by Fiona Cole
She’d shifted, and I’d finished standing, worried she’d wake to find my hard length tenting my pants. Needing to get away as fast as I could. I’d adjusted her to lay on the couch, firmly keeping my eyes above her neck and covered her with a blanket before practically running upstairs to take a cold shower.
Three days, and I’d taken a cold shower almost every morning and night without even seeing her.
Three days I’d been avoiding her, so I could avoid my attraction.
Three days, and I had every intention of making today the fourth. I just needed to get to the office.
Summer classes wrapped up, but I figured picking up some papers would be the perfect excuse to hide away from her again before the weekend.
I just made it to the stairs when a stranger’s voice came from the crack in her door.
“Hang in there, Bella. School will start, and you’ll have so many friends, you’ll be too busy for measly little me back home.”
“Oh, shut up,” Arabella said, laughing. “And I know. I just miss you and running to get coffee to chat. I see people at work, but it’s not quite the same.”
“Go talk to hot Uncle Willem.”
I pinched my lips, hiding my laugh at the way her friend said my name in a breathy, seductive voice.
“Shut up. He’s not my uncle.”
“Your hot uncle.”
“Fine, I’ll admit to that and nothing else. He’s kind of hot.”
“Yesssss.”
“Besides, he’s been MIA.”
“Sorry, boo.”
“It’s okay. I’ll figure it out.”
“You always do. But I have to go, Bella. Call me anytime.”
“Thank you. Love you.”
“Love you, too. Bye.”
Guilt had me frozen. Right then, I didn’t know what the right thing was. Did I leave to avoid thinking dirty thoughts about my stepbrother’s daughter? Or did I stay to help the obviously lonely girl? My shoulders dropped, and I ran a hand over my face. The obvious right thing to do would be to not have any illicit thoughts in the first place, but it felt like a useless battle. I could fight all I wanted; they’d just come to me in my dreams anyway.
Making a decision, I knocked on her door and waited.
“Yeah?”
“Can I come in?”
“Yeah.”
I pushed the door open to find her sprawled on her bed with her computer in front of her. She wore what looked like a man’s flannel shirt that barely allowed the short, frayed hem of her jean shorts to peek out. She closed the laptop, giving me a perfect view of the gaping vee of her shirt, hinting at her cleavage.
“Are you doing anything today?” I asked.
“Ummm…” she hesitated and looked skeptical like I was trying to trick her into something. “No. I just have to work tonight. It’s my first Friday,” she explained, relaxing her furrowed brows and giving me that devious smirk I’ve come to know so well. “I’m the beer girl.”
“Exciting.”
“Hopefully, better tips.”
“Well, I was going to see if you wanted to come to school with me today. Classes ended last week, and I needed to grab some papers. I figured I could show you around campus a bit. Maybe get some supplies.”
“Umm…”
Her teeth sank into her lush lip, and a hint of regret for asking sank through me. I was just setting myself up for trouble. But she answered before I could even consider backtracking.
“Sure. Let me get changed.”
“I’ll be downstairs.”
Her smirk grew. Not a smile, but still something more. I knew this was a bad idea, but I couldn’t regret it too much when she smiled like that.
Surprisingly, conversation was sparse on the way to campus and then on the short walk to my office. She looked around, taking in the tall buildings, her face inscrutable to what she thought of it all.
“So, this is where all the magic happens,” she joked, sliding her hand along my desk.
“I guess you could say that,” I laughed.
She looked at my diplomas and pictures from my travels I’d displayed on my office walls and shelves as I grabbed my papers.
“Did you know they call you the hottie of economics?”
I groaned and looked up to find her staring at me over her shoulder, her dark brow raised high. “Yeah. I’ve heard from one or two people. A few students have been a little forward about it, too.”
This got her full attention. “Really?”
“Oh, yeah.”
She strutted over, somehow making her plain white T-shirt and black denim overalls look sexier than any schoolgirl outfit. When she finally reached my desk, she perched on the edge closest to me. “Thank you, Dr. Deander, for seeing me during office hours,” she said in a breathy voice, gently biting on the tip of her finger before running it across her lips. “I’m sure I can earn that A another way now that we have some privacy.”
Thank goodness I’d been sitting, otherwise she would have seen what her little performance was doing to me.
“Even the straight A students offer.”
“Oh, I bet.” She scooted back until her feet dangled above the floor. “The way the girls at work talk about you, they’d take any chance they could with you—for free.”
“Jesus,” I groaned, both at the thought of anyone gossiping about me and also the way she leaned back on her hands, thrusting her chest out.
“So, Dr. Deander. Would you ever take a student up on her offer?”
“No,” I choked. Not because the answer wasn’t true, but because I choked down the offer I wanted to make her.
“What if you really…really wanted to.”
All humor evaporated from the room, her question flooding every square inch with too much tension for anything else. Voices echoed down the hall, but it was as if they couldn’t reach us in the bubble we’d created. My hands fisted the arms of my chair, ready to stand and see how serious she was. I wanted to stand in front of her and toe the line. I wanted to see if she’d meet me halfway. I wanted to see if this was all in my mind.
