Page 41 of The Charmer's Gambit
I studied him in fascination. Northwestern had introduced me to all manner of wealthy men and women. Most of them enrolled because their parents required it. Ryan belonged to that crowd. His father’s career as a long-term Illinois senator granted him all kinds of political connections and guaranteed his admittance into the legal program of his choice. He never once had to fight for anything in his life, nor did he have the desire to. Most of his rich trust fund buddies were exactly the same, greedily accepting everything from their silver platters and scoffing at those who had to work for it. Like me.
Meanwhile, Will admitted that his inheritance helped, but he also strived to disassociate from it. He broke all the stereotypes I’d crafted in my mind that pertained to rich and powerful men. I worked with several of them, all of whom maintained the same arrogant air as Ryan and looked at me in a way that said,I could make you kneel at my feet with the crook of my finger. Will possessed a similar confidence, except his left me feeling hot instead of cold. When he gave me that look, the one that said he could have me with a single flick of the wrist, I wanted to get down on my knees and beg for it.
I shook the image from my head. Ryan affected me like that once upon a time, perhaps not to the same extreme, and he’d left me crawling for his attention. He owned me so completely, so wholly, that I lost sight of myself. It was no wonder—
I jumped back to the present as Will’s palm slid to my thigh.
“I’ve told you my life story. Now it’s your turn,” he said, voice soft and soothing. With a deep tenor like that, it was no wonder the man could sing.
“Uh”—I paused to clear my throat—“my history isn’t nearly as exciting.” An understatement.
The hand on my thigh gave a gentle squeeze. “Enlighten me anyway.”
It took all my effort not to squirm as his thumb drew hypnotic circles above my knee. All my senses seemed to focus on that single point, waiting for him to do more. I cleared my throat and tried to think.
“Um, well, I grew up in Indiana with Sarah, but I always craved the city life. So I set my sights on Northwestern because it was close enough to home that it kept my parents happy and also offered the programs I wanted. Sarah applied, too, not really because of me but because she wanted out of Indiana as well, and when we were both accepted, our families agreed to let us go together.” I paused to see if he was still listening.
“And then?” he prompted, grinning.
“Well, and then I took out some insane loans and went to Northwestern with Sarah. We lived together for undergrad in the dorms and eventually in a cheap apartment. I double-majored in business and French, while—”
“Why French?” He glanced briefly at me before refocusing on the road. “Sorry for interrupting, but I’ve wondered about that since reviewing your resume.”
I bit my cheek. Leave it to Will to care about a detail few others ever mentioned.
“Um, I thought French might be useful if law school didn’t work out, for teaching or something. But obviously, law school did happen. I went to Northwestern, which you already know, and I completed a dual concentration in business enterprise and international law. Baker Brown offered me a job right out of school, pending my passing the bar, which I did, and I’m still working there today.”
He didn’t look at all satisfied with my story, which I expected. I warned him it was boring for a reason. “You lived with Sarah during undergrad, but what about during law school?”
I stiffened. “Uh . . .” Fuck. I couldn’t . . .wouldn’t. . . go down that rabbit hole. “We didn’t live together after our senior year.”Because Ryan wanted to live with me. I’d been so excited and naive. I thought it was a gesture of love. But it was never about that between us.Ownershipwas a better term. I cleared my throat. “So yeah, that’s me. Student loans out the wazoo, but I rent a nice apartment, enjoy my job, and yep.”
“I see.” His thumb had stopped moving while I spoke, something I noticed with a hint of regret. I rather liked that soothing circle he was drawing against my thigh. “I know Sarah has a twin sister, but what about you? Any siblings?”
This was a topic I could discuss comfortably. “I have an older brother, Caleb. He went into the military at eighteen and disappeared for a while, and now he does something for the government in an office somewhere. He doesn’t talk a lot about it, and I only see him around the holidays.”
“So you’re not close?”
I snorted. “Not at all. I’m actually closer to his best friend.” I bit my lip to keep from saying more. Talking about Mark could lead us to a conversation I preferred to avoid. Like why I considered him one of my closest friends despite rarely seeing or talking to him, or about his involvement in my escape from Ryan.
Will’s property crept up in front of us as he navigated down the familiar drive. I’d only done this once, but it was memorable enough for me to recognize it. My thigh shivered as his palm moved from my leg to the steering wheel. I’d gotten comfortable with his hand there, perhaps too comfortable.
“Not to change the subject, but I hope you like cheeseburgers,” he said as we started up the hill toward his home. “Because I’m craving them.”
I laughed. “After all that work today? Yeah, I think I can handle a burger night.”
“Good. ’Cause that’s what we’re having.” He parked the truck by the front door and hopped out. I unbuckled my seat belt just as he greeted me on the passenger side. “My lady.” His eyebrows danced as he held out a hand.
I shook my head even as I accepted his help to the ground. “You do realize I’m capable of getting in and out of this massive truck by myself, right?”
He tugged me closer, invading my personal space and causing my breath to hitch. “Oh, I’m very aware. But the gentleman in me insists.”
“Gentleman,” I repeated, my voice softer than I anticipated. “Is that what you’re being?”
Pure, unadulterated wickedness stared down at me. “For now, yes.” His lips brushed mine in a chaste kiss that didn’t match his darkening expression. “Don’t let it fool you, darlin’. My proclivities in the bedroom are anything but gentlemanly.” The ominous words were a breath against my jaw, followed by a light nibble that left me shaking with a need that felt as forbidden as it did hot. He pulled back with a wink. “Let’s eat.”
15
This Ends Now
