“Whatever you want, kitten.” We reached my car and I unlocked the doors, opening hers to help her in. I couldn’t tell if the change of topic was inadvertent or purposeful. I left it alone, intent on staying away from unpleasant discussions for now. I’d already filled my quota this morning with Lisa.
“Where to?” I asked after I took my place behind the wheel.
Tenley directed me to a line of shops west of campus. I parked on the street, and we went into a little café similar to the one adjoining Serendipity. She grabbed my arm, bouncing excitedly as she pulled me over to a clear glass case. It was full of cupcakes. Not just chocolate and vanilla cupcakes, either, but every kind imaginable. There were regular-sized cupcakes and bite-sized ones. Some were white with white icing, chocolate with white, white with chocolate, chocolate with chocolate. Others had mango or strawberry icing, some were topped with shredded coconut, and my personal favorite, the ones with Oreo cookies sticking out of them. It was cupcake heaven.
“Pick whatever you want, it’s my treat,” she said, her smile genuine.
I wanted to usher every person out of the store. Then I wanted to rid Tenley of her clothes so I could eat the small ones off her body in a trail down to the sweet spot between her thighs. Maybe Lisa had a point about things not always being black-and-white.
I couldn’t decide, so Tenley bought two of each variety and a separate box filled with mini cupcakes. She also ordered coffees and sandwiches, which I had no intention of eating. The cupcakes were more than sufficient.
On the way back to Chicago, Tenley fed me the bite-sized cakes. When she got icing on her finger, she held it up to my mouth so I could suck it off. When I took a break from eating cupcakes, Tenley picked at one. I spent the rest of the drive dividing my attention between the road and watching Tenley lick the icing off. It was sickeningly hot and hinted at what she might look like giving me a blow job. Which I shouldn’t have been thinking about but couldn’t stop once the image was in my head. My lust for cupcakes had been taken to a whole new level.
I cleared my throat. “What are you doing later tonight?”
She looked at me as her tongue swirled around the top of the cake, removing another thin layer of icing. She stopped torturing me long enough to answer. “Working on my group project, I guess.” Tenley daintily licked icing off her fingers.
“I thought maybe we could hang out or something after I get off work.”
“I was under the impression what happened last night shouldn’t happen again.”
“Technically it shouldn’t once we start the tattoo,” I said. The more I went over my talk with Lisa, the more I questioned the validity of my previous veto last night, or rather this morning. I pulled into the underground parking garage and slid into my spot.
“I’m confused. Has the rule changed again?” There she went, looking all shy and unsuspecting.
“Should it?”
“You tell me, Hayden.”
“Just so you know, ‘hanging out’ isn’t a euphemism.”
“Right. Thanks for clearing that up.” Her face turned a bright shade of pink.
I found it ironic that she could taunt me one minute but become so easily embarrassed by a simple statement of fact. “Does this mean you want to get me naked again?” I asked.
“Do you even need to ask?”
“I’m just trying to figure out what you want, Tenley.”
When she didn’t answer right away, I unbuckled my seat belt and turned to face her. She pressed her back against the door, seeking space, holding the mostly eaten box of cupcakes in her lap like it gave her some kind of protection. I would gladly sacrifice what remained in the box if it meant I could put my hands—or my mouth—on her again.
“I want whatever you want,” she whispered.
“I want you to stop being so evasive and answer the question.”
“Yes.”
“Yes what?” I pried the box from her hands and moved it to the backseat.
“Yes, I think you should change the rule again.” Her smile told me she thought she’d won.
I shook my head and leaned in closer, crowding her. “You think you’re so clever, don’t you?”
She ran her hands up my arms. “Maybe just a little.”
“So you do want me naked again?”
“Maybe.”
There wasn’t enough room for anything substantial to happen in my car, but I could at least kiss her. Remind her what it would be like later, when we were alone. The second my lips touched hers, I groaned. She tasted like icing. Tenley palmed the back of my neck, pulling me closer.
And then my fucking phone rang.
16
TENLEY
“Should you answer that?” I asked.