Gentleman Nine

I got the sudden urge to shock him a little. Reaching behind my back, I undid my bra and slipped it out of the bottom of my shirt.