“That is interesting.”
“Why?”
Natalie shrugged. “Never knew Dex to chase anyone.”
“Oh, he wasn’t chasing me. He was demanding I spend six hours with him.”
Natalie smiled. “Uh-huh. So he didn’t chase you to your doorstep after you ditched him, only to demand you spend more time with him? Yeah…the guy clearly hates you.”
Okay, Natalie was being sarcastic. And yeah, she got it, but no, Dex didn’t like her.
“It was one night,” she reassured herself as much as Natalie. “And he has ulterior motives. I guess he has to train me for six more hours to get recertified.”
“That’s great.”
“No, it’s not. I did my training. I don’t need more.”
“Really? What about a different kind of training?” She winked, and Michelle was starting to wonder if she shouldn’t have disclosed her obsessive list-making habit to her friend. “You want experiences and to cross off some of those wild wants from your sexy list. Dex is your man. Besides, your douche of an ex made you feel crappy and contained all the time, right? This is the first time I’ve seen you act happy and confident. Maybe Dex did teach you a thing or two.”
Oh, he definitely had. But that didn’t mean she should keep seeing him.
“It’s not a good
idea.”
“I disagree,” Natalie said. “If Dex has ulterior motives, then so should you. He needs his hours? You need to be adventurous.”
There was that word again. But Natalie was trying to be supportive. And the truth was, last night with Dex had unleashed her inner wild side, and that was fun. Just like he was.
“Dex is a powerful guy, so use your power back. Maybe take this time to explore your wants and desires. Give in to all the things you want to be and feel. Why not?”
Michelle opened her mouth to argue that this was terrible, but nothing came out. Because…yeah…why not?
Dex knew what this was. Which was casual. He wanted something from her; she could get something from him.
Why not?
“Six hours isn’t really a commitment, right?” she asked for clarification.
Natalie just raised a brow. “Honey, six hours isn’t even a work day. It’s all about finding what you really want and using him to get it. Maybe six hours is the perfect amount of time.”
And wasn’t that like her training. Using the tools around her to make life better. He was using her to get his recertification. This could be an exchange of sorts. No feelings or promises or complications. She would have a chance to practice taking control and feeling alive. Getting a little dirty…like last night. And Dex was a perfect tool in a lot of ways.
She glanced around her small shop and thought of a few things she could use Dex for. Especially since he was using her for hours.
A light feeling spread throughout her entire body.
Maybe she could use this situation to her advantage after all.
It was nine o’clock at night, and Dex walked up to the one place he never thought he’d enter. A boutique.
Michelle had called earlier, asking him to come by after her shop closed and discuss this arrangement of “needing hours.”
He knew from the beginning this was a bad idea. When he was talking with Gage: bad idea. When he’d gone over to Michelle’s house to propose the plan: bad idea. But that damn list was driving him crazy.
It was bad enough that he knew a few desires she had. He could even handle knowing some of the kinkier ones. But when he saw that she’d scratched off some—the things they’d done—and then added more, something had clicked.
He’d stood in her doorway and knew right then that she was on a mission to experience, among other things, sex. And at least for that list of hers, he wanted to be the guy to give those experiences to her.