Chapter Nine

Knox

“What the hell do you mean you invited her?” I put on my typical uniform — tight ripped jeans, a white T-shirt that left nothing to the imagination — and pulled my hair back into a man bun that made me want to die a little bit each time I did it.

I liked short hair.

But, per Wingman, Inc. rules, I needed to be the rockstar of the three, the grumpy un-obtainable one who made the clients come back wanting, thinking just one more visit would win the biggest treasure among the three of us.

Fuck my life. I hated being the damn treasure almost as much as I hated this internship.

One. More. Semester.

Finn shrugged. “She was stressed out over Human Anatomy. Thought this might perk her up.”

Yeah, in more ways than one.

Five guys in a small dorm room without AC. What could go wrong?

I coughed when Leo sprayed the room with lavender while Finn lit two candles and started stretching like we were getting ready for the annual Track and Field Open.

One. More. Semester.

A soft knock sounded at the door.

I pasted a surly look on my face then jerked open the door as our two clients stood outside wringing their hands, apparently confused as to what to do with them. They were attractive enough, freshman dudes who really needed to learn the hard way how to stop getting dumped.

It wasn’t that they desired our attention sexually.

They just wanted to learn how to be like us.

So, we gave them lessons.

And we showed them how to touch, how to listen, how to look — the Holy Grail of dating lessons. It helped that we were trying to groom at least one of them to take my spot next year. They both had the looks — striking features, tall, muscular — but they were seriously lacking in the confidence department. I wanted this lesson over so I could finish with our next client and take a long sleep.

“Chris, Jay, come on in.” I opened the door wide and nearly slammed it shut before I noticed Shawn standing right behind them, arms crossed, judgement so evident on her face it made me crack a smile. Just what the hell did she think we did behind closed doors?

“You coming?” I leaned against the doorframe and crossed my arms. Please say no, please say no. I wouldn’t be able to concentrate worth shit.

“I was pondering it…” Her eyes narrowed. “…mainly because I have a proposition for you after, and I’m curious if I want to get involved with someone who…” She didn’t explain.

“Proposition.” My eyebrows shot up. “Color me intrigued.”

“Yeah, well…” Her cheeks went red as she looked down at her shoes and finally back up at me. “Human Anatomy is killing me, no exaggeration. You’re going to find my body one of these days under the textbook just suffocating.”

I smirked.

“Laugh all you want, but I need— I would pay you— I mean—”

“Prove to me you can hang around this…” I pointed behind me. “…and I’ll do it for free.” I’d almost said, “I’d do you for free.”

Damn it, Knox, rein it in!

“Really?” She perked up as if I’d just offered sex on a silver platter, with free orgasms.

“Really.” I found myself smiling.

I rarely smiled.

I wanted to hate her for it.

I cleared my throat and opened the door wider.

She peeked under my arm then gave me a wary look.

“Aw, come on. Your innocence is showing.” I winked. “Just promise you won’t repeat what you see here.”

Her eyes went so round I had to look away to keep myself from laughing out loud.

Finally, she gulped and stepped into the room.

Finn had one of our desk chairs pulled out for her, indicating he’d known she would come, and Leo just winked at me like he was solving world hunger by inviting a girl into our room.

I rolled my eyes and turned to Chris and Jay, who literally could not take their eyes off Shawn, even if they’d wanted to.

Yeah, I understood that feeling all too well.

She had gorgeous wavy black-and-brown hair, what could only be called voluptuous lips, and innocent-looking eyes that slammed into me so hard it was almost freaky. And her body? Don’t even get me started on those legs, those breasts. She was the perfect package of hot chocolate with marshmallows, and I was freezing my ass off for a taste.

“So…” I rubbed my hands together. “…Jay, how did this week go?”

I shot a glance to Shawn, who looked so confused it was almost cute.

“Well…” His eyes flickered away from Shawn as indecision warred across his face. “I just… I think I come on too strong. I was with a chick—”

“Woman,” Finn corrected. “They’re never chicks, you insensitive prick. Try again.”

“Woman.” He cleared his throat. “Classy woman.” His eyes were wide. Damn, I needed to dirty him up if he was going to join the team when I graduated. “Things were going great. We were laughing, joking around… then I reached for her hand, and she flinched.”

Leo grinned. “Show me how much of a flinch.” He held out his hand.

Jay took it hesitantly then jolted back.

“Fear,” Finn sighed. “You surprised her, man. Sounds like you were coming in hot with the jokes.” He sighed. “Joke, joke, joke, sex.” He shook his head. “Not how women work, my friend.”

“But—” The jackass actually looked confused. “—I thought you guys said humor’s the easiest way to break boundaries?”

“Emotional boundaries,” I jumped in. “Not physical.”

“Oh.” Jay nodded. “So next time I warn her?”

Groaning, Leo covered his face with his hands. Then he dropped his hands and marched over to Shawn, keeping his eyes on Jay. “Watch and take notes.”

He was about an inch from Shawn’s chair. Her breathing grew heavy as he leaned down and said, “Pretend I’m joking with you, Shower Girl. We’re having a good time. I’m sending you signals. What’s the only thing I’m going to be able to do that won’t freak you out, or seem too fast?”

She chewed her lower lip. The sight of those even white teeth with the almost invisible gap in front gave me ideas of—

Shit, concentrate!

Then a gleam of speculation entered her eyes, showing she was actually thinking about it. Helping. “Off the top of my head?”

