ChapterEight
Weston
My head’s spinning.The last twenty-four hours have been a complete and total mind fuck. We’d gone from completely hating each other, to my being jealous of a guy she picked up at a bar, to me fucking her in said bar, and then this morning she shows up at my desk being nice.
What the hell is going on? I have no clue. Things aren’t going as I had planned for them to go today when I got to the office. I’m like a damn fish; she’s got me on the ropes reeling me in closer with each look and touch. I’m hooked. Line and sinker. She’s charmed the hell out of my damned soul and I’m not even fighting it.
The delicate version of Wynter intrigues me. I’ve never seen this side of her before and honestly, it’s almost as hot as the cold-hearted bitch version. I wondered if sex last night would change things between us. It had blown my mind that she’d let me even touch her, let alone welcome me inside her body like I’d done so willingly.
Then I’d come home from the bar questioning what the hell had happened. I wanted to talk to her about it again today, but she’d thrown me off-kilter.
I’ve been in a weird mood all afternoon after what happened this morning. What I had said about comparing her to Jim Jones was out of line and I regretted the words as soon as they’d left my mouth.
I’d never seen her look so wrecked. The thing that sticks with me the most is that she didn’t even try to hide the feelings. She bared them willingly.
After I take a late lunch, I make my way into Wynter’s office to ask her a question and find all of her stuff gone from her desk, including her. Her turtles left in place to guard her unoccupied space. Her chair in its resting place and the monitors shut off.
My brain wracks me with questions and I keep replaying every single line, touch, and breath from earlier. She’s never left before the rest of us. Strolling back to my desk, I finish writing up the piece I’ve been working on and sit back. Taking another last look toward Wynter’s office, I shake my head. “Anyone see the ice queen leave this afternoon?” I have to keep up the ruse that I still hate her, even though that’s the furthest thing from the truth right now.
A chorus of no’s goes up around me. I wonder if it’s something I’ve done to her or if maybe she’s in the same “unable to focus” spiral I find myself falling into. As I slouch back into my chair, I listen to the conversations going on around me. A poll on which superhero is the hottest and as a professional which one would you want to bang the most. Stacy pipes up with Superman, while Talia goes with Batman. I look at both of them and Talia shrugs. “What? I’d totally do it in the Batmobile. How many people can say they banged Batman in the Batmobile?” I shake my head, a smile parting my lips.
“Exactly,” she replies.
My mind feels drugged, like the worst kind of hangover. I hadn’t slept well tossing and turning last night, picturing everything that had happened between us lately. And by us, I mean Wynter. I’m becoming addicted to the hot and cold fires between us. I crave the burns and scars she’ll leave when it’s all said and done. We burn as hot as she is cold to me.
“Who would you pick, West?” I jump, not realizing they’re speaking to me.
“What?”
“Superhero... you didn’t weigh in. Who would you pick?”
“Not sure about a superhero. I’m more of a dashing, damsel in distress saving, prince.”
“Interesting…”
I zone out again, my mind on where Wynter ran off too. I want to text Addison and see if she knows where she’s disappeared to, but I also don’t want to come across as desperate, even though that’s how she makes me feel. My desperation craves her.
I’ve been holding in my desire for her all this time, masking it with cocky indifference, but everything changed the moment she let me climb inside her body. To touch her but not feel, to breathe but barely. To let those lips tell me everything she wouldn’t say out loud. The moment she let me worship her like I owned her. Like, every single part of her body belonged to me and that’s what I want.
Reece is cookingdinner again tonight for Addison, Wynter and I. Some chicken pasta dish and I wonder how fat we’re going to get because Addison has moved in. I get it. He feeds her; he gets laid. His bedroom is on the wall next to mine so I know they’re getting it on at night. It makes me jealous.
The creepy part of me hopes that Wynter will move in soon. I keep imagining myself sleeping next to her at night. I’d let my nose slip into her hair so I could fall asleep to the smell of wild berries and vanilla. Inhaling a scent that’s truly Wynter while cuddling her body close to me as we spoon. The rational side of me says that would get me killed faster than I could blink. Although we may have had sex, I know she still can’t stand me.
“Dinner’s ready, guys.” He’s taking food to the table while Addison grabs some plates for the four of us. It’s nice sitting down and having dinner again. The last time I sat down and had anything that resembled a family dinner was long before my mother left my father.
We all take our seats as Reece pours wine. Wynter sits beside me, her gaze never meeting mine. Addison practically begged her to have dinner tonight before they go out. I wasn’t supposed to be here. It’s the only reason I think she said yes. But I couldn’t resist being close to her.
My eyes trail over her profile, down to her muscular arms and tiny hands. Creases in the corners of her eyes make her look worn down and exhausted.
Do I play a part in the problem?
Her hair is up in a messy bun. She’s no longer dressed up in a dress and heels. No, now she’s in yoga pants and a t-shirt. The urge to joke about it with her comes over me, but I push it away. Now is not the time. There’s this big open space between us and I’m not sure where the boundary lies.
How far is too far? What happens if I cross it?
Ugh. I wish I disliked her. If I did we wouldn’t be in this situation, but here we sit, her not making eye contact with me. We haven’t talked since earlier at the office. She slips a piece of chicken into her mouth and moans. “This is so good.”
I feel my pants tighten at the moan that slips from her lips. Remembering a similar sound as I held her close while I destroyed that icy barrier between us if only for a couple minutes. My eyes slide to her, but she’s still avoiding me and I fucking hate it. How does she not see that my feelings for her have changed?