VALERIE: Would you want more?
I stare at the phone, but he doesn’t answer right away. I grumble to myself and think about that damn fantasy again. I could fully dive into it, even just with Lief. A shiver teases my spine and my phone vibrates again.
LIEF: Of course, I would.
VALERIE: Are you sure? You’re not very enthusiastic.
LIEF: Please?
I smile. If that’s what he thinks is more enthusiastic, I want to scoff. How the hell does his brain work?
VALERIE: Then you should come to campus on Saturday.
With that question pricking my brain, trying to make me check my phone over and over, or take it back, or anything in between. Maybe I should have started with Chase. He’s more predictable. I understand him. I know how to push him in the right direction. I’m sure it would probably be an exchange – if he comes to my event, I go on the dinner cruise with him.
LIEF: I will see.
I stare at the reply. It’s definitely not what I expected, but I’m not complaining. Hell no. I’d love to have that regal Viking on my arm, have him confuse my friends, have him throw everyone for a loop with his simple answers, the confidence he says everything with, the fact he’s so different from anyone else I’ve ever met.
He’s not going to mark his territory or drape an arm over me while giving ‘piss off’ vibes to every other guy, he won’t sweep me up into a dance, he’ll want me to make the first move and to be sure that I’m the one pushing.
Maybe he’s not so different from Hunter. I bet Lief would love me to beg for his attention and his affection. He’d love it if I begged for his cock.
Saturday comes quickly and I still don’t have a reply from him. I did text Chase a little bit and he was nice and responsive, at times. As I’m getting ready for the day, my phone buzzes. I pick it up without looking at the name and put it on speaker.
I’ll have fun with a spam caller today. I’ll just teach them the last lesson so I can better learn it and not wastemytime.
“Hello?” I ask.
“I’m hurt, Valerie.” Hunter’s purr comes over the phone and takes my breath away. “Texting my brother and not me? Is it because you’d have to be a good girl for me? Not up for that challenge?”
“Maybe it’s your personality I’m not up for,” I smirk at the mirror anyway.
“And maybe you’re afraid to poke holes in my ego because you know you’d like what you’d find under it. Or under my clothes.”
I roll my eyes. “Minus two points for that line. Are you capable of talking without flirting?”
“Want to find out?”
I hesitate a moment. “Maybe I’d be more willing to text you if you had an actual conversation with me instead of just trying to get in my pants, playboy.”
He considers that as I apply my mascara, making faces at myself.
“We could have a conversation over dinner. There is something non-sexual I’d like to talk to you about.”
“And bribing me with dinner?”
“Consider it a favor. And I’d be honored if you’d do me this favor. A face-to-face conversation about an important issue while I can see your reaction … and enjoy your company.”
“I’m considering it.”
“I bet you are.”
“There goes another point.” I sigh. “You started at ten for a phone call, if you get to zero, I’m hanging up.”
“You don’t like my games?” I can hear the smug smile in his voice. “Then why do you keep playing with me, sweetheart?”
Someone says something in the background, but I can’t make it out.