My arms flexed, my body just leaving the chair when the door flung open and in walked Dr. Coven, the head of our department. Her shrewd eyes took in Arabella, leaning back atop my desk, and me leaning back in my chair.
“Dr. Deander. Am I interrupting?” Any heat I’d felt vanished at the chill in her voice. Arabella looked as relaxed as ever.
“Not at all,” I managed in a mostly normal voice. “I was just here picking up papers before taking my niece around campus to check it out. She’s attending this fall.”
Her whole demeanor relaxed as if finally breathing for the first time. “Oh. Good.”
“Arabella, this is Dr. Coven. Dr. Coven, Arabella Colins.”
Arabella popped down and rounded the desk, hand out. “Nice to meet you.”
“You, too, Miss Colins. Will I be seeing you this fall in any economics classes?”
“Most likely not. I’m an education major.”
“Well, if anyone can change your mind, it’s your uncle.”
Thankfully, I was the only one who noticed Arabella’s wince at the word uncle. I wanted to wince too, but it was a good reminder of why I shouldn’t give in to wanting her.
“I won’t keep you from your day. I just heard voices and wanted to stop in and say hello.”
“Of course. I’ll be here all day Monday.”
“Good. I’ll see you then. It was nice to meet you, Arabella.”
“You too.”
Dr. Coven left, and I didn’t bother closing the door behind her. I had at least a few more hours with Arabella. If I wanted to survive, I needed to do it with as many watchful eyes as possible.
By the time Arabella needed to get to work, we’d spent more than a few hours together. She’d laughed when I bought us tickets to take the Duck Tour around downtown and into the river.
She moaned when she took her first bite of her Belgian waffle from Taste of Belgium. I’
d almost groaned when I watched her lick the syrup and whip cream from her finger.
She’d soaked up every bit of information I shared about Cincinnati like any traveling soul would. I’d loved every minute of sharing my city with her, and I’d had to stop more than once from offering to take her to more cities just so I could experience them through her eyes.
“You gonna make it through the night?” I asked when we pulled up outside the bar.
“I think I can make do. I’ll do a few shots and be fine.”
“What?” I almost shouted like a concerned parent.
“Kidding, Dad. I’ll probably pound a Red Bull and make it through with sheer willpower.”
“A solid plan. Thanks for hanging out with this old man today.”
“Anytime, Grandpa.”
“Ugh, that’s worse than dad.”
“You don’t like it when I call you daddy?”
I gave her my most deadpan stare.
“Fine, Uncle Will.”
“Jesus Christ,” I groaned.
Her laugh followed her out of the car. Before she walked inside, I rolled down the window.
“Hey. What time are you off?”
She whirled around, her hair like a fiery halo. “Midnight.”
“I’ll be here before then to take you home.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“I know. I want to.”
Her lips shifted slightly—not into a smirk, but an endearing smile. She looked genuinely happy without any mirth.
“Thank you.”
“Anytime. See you then.”
I waited until she disappeared behind the doors and went home, counting down the minutes until I could see her again, kicking myself the whole time for how far I’d fallen today.
I’d fallen straight into completely fucked territory.
Five
Arabella
“Holy. Shit. My fantasy is coming to life.”
I looked up to find Amber’s wide eyes directed toward the door. Jerking around, I half expected Channing Tatum to walk in, eyes glued to her. Instead, I found Willem with his hair slicked back, in a dark T-shirt and black jeans, looking ten times more relaxed than the slacks and button up from earlier today. He looked side-to-side before grabbing a seat at one of the high-tops close to the bar.
“Dr. Deander is actually here,” she squealed. “How do I look? Do my boobs look okay?” she asked, rearranging them in her bra for full effect.
In all honesty, her boobs did look great, and jealousy fired through me before I could tame it.
“Umm, yeah. But he’s not like that.”
“Shh,” she reprimanded, not taking her eyes off him. “Let me dream.”
The problem was that I’d begun dreaming about him and couldn’t seem to stop. I sure as hell didn’t want to know anyone else was dreaming about him too.
“Amber,” Xander called from the bar. “Your drinks are ready.”
“Dammit,” she whined, wincing when she finally peeled her eyes off Willem like it physically hurt her to stop. I kind of understood. “Stupid work. Maybe I’ll just drop by one of his classes.”
“Aren’t you a design major?”
“Yeah.” She shrugged. “But economics is good for that. I can learn fashion trends through the economy.”
“I…don’t think that’s how it works.”
“Fine,” she sighed. “I’ll just have to hope he notices me here then. Although, that won’t happen with the way women flock to him.”
I whirled around to find a dark-haired woman leaning into Willem’s space, dragging her finger down his arm. If I thought I was jealous of Amber’s boobs, it was nothing compared to the raging inferno flooding my veins now.
“I—I should go check on him. Grab him a beer.”
Without waiting for an answer, I weaved through the crowd, grabbed his favorite beer, and made my way to his table.
“Hey, Will. I brought you your favorite.”
Did I smile as I used the shortened version of his name for a personal effect? Yup.
Did I quickly change that smile to my trademark snotty smirk when I faced the busty brunette next to him? Also, yup.
