Page 35 of His to Teach
Her fingers don’t look very steady as she reaches up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear and a rush of emotion crashes through me. Protectiveness. Desire. Something that feels very much like desperation.
“I have no fucking idea what I’m doing,” I breathe out.
But I know that’s not going to stop me.
HARPER
Nate is quiet in the car, and I’m distracted. It’s hard to keep a straight head when I’m surrounded by him like this, by his smell and the sounds of his breathing and the sheer presence of him next to me in this small, confined space. It’s overwhelming, to sit so close to him, to share the same air. To feel his body heat coming off of him in waves.
I try to focus on something else instead. Nate’s car is sleek and foreign, the cushioned seats a buttery soft leather. I know nothing about cars but even I can tell that this is a nice one. Maybe I should ask him about it. Maybe he’s one of those guys who adores his vehicle and he’ll open up if I get him talking.
I glance over at him and the hard set of his jaw has butterflies careening through my stomach. “You look so angry,” I blurt out.
His jaw clenches. “Iamangry.”
I watch him for a long moment as his eyes remain glued to the road, waiting for him to elaborate, to explain. When he doesn’t, I clear my throat. “Should I be worried about that?”
He finally glances over at me, his eyes flashing as we pass under a lamp post. “You should beveryworried about it.”
I swallow, looking away. I can’t seem to reconcile the feelings surging through me. I don’t like the thought of him angry at me,don’t want to disappoint him. But should I actually be worried? Nate wouldn’t hurt me.
Well, not unless I wanted him to.
And that thought makes me feel even more confused. Because I know that there’s a part of me that does want him to. Very much.
“We’re here,” he mutters, interrupting my musing as he pulls up to the curb. I glance up, seeing a dark townhouse looming in front of us. There are no lights on inside. I swallow.
“Harper.”
I tear my eyes away from my window to look back at him. I can’t read the expression on his face. Is he still angry? Does he want me? Why am I here?
His eyes search my face for a long moment, as if he’s looking for something, before he turns away. “Come along.”
As we make our way across the sidewalk, my nervousness about his mood is briefly eclipsed by curiosity. I’m about to see Nate’s house, and I have no idea what to expect. The townhouse is unassuming from the outside, but I know property like this, in this neighborhood, speaks of a great amount of wealth.
Of course I had googled him. I’d typed Jonathan Chase the Third into my phone mere minutes after leaving brunch with him and Mason that first day. So I know that he has money, even beyond what he might earn as a popular author. Apparently, his family owns some multinational conglomerate company—whatever the heck that means—and they’re rolling in dough. From the looks of this house, that much is obvious.
I wonder what it will be like inside. Grand and opulent? Minimalist and stark? Neither of those options seem like him. Then again, I don’t actually know him very well.
The thought sends a shiver over me as we reach the front door. I don’t know him very well at all, yet here I am. About to go into his house with him, alone. Emma had seemed really worriedfor me when I told her I was leaving with him, only relaxing when I explained that Nate knew my brother Mason and was therefore unlikely to murder me in his own home.
Still, I can’t help but feel a sharp spike of fear as he slides his key into the lock, the sound ominous. That same warning to run that I’d heard in my head the night we met comes back to me.
If Nate notices my nerves, he doesn’t say anything, merely gesturing me inside once he has the door open. I step through, barely making it two steps into the flagstone foyer before he’s on me, pushing me up against the wall, his breath hot and heavy on my face as he leans in.
“Here’s what’s going to happen, Harper,” he says, his low voice sending sparks down to the center of me. “Since you’re so fucking eager to explore this lifestyle, consider tonight your test run.”
“My…my what?”
He leans in even closer, his hands clutching my upper arms, my back pressed flat against the wall. “You’re going to do exactly what I say. You’re not going to complain or ask questions. Do you understand?”
Holy shit, I’m on fire for him. I’d seen little glimpses of this Nate before, this bossy, demanding alpha. But never had he been so overt, so bold about it. He’s basically offering to do the very thing I’ve been dreaming about—to dominate me.
He shakes me a little. “I asked you a question. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” I whisper, meeting his eyes. There’s so much emotion in their blue depths—anger, frustration, and a whole lot of desire. At my response he breathes out and I can’t help thinking the sound is a little relieved.
“There are rules.”
