Page 98 of Hale Yes
Blowing out a breath, I reverse my circle because I’m getting dizzy going the other way.
“Okay, you’re right. I shouldn’t get my hopes up for anything more. I know you didn’t actually say that, but I can literally hear you right now inside my head. I should woman up, go out there, and have a rational conversation with him. I just really, really like him, Lehra. More than I’ve ever liked anyone. We get along and have so much in common. And did I mention his mega-dick? Pretty sure I did.
“All right, babe. I’ve been in here so long, I really do have to pee now. Thanks for talking me off the ledge, even though you did absolutely zero talking. You’re the best. Love you.”
Hanging up, I push out a sigh. I feel better after saying all that out loud and getting it off my chest. Until I look up.
A woman is standing at the sink in the main part of the restroom. She appears to be about my height, so about five-seven, though she’s wearing modest pumps that perfectly match her periwinkle suit. It looks designer, the classic cut draping perfectly on her slender frame.
Her hair is dark with a few tendrils of gray at the temples. Weirdly, that makes me like her a lot. She obviously comes from money, but she’s the picture of aging gracefully. I would put her probably in her late fifties.
As she stands there with her arms crossed over her chest, she meets my eyes and smiles a knowing smile.
Fucking fuck a duck. How long has she been there? I’ve been in the anteroom and there’s only one entrance to this restroom, which is behind me. Even though I was distracted, I would have seen her if she’d come in since she would have walked right by me, so I’m assuming she’s been in here the entire time.
Which means she most likely heardeverything. I stare at her, scrolling through the one-sided conversation in my mind.
The enormous dick, getting eaten out, the potential bruising of my cervix, the vehicular finger-banging, getting tied up… Oh. My. God… I talked about my asshole clenching! And she most likely heard it all.
“I am so sorry,” I begin. “I didn’t know anyone else was in here.”
“Obviously,” the woman says, her grin widening. Her lips are beautiful, coated with a lovely pink color that looks a lot like Hale’sPerfect Peonyshade.
It hits me then, and I scramble back into my brain to see if I mentioned Helix’s name at any point in my long-winded monologue. That could be a freaking public relations nightmare for the company if personal information of a sexual nature came out about a core member of the very high-profile Hale family. Especially things that are a little on the kinky side.
I’m ninety-nine percent sure I didn’t mention his name because I didn’t need to. I’d talked to Lehra about my crush on Helix before, so she would be aware of exactly whom I was speaking of.
Sucking in a deep breath, I say, “Again, I apologize for…” I wave my hand vaguely. “All that. I’m normally a very calm and private person, but I was having a bit of a, um, personal internal crisis.”
Her smile fades into an expression of polite neutrality. “We all do from time to time, dear, and I’m afraid I’m the one who should apologize. I should have made my presence known, but you really seemed to be on a roll, and I felt bad interrupting.”
A giggle escapes my lips, and she laughs too, the sound light and pleasing to the ears. “I don’t blame you,” I say. “I definitely would have eavesdropped if I’d heard someone rambling about those kinds of things.”
She tosses the hand towel I hadn’t realized she was holding into the hamper and walks toward me, her heels clacking on the intricate mauve tiles before they’re silenced by the thick carpet.
“I know it’s none of my business, dear, but if I may be so bold as to offer a word of advice?”
“Of c-course,” I stammer, not knowing what the hell else to say. I’d just subjected this poor woman to the dirty details of my sex life. Surely I could hear her out.
“First of all, whether or not you’re special doesn’t depend on what another person thinks. That has to come from inside. You seem like an intelligent young woman, and you’re obviously quite confident in your sexuality.” Her lips turn down a hint at the edges. “To be honest, that’s something I wish I had.”
She looks sad, so I reach out and squeeze her arm. “You are stunningly beautiful…” I pause for her name.
“Ophelia.”
“You are drop-dead gorgeous, Ophelia. There’s no reason you shouldn’t have all the confidence in the world.”
“Oh, honey,” she laughs. “I’m way past my prime.”
Releasing her, I cross my arms over my chest. “Says who?”
Her perfect eyebrows wing upward. “Society.”
“Fuck society. Age is just a number, and no one gets to decide what you do with your body except for you.”
Ophelia laughs. “Oh my, you are refreshing, er… Sorry, I know a lot of things about you but not your name.”
“Nicolette,” I answer, feeling a blush creep up my neck when I think about all the things this woman overheard. She literally knows the state of my asshole when I’m thinking about getting fucked.