Did I feel victory when he did a double-take at my outfit change? Hell yes.
I’d ditched the white T-shirt under my overalls and just had on my black bralette. It managed to be cute, sexy, and stylish all at once.
“Will?” she sneered, looking from me to him like she’d caught him cheating. “Who is this, Willem?”
Obviously, she wasn’t privy to calling him Will.
Willem gave me a look that let me know he knew what I was doing. A hint of laughter sparking behind his light eyes and the slight twitch to his lips let me know he didn’t mind either.
“This is my niece, Arabella. Arabella, this is Tessa.”
“Oh.” Her entire demeanor changed. “Hi. It’s so nice to meet some of his family.”
She was beaming, clearly viewing me as the ticket to getting in deeper with Willem.
“Nice to meet you,” manners had me saying. But my smile never changed.
When I didn’t say anything more, her smile faltered and she cleared her throat, turning her attention back on Willem. “Like I said, I hadn’t expected to see you here, but now that you are, maybe we can have a drink. I’m just here with some friends. They wouldn’t mind.”
Willem looked to his watch, which I knew let him know I was off in fifteen minutes. He met my eyes as if looking for something. Permission to leave me here to walk home so he could go fuck her? Help on getting out of the situation? I wasn’t sure, so I kept my gaze blank and steady, intrigued to see what he did.
“Tonight’s not a good night.”
I hadn’t realized until he said the words that I’d been holding my breath. The air in my lungs rushed out. My tense muscles relaxing in relief.
“Oh. Okay.” Tessa looked down before pulling herself together again. She leaned in close, pressing her breasts against his arm and rested her hand on his chest, whispering something in his ear.
Willem’s face didn’t change in the slightest, not giving me a hint as to what she said. She dragged her hand across his chest and bicep when she walked away.
“She seems nice.”
He drained his beer. “She is.”
“Why didn’t you take her up on her offer?”
“Because I said I’d give you a ride home.”
“I could walk.”
“Yeah, but I didn’t want to go back on my word. Also, I’m just not interested.”
Why? I wanted to ask, but bit back. I knew what I wanted his answer to be. Lately, my dreams had gotten away from me. They no longer crept in at night only. I’d find myself thinking of him throughout the day. I didn’t know if it was because I was bored or what, but my mind went wild, and in that moment, I wanted him to look at me and say he turned her down because he was interested in me.
“Either way. Thanks for not leaving me.” He nodded but didn’t say anything else. “You want another one?”
“Nah. I’m good. However, I am interested in knowing what the hell happened to your shirt.”
“Do you not like it?” I posed for effect, barely holding back my laugh at watching him flounder over an answer.
“It’s not that I—It’s just that—I—” He dragged a hand over his face. “It’s a little revealing.”
“I’m the beer girl. Gets me more tips if I show a little skin.” His jaw clenched under his scruff, and I enjoyed watching him struggle, so I asked again, turning side to side. “Do you not like it?”
His mouth opened and closed as he struggled to not look at my naked sides. Honestly, it wasn’t that revealing. The overalls came above my boobs. However, the lace bra left my sides bare and gave the illusion of being more naked than I actually was.
Another girl came up to his side, saving him from answering.
“Hi,” she greeted, mixing false shyness with full seduction. “I saw you from my seat and
wanted to know if you wanted to dance.”
“Oh, thank you, but no. I’m just here to pick up my niece.”
Her eyes flicked to me like she somehow missed my existence. “Okay.” She shrugged but didn’t turn down the heat in her eyes. “If you change your mind, I’m just over there.”
When she walked away, a laugh slipped free.
“What?” he grumbled.
“Uncle Will is a player.”
He cringed.
“What?”
“Nothing. And I’m just a man. I can’t control that women approach me.”
“So, you’re saying you’re just waiting for the right girl? That if I wasn’t here, you wouldn’t have taken either of them up on their offer?”
“I can’t say because you are here.”
“Oh, come on. I bet either one would let you fuck them before even leaving.”
“Jesus, Arabella.”
“What? There’s no shame in it. Do you have hoes in different area codes?” I kept joking as he laughed, pushing my luck for a reaction. “I bet you would take them to the bathroom.”
“Christ. Stop, please,” he groaned.
“Bella,” Xander shouted from the bar. “You’re off for the night.”
“Thank God,” he sighed.
“What? Can’t handle turning another hottie down?”
He glared with no heat. “Go grab your stuff and let’s head home.”
When we got home, I was too keyed up to sleep. “I think I’m going to watch a movie. I’m not quite ready for bed yet.”
“Want some company?” he asked.
“Sure.”
As if adrenaline hadn’t already flooded my system after joking with Willem at the bar, the chance to sit and watch a movie with him had me practically running high. I tossed on my typical PJs, grappling with the decision of bra or no bra. Feeling reckless, I went with no bra and did my best to walk down the stairs instead of run.
“I figured some chips and beer would help settle you down.”
“Perfect.”
And it was. Him sprawled on the couch in lounge pants and another tight T-shirt clinging to his broad chest. He looked like just the company I wanted to end my night with.
