Page 129 of Inflame

“Because my car is still at the gym. I’m just going to walk back to the loft apartment instead.”

I can see the anger in Nic’s eyes and deep down I knew he would be. I turn to retreat, and as soon as I am a footstep away, his arm reaches out and grabs ahold of me, stopping me in my tracks. He is direct with his actions but not aggressive. I look down at where his hand touches my skin. It feels like he is scorching me—but in the best kind of way. That is what the man does to me. He makes me melt.

“Why is your car at the gym?”

I can tell he is struggling to remain calm. His voice is shaky, and it feels as if I’m in trouble. “I ran out of gas. And I had some of my coworkers put it in neutral and help me push it to the curb.”

Nic rubs at his temples as he stares at me. Maybe he thinks I am seconds away from saying “just joking.” The sad part is, I am not. It has been a week from hell, and my car needing gas is just the shit sauce on my shitty ass sandwich. I was close enough to the parking lot at the gym, so I can keep it there until I can go buy a gas can and refill it. It is not a big deal.Please don’t make this into a big deal.

I watch as Nic types something into his phone and then reaches for my hand, which I accept without really thinking. I allow him to walk me to his car that is parked at the curb. I enter without argument, feeling defeated by the struggles of the day. He revs the engine and starts on a route that will not lead to my loft.

“You need to make a left up at the intersection,” I say, leaning forward in my seat. Maybe I never gave him the address and he’s confused. I mean, I’m pretty confused as well. That is what lack of sleep does to me, and ever since I was coerced to have sex with Ethan as a bet, I have not had the most restful nights. And now he’s texting me without an obvious motive, other than to make my life even harder. “Why are you giving me the silent treatment?” I ask. I can tell he has some strong emotions brewing inside of him. His fingers are wrapped firmly around the steering wheel and his white knuckles are showing. When the radio comes on, he slams his hand on the button to shut it off. I watch as his breathing is more exaggerated. “Are you pissed off at me?”

“Yes.”

“What? Why?” I scoff. “What did I do?”

“You are the most aggravating woman on the entire planet.”

“Well, you are the most frustrating man on the entire planet.”

“Walking alone on the streets at night… Never asking anyone for help when you really need it… Starving your—”

“That last statement is false.”

“Well, you are at least skipping multiple meals a day. I can tell you are losing weight. And you are without a doubt pissing me the hell off.”

“Tell me how you really feel,” I mumble, slinking back into my seat. I feel drained of life. My clothes are fitting a bit looser, but that is usually a good thing. No one ever complains over less body fat. Why is he so moody?

It isn’t until Nic is pulling into the parking garage at his building that I realize what is happening. I am too emotionally exhausted to care. Or maybe part of me is thrilled that I may actually find rest in his king-sized bed, curled up next to him. I close my eyes and press my face against the cool glass of the window. There’s no stopping Nic when he is on these types of missions, so why even try?

My door opens and hands reach in to forklift me out. Nic is back to not talking to me and I prefer it that way, as opposed to him slinging snappy judgments at me. Homeboy probably never struggled a day in his life. He comes from the picture-perfect family who seem loyal and loving. We are from two separate worlds, yet the only thing I can think about is getting into his orbit.

Like magnets, I am drawn to him. But I’m pissed at him too. He has to work for it, so I might as well enjoy myself. I pull out my lip gloss and make a production out of rolling it along my lips, as we make our way toward the elevator. He should have never let me be privy to the information that I drive him nuts with this gloss. Now it is just too much fun to taunt him with it. I circle around for the third time and then rub my lips together, smoothing out the sheen evenly. Nic’s growl is audible from deep in his throat. Good.Suffer in silence, buddy.

“You are baiting me,” he comments, ushering me inside the elevator as soon as the doors open.

“And what do you think you’ll catch, Nic Hoffman?” I ask. “Feelings?”

His eyes go cold and he shakes his head adamantlyno. “Those days are over. I’m not some white knight who wants to rescue you and make you forget about every man who has done you wrong. Instead, I am the dark villain who saw an opportunity and got off on taking you fromhim.”

I know who the “him” is. Thehimis Ethan Maxwell. But Nic’s wrong. He does care about me. This is more than him just fulfilling a sexual kink. He thinks he is damaged somehow, and I’m reckless enough to believe that the right woman could change everything about his perception. Or at least have fun trying.

“Good,” I hum. “Bad boys are always more fun.”

“Is that so?” he growls.

“One hundred percent.”

The elevator stops, and we exit into his apartment. I don’t even bother asking why we are here. It’s not like he is in the market to do anything I say right now. His body language is hard. Impenetrable.

I kick off my shoes and toss my bag beside them on the floor.

“What would you say if I told you I have athingfor dark villains?”

“I would say you are incredibly reckless and naive.”

I click my tongue and stare at my nails. “Good thing your opinion doesn’t matter to me.”

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