Page 87 of Hale Yes
“Thursday… Thursday…” I tap my chin, pretending to think about it. “Hmmm, that was chicken spaghetti day in the cafeteria right?”
He drops a glare on me that makes my panties feel suddenly damp. “Nicolette.” My name growled from between his clenched teeth doesn’t help matters in my lower region one tiny bit.
“Ohhh, are you talking about…” I lean forward until our faces are inches apart. “The S-E-X?”
“You know damn well that’s what I’m talking about. Do you really think it’s a good idea for us to be together after work given that two days ago, I devoured your pussy, bent you over, and then fucked you until your cunt was raw?”
Well, when he puts it like that…
I shift my feet so I can cross my right leg in front of the left, attempting to apply a little friction to my now-throbbing clit. The needy bitch.
“Given that all that took place in the lab, I’d be more worried about us being alone together there. But if you'd prefer not to see me outside of work, I understand.” Surprisingly, my voice sounds cooler than I feel.
Helix seems to deflate, and his shoulders droop. “That’s not actually what I’d prefer at all.” One of his hands lifts and then falls, as if he’d been about to touch me but thought better of it. “I like spending time with you, Nicolette.”
“I like spending time with you as well, but if it makes you uncomfortable, we can just see each other at work.” I didn’t expect the wave of disappointment that washes over me when I say those words. I’d developed a bit of a dependency on seeing Helix every Friday night, eating meals with him, laughing.
“I love working with you, but I like non-work Nicolette just as much. You’re easy.”
I tilt my head and arch my eyebrows. “Wow, you get railed by your bossone time, and all of a sudden, you’re labeled as easy.”
Laughter barks from him, and he lightly pushes my shoulder. “Stop. You know that’s not what I mean.” His smile turns boyish and almost shy. “I feel like I can be myself around you.”
A tingle of emotion forms at the back of my throat, and I swallow it down. “I feel the same. Would it be better if we took separate cars when we go out? Like today?” He’d had family stuff to do before the game, so I told him I would drive myself.
He crosses his arms over his chest, and frown lines appear on his forehead. “No.”
No? That’s it? Just no?
My lips twitch. “Are you pouting, Dr. Hale?”
“I don’t pout,” he says, still obviously pouting. With a roll of his eyes, he uncrosses his arms. “Okay, maybe a little, but there’s no need taking two cars when we’re going to the same place. As responsible members of the scientific community, we have to think about the environment and conserving resources.”
“This is true,” I add, trying not to laugh at his apparent attempts to justify us riding together.
“I can still pick you up, and then simply drop you off at your townhouse at the end of the night. That way we still get to enjoy each other’s company without any of the, uh…”
“Any of this?” I suggest, crudely poking the finger of my right hand in and out of the circle of my left fist.
He snorts out another laugh and shakes his head. “Definitely no more of that.” His voice goes deeper, and…is he standing a few inches closer to me?“Not that I didn’t enjoy it very much, Nicolette.”
“I did too,” I whisper, feeling the sexual tension like a rubber band between us, stretching to its limits until it either breaks or snaps us back together.
I watch as Helix’s Adam’s apple bobs up and down a few times, and then he steps back, leaving me with prickles of sweat on my neck that have nothing to do with the humidity.
“Okay, I’ll pick you up at seven Friday night. Do you still want pizza since we’ll be all dressed up? Or I could make a reservation somewhere nicer.”
“Pizza sounds good. I like getting a little fancy and then going to regular places. Makes people wonder what you’re up to.”
He chuckles. “Daddio’s Pizzeria it is.”
I reach for my door handle, but Helix’s hand is already there, and I repress a shiver at the feel of his warm skin, remembering the expert way he touched me a couple nights ago. He swings it open, and I toss my small bag on the passenger’s seat before turning to him.
“One more request.”
He nods. “Okay, what is it?”
With a boldness that comes from god-only-knows-where, I stroke a finger from his shoulder down to his firm abdomen.
