Page 34 of Silk Sheets

He took a pull from his cigarette, blowing the smoke out in the opposite direction. His voice was gruff, sending chills down my spine. “No.”

I nodded, going to stand beside him as I clutched the strap of my bag with both hands, looking in the same direction as him.

“Do you know when he’ll be home?” I asked, and once again, I got a vague, uninterested answer.

“No.”Right.

“Not much of a conversationalist, are you?” I asked, slightly tilting my head back as I looked up at him.

With his cigarette pressed between his thumb and pointer finger he brought it to his lips but stopped.

“I can be,” he answered. “With the right people.”

That felt like a jab to my chest. Like a subtle hint that he wasn’t interested in me or this conversation.

But, luckily for him, I was never one to give up. I’ve always gotten what I wanted. And right now, I want his attention.

“Well, in that case, are you going to be chivalrous and invite me inside until Logan comes home?” I asked, watching him stare ahead toward my car. “You can pour me a drink and we can dissect this ‘right people’ concept you refer to,” I teased.

I could’ve sworn a gleam of amusement twinkled in his eyes as he looked down at me. He took one last pull, before tossing his cigarette into the ashtray.

He turned his body toward me and extended his hand out in front of him— signaling for me to head inside.

I smiled as I entered the house, making sure to sway my hips just enough before entering the living room.Dakota 1. Fear of Kaden 0.

I dropped my handbag on the couch, using the opportunity to scan the room.

This was the very first time I’d be alone with Kaden. As much as it sparked an unknown fear inside of me, I knew we needed this. I was, in fact, going to be his— their— plus one.

I heard him in the kitchen, so I held my hands behind my back as I skipped in the direction of it. When I entered, he hadjust taken a bottle of water out of the fridge. He reached for a glass, then approached me and placed both down in front of me.

“You don’t keep alcohol in this house?” I asked, and he simply pinned me with a look of disapproval. “Well, I’m twenty-one, aren’t I?” I rhetorically asked, but his expression didn’t waver. “Water it is then.”

I clammed shut as he pulled back the kitchen bar stool for me and then I thanked him, having a seat.

“So,” I began, swinging my legs as he twisted open the bottle cap. “Logan and Chase are both professors. What’s your specialty?” I asked as he poured the water into the glass.

For the millionth time today, his answer was vague. “Psychology.”

Because that wasn’t the answer I had expected, a smile threatened to form. I hid it perfectly well as I brought my glass of water to my lips, watching him— now across from me— leaning his tattooed forearms onto the kitchen island, like he was somewhat interested in this conversation with me.

He was nothing but dark skin with tattoos and muscles and fuck if I wanted to lick every spot of ink on his heavenly body. I wondered if he’d let me… maybe even let me bite a bicep.Or two.

“Oh, so like behavioral or forensic?” I asked, having a sip of my water.

“Intimacy.”

I choked. Mentally and physically. I cleared my throat and crossed my legs in an attempt to hide my surprise, and the pulsing of not only my heartbeat.

Now I see why he seemed slightly more interested in conversation with me. He probably thought it would make me uncomfortable, or he would gain some kind of reaction out of me. But, I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction just yet.

“That’s… interesting,” I nodded, lowering my glass of water to the countertop. Picturing scary, all muscles and tattoos Kaden as an sex therapist? Something about that made my stomach twist and my clit tingle. I was officially intrigued. “So you’d be able to help me if—”

He cut me off with one single word. “No.”

“No? You turn down clients now?” I asked in genuine curiosity. He rounded the island, stopping right next to me.

“That’s not how it works, and you know it.”