Torque by Gillian Archer (10 ebook reader txt) 📕

“Yeah. That sucks.” Nathan paused so he could eat some more. “I take it that means you think you’ll be out of a job soon?”

“Unfortunately, yes.”

“Why you? Sounds like you have your shit together. Shouldn’t they be firing that one nosy bitch? What’s her name? Eleanor?”

“Elaine.” I frowned. “How do you know about her?”

He hitched a shoulder as he scooped another serving of pasta from the dish and ladled it onto his plate. “I remember you complaining about her. Something about how she never works and just sits behind the front desk and scrolls through her phone. Even called you to the front desk when you were shelving because she didn’t want to help that one homeless man a few weeks back.”

“Wow. I can’t believe you remembered all that.” It was almost verbatim one of my rants during a family dinner at Wendy’s a few weeks ago. And it was all true. Elaine had been so rude to Jimmy.

“I know a lot about you.”

My heart raced at the gleam in his eyes. Like I’d been on his radar even back then. Even if it wasn’t that way, I still felt special that he’d remembered so much about a frustrating time in my life. If anything, it proved what a good guy Nathan was. He didn’t get near enough credit from anyone on that front. “Thanks.”

“So, they’re really gonna let you go and keep Elaine?”

I sighed. “I think so. I was last hired, and you know how it goes. Last hired—”

“First fired.” Nathan finished with me. “Would that still be the case if Elaine was reported for some of the bullshit she’s pulled with you?”

“You think I should go to my boss and complain about her? Wouldn’t that make me look bad?”

“Not if it’s true. And I’m sure your coworkers would back you up. There’s no way they’d choose her over you when they’ve got all the information.”

“And if they make such deep cuts that they let her and me go?”

“At least you’ll have fought for a job that you love and didn’t give up. I bet you’d be proud of yourself at the end of the day when you know you did everything you could.”

“I’ll think about it. You know I’m not a confrontational person.”

“But you are when it’s something you care about. You don’t have a problem sticking up for other people like when Sabrina got pushed down by that one girl in grade school. Remember that? What was her name again?”

“Alexis Montgomery. Wow. You remember that? I’m impressed.” Alexis hated that Sabrina had so many hot brothers who wouldn’t pay Alexis any attention, so she pushed Sabrina down during lunch on the playground. Which had pissed me off, so I’d pushed Alexis down and stomped on her fancy barrette that’d fallen off her head. She hadn’t deserved to keep such a pretty accessory when she was such an ugly person. No one screwed with my friends.

“Right, and then they sent the three of you to the principal’s office and called your parents. Wendy was so pissed.”

“My mom was, too. Apparently, it’s not ladylike to push people around like a hooligan.” I remembered my mom’s lecture well. It was a favorite of hers.

“Bullshit. You were defending your friend. And I seem to remember Wendy taking you out for ice cream to thank you, once you got off restriction. She wouldn’t let any of us besides Sabrina go along.”

“Right.” I remembered the way the boys had glared at us when we’d left for our treat. Pretty sure Nathan had muttered something about not getting any treats when he got into fights. No wonder it’d been so memorable for him.

“So, don’t you think you deserve the same kind of defense that you’d give any one of your friends? You’re just as important, Maddie. You’re worth fighting for.”

“I-I-I…” I shook my head, lost for words, feeling the flush heating my cheeks, and a similar heat spread to my chest. I just couldn’t with this man. He was too much. “Thank you, Nathan. I…that means so much to me. I love that you think about me like that. Thank you.”

He hitched a shoulder and studied his empty plate like my words had embarrassed him.

“Did you get enough to eat?”

“Huh?” Nathan blinked, apparently confused by my change of topic.

“Did you get enough to eat?” I stood up and grabbed his hand, pulling him up with me. “Because I’m going to give you the best blow job of your life.”

“I, uh, okay.” Nathan followed placidly behind me as I led him back to his bedroom.

The easiest way to my heart was through words, and I wanted, needed, to show him how much it meant to me. And he wasn’t about to complain.

And later, after a dessert of ice cream and some messy chocolate sauce, he made love to me with an expression in his eyes that left me breathless. So many times, the words I love you hovered on my lips, but I knew it was too soon to let them go.

He didn’t try to kick me out of his bed, letting me curl up to sleep in his arms, and I knew what a huge step that was for him. Nathan was famous for his no sleepovers policy.

Apparently, we were breaking rules left and right tonight.

The next morning, I stole Nathan’s shirt since mine was still missing buttons. I might’ve only had to make it thirty feet to Dylan’s condo for my walk of shame, but I wasn’t going to do it clutching my shirt back together. Inhaling Nathan’s scent that still clung to the soft cotton, I stood at the window and waited for Ryan to turn the corner so I could run for it.

“What are you doing?”

I jumped as Nathan’s arms came around me.

“You scared me.” I slapped his arm as I turned to face him.

He bent to give me a kiss, but I dodged him. “No. Morning breath.”

“Like I give a fuck.” He still gave me a tongue curling