Debauched (Undone Book 3) Read Free Page B

expression to proposition guys since college.
    She’s not the kind of girl men say no to when sex is on the table.
    I swallow hard and flip on the faucet, letting the cool water trickle over my hot skin.
    All right then, I’ve solved my problem.
    I brought a date that will put Chad off any ideas my drunken confessions and clutching meant anything.
    He followed it up by hooking up with Ashley.
    Things can get back to normal now. We can go back to being friends and it will be like that whole night never happened.
    Eventually I’ll forget he knows my secrets.
    I turn off the water and dry my hands before touching my fingertips to my cheeks to cool my skin.
    I close my eyes.
    Why did I tell him my secrets? I’m not like that. In fact, I play things too close to the chest. So why did I tell him something I have never told a living soul? I have no answer.
    I just hate that he knows.
    I blow out a breath. He’ll never say anything. He’s a good guy, unfailingly responsible. He’ll know, but the secret will be safe with him. I’ll pretend, and eventually it will disappear like it never happened.
    I open the bathroom door; step out into the hallway, jerking back in surprise.
    Chad’s leaning against the wall, and while his stance is casual; his expression is intent and focused.
    I gulp. On me.
    I blink and manage to quell the gasp that rises to my lips. I need to be casual. To pretend he doesn’t affect me. I give him a little wave of my fingers. “Hey, you scared me.”
    “Sorry.” His voice sends a shiver down my spine.
    I gesture to the bathroom. “It’s all yours.”
    His blue eyes narrow. “I’m here for you.”
    Surprised pleasure bursts through me and I hate myself for it. I work to keep my expression completely neutral. I open my mouth to ask why that might be, but those aren’t the words that come from my lips. “I feel duty bound to warn you Ashley’s a bit clingy, so watch out.”
    No. Why? What is it about him that makes it impossible to hide my true feelings.
    His expression flashes.
    Tension tightening my muscles, I wait for him to call me out on my jealousy. He crosses his arms over his chest. “Since I have no intention of going home with Ashley, that’s a moot point.”
    Instantly the knot in my stomach unravels. I’ll think about why later, but now I need to remove myself from his presence before I give anything else away. I shrug. “It’s not my business anyway.”
    He cocks a brow. “Don’t pretend you’re not relieved.”
    The tone of his voice makes my belly quiver. I tilt my head as the first stirrings of defensiveness rears its ugly head. “What you do, or don’t do, has nothing to do with me.”
    “Maybe not.” He straightens and closes the distance between us. “But you’re still relieved.”
    He’s close enough I can see the shards of white in his blue eyes, feel the heat of his body. The strange desire that swept through me that night when he’d held me surges. But this time I’m not safe. Unlike then, he’s not in a comforting mood.
    Heart a wild, untamed beat, I resist the urge to step back.
    Chad is not the harmless guy I once thought he was. Underestimating him had been a mistake on my part, one I won’t make again. Since I am apparently incapable of lying to him, I try diversion instead. “What can I help you with, Chad?”
    His attention snags on my mouth before he meets my eyes. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you since that night.”
    My breath kicks up as my pulse starts to pound. I mean to say it meant nothing, that we were drunk, that nothing happened between us, but those aren’t the words that come. “You haven’t?”
    “No.” His hand slides around my neck and I have to repress the urge to jerk at the contact. He puts his hand on my hip, and steps forward, forcing me to move back. He does it again, and then again until I’m pressed against the wall.
    I’m not going to lie. It’s thrilling. The kick of desire I feel is so strong it