“Yup.” Leo’s eyes twinkled, damn him.

She groaned, and my jeans began to strangle me in a sweet, slow death. “Soft brush of your hand,” she mumbled.

Leo was smiling so hard I wanted to pummel him. “So, like this?” He ran his knuckles down the side of her arm then pulled away.

Her breath hitched as she nodded. A visible tremor rippled down her body, and I gritted my teeth against the one that threatened to run through me. Palms sweating, I focused in on her breathing, the soft part of her lips as she physically responded, obviously without even thinking about it.

Fuck. The things I could do to her.

Jay’s eyes narrowed, and his tongue touched his upper lip. I could almost hear him asking to test the move himself as he leaned in, waiting, his eyes dilated with lust. “And then what?”

“Walk away,” I said curtly. “You walk away, let them wonder if it was accidental—”

“Or on purpose,” Shawn finished, surprising me.

A hint of admiration took the sexual edge off, and I nodded as Finn jumped next to Leo, flanking Shawn’s other side.

“The only other way to make the hand holding work is by making something up.” He teased Shawn’s other arm with his knuckles then grabbed her hand and said, “Wow, your fingers are so delicate. You must play the piano? Right?”

Shawn smiled.

Holy shit, does she really play the piano?

How had I missed that?

I stared down at her fingers.

They were long, thin, delicate.

“Good guess,” she breathed out the words as Finn continued to link their fingers together and moved in.

His lips met the side of her cheek then grazed downward as he continued talking. “Now, Jay, this is another pivotal moment. You want her to feel pleasure, but remember our number one rule. We don’t go beyond the walls of the skin, right? So, you let…” He nuzzled her neck, drawing in a long, slow breath as his nose toyed with her skin.

She froze and locked eyes with me.

I wondered if she imagined my mouth, my lips.

Hell, I ‘m imagining that scenario.

Then her lips parted. But she wasn’t pressing in to him; she was leaning toward me.

I smiled. Ah, sweet victory. She hadn’t jerked away because she was under Finn’s spell, but because she was under mine.

Mine.

Mine.

Mine.

So even though I was ready to break a desk over Finn’s head, I let him instruct our new guys.

“You let them feel every sensation through your touch, and I guarantee it will be enough for them to ask for more. We don’t screw our clients. We just show them how it’s supposed to be when they’re with their match, and hopefully, after a few sessions, they sign up for the Wingman, Inc. app. You get kickbacks for each client who signs up for the dating service, and you also have a killer job recommendation.” He pulled back.

Shawn gulped and adjusted in her chair then folded her hands in her lap and shot me a murderous glare. I love that she hated her treacherous body almost as much as I loved that she still couldn’t take her eyes off me.

“All right.” I cleared my throat and pointed to Chris. “You’re up. How’d it go?”

He exhaled slowly. “I did everything in the manual you guys gave me. It was going so well. In fact, I was pretty sure she was almost too into me when things went south.”

“South?” I repeated in shock. “Things should never, and I mean never, go south…”

“No.” Chris actually blushed and ran a hand through his blond locks. “I mean they went south as in she yelled at me, tried to punch me, and ran off.”

“You were reading her all wrong then.” I shrugged. “If things are going well, they don’t just sour. You sure she wasn’t playing you?”

He frowned. “We’ve sat next to each other for the last semester, eaten together, gone on multiple coffee dates. I’ve kissed her on the cheek—”

“Yeah…” Leo grinned widely. “…I’m going to stop you right there. Friend Zone.”

Chris groaned into his hands.

“A kiss on the cheek is harmless. Hell, it’s European.” Leo spread his arms wide. “She thought you were a safe place, and you ruined it by asking for more. You need to learn how to read the signs better. Watch and learn.” He walked up to Shawn and tried to pull her in for a kiss. She smacked him away then stood and stomped on his foot.

I choked on my laugh while Leo hopped on one foot and said, “See? Totally not ready for a kiss.”

“Count me out!” Finn held his hands up in surrender.

I didn’t need to push the point any further, but the way that Shawn looked at me, with challenge in the chocolatey depths of her eyes… well, I couldn’t really back down.

Instead, I sauntered over to her, leaned closer, and kissed the top of her head.

She went completely still as I whispered, “If the girl leans into you and doesn’t even realize she’s doing it…” Shawn was doing exactly that. “…feel free to slowly build your case with her. It means she’s into it. But if she jerks away, or if she seems confused why you’d hit on her, you need to go back into the safe zone and try again later. These women are ones we want to feel safe around you, so that when they break up with their boyfriends — and they will, especially freshmen — they come running to you for comfort of every variety except sexual then you help them decide which direction to take in their next relationship.”

“And that direction,” Finn said, “will always be Wingman, Inc., unless they aren’t interested in a relationship. Then your job is to be a support for them until they are.” He offered a matter-of-fact shrug. “Some may never get there. You may have clients who literally only rely on you to get by each week — but that’s the job.”

Finn coughed into his hand, and I became aware that I was running my hand along Shawn’s bare shoulder.

I jerked away then tugged her hair a bit.

Her breath hitched.

She liked it.

I loved it.

“So…” Leo rubbed his hands together. “…that’s enough tutoring for tonight. Keep us updated, all right?”

Chris and Jay both stood and walked out of the room.

Leaving the three of us alone with Shawn.

And her sitting there like a lamb at slaughter.