Page 31 of Best Served Hot
‘No, I think I’ll just sleep in my clothes, like a dirty stop-out,’ Nicole said. ‘I’ll go home in the morning to get changed. Hopefully, he’ll be out of the house by then.’
Alex gave her a small smile. ‘Sleep well, then.’
Nicole started getting herself settled while Alex went into her room to get ready for bed. She lay down under the covers and closed her eyes. Today had been a hell of a long day, and consciousness could feel free to fuck off any time it liked.
But consciousness stayed where it was. Hours went by, and sleep would not come. Alex wondered what it was exactly. Was it the confrontation with Ethan? Maybe. Was it worry about Nicole? Could be.
Nicole was a grown woman, Alex reminded herself. That was the only way to think about this. Alex was in no position to mother Nicole.
She felt better for drawing that conclusion. But she still couldn’t sleep. She was still thinking about Nicole, vaguely.
Suddenly, some part of her brain, a part that had been slacking off lately, seemed to wake up. And it said, ‘Hey! Alex! Dummy! Did you get the message yet? What has two thumbs and a crush on her co-conspirator?You, idiot.’
Oh crap. Of course. Nicole, with her warm, dark eyes and her kind smile. It had to happen, didn’t it? But how in the hell had Alex missed it until now?
She’d always known Nicole was stunning. Even dishevelled and in need of a good night’s sleep, it was hard to miss. But when Alex had noticed Nicole’s beauty (and noticedherselfnoticing it), she’d been too wrapped up in amazement that Ethan was lucky enough to get this woman and then dumb enough to risk it all for a fling with Alex.
Even after getting to know Nicole better, spending real time with her and feeling a personal admiration growing, the crush had still flown under Alex’s radar because she’d mistaken wanting to bewithher with wanting tobeher.
Well, now she knew. And now she would have to pretend she didn’t. Nicole was hetero to the best of Alex’s knowledge. And the way they’d met? Forget it. Alex wasn’t putting kissing Nicole on her Christmas list.
Alex had better get this nonsense out of her system and fast. Because Nicole might have been sleeping feet away, but in those terms? She could have been on the other side of the planet.
Twenty-One
Alex’s lumpy sofa was Shangri la to Nicole because it offered some peace. And the thought of sleeping next to Ethan after the things she’d heard him say? For all her talk about her method of detaching from her anger around him, she didn’t know if it would work tonight.
She couldn’t look at him, never mind sleep next to him. He’d be unconscious, and she had a pillow that would fit over his face too nicely. She wasn’t going to prison for him.
When Nicole woke the next morning, he’d texted her. It had been sent just after seven. He hadn’t cared last night, just gone to bed and slept the sleep of the carefree.
Where are you?
It got so late that I just kipped in the office,she texted back.Sorry.
Oh, alright. See you later.
It was as easy as she’d expected. He didn’t care. She was way past being disappointed by that. It was these little things that kept the fire burning.
Things had been like this for a long time, almost since the beginning. But she’d believed that was a good thing. That he was secure enough to let her have her own life without feeling like he had to keep tabs on her.
But every time her work called her away, now she knew. He’d been punching the air with delight. Her absence was simply party time for him. He’d be getting a lot of that soon. But he wasn’t going to enjoy a minute of it. She’d see to that.
‘Morning,’ Alex said, coming in, already dressed and ready to go.
Nicole sat up and smoothed her bedhead down. ‘Hi.’
‘Coffee?’
‘Yes, please,’ Nicole said, yawning. Alex went into the kitchen and started faffing, coming out a few minutes later with two steaming mugs.
Nicole blew on hers and took a big sip. ‘Ahhh,’ she groaned in pleasure.
‘Sleep OK?’
‘Great,’ Nicole told her. ‘I’m just gonna neck this, then I’ll dash. But I’ll see you at work?’
Alex nodded. ‘Yeah.’ She sipped her own coffee.
