don’t have to live with regret like I do,” I say solemnly.

“Dump him, Claire. It’s an easy concept.”

“Leave me alone.”

I would be better off if Nic wasn’t so damn attractive. He has to know his appeal to women. Probably exploits it and uses it to his advantage. Probably can melt the panties off of even the coldest pussies. I could easily ignore him if he wasn’t so good-looking. The way his lips curl up on the ends with his half-smile-half-laughthinghe does, I can’t decide on whether I want to hit him again or grind against him just to see what it would feel like.

I’m either tipsy or have completely lost my mind.

I still have Ethan’s cum leaking out of me, and I’m toying with the idea of being with Nic—the man who put me in this predicament. Ethan used me. He isstillusing me. I have been at this bar for over an hour, and he has yet to text me or call me. Nothing. I don’t even know where I am going to sleep tonight. I am physically drained of caring about much right now.

I want to continue to be furious with Nic. But that would be misdirected. My current mental state is in such disarray that I don’t know whether or not to be embarrassed or ashamed or angry around a man who has seen me practically naked and in a vulnerable position that should have been intimate and loving with the person that I want to build a future with.

Yet, every time I think about returning to the room where Ethan probably is passed out, it all seems wrong. Everything about the whole situation is wrong.

I keep my focus on my plate of food. It comforts me in the perfect superficial way. Nic clears his throat as I continue to ignore him. He then resorts to tapping his metal ring against the side of his glass, making the most annoying clink-clink sounds.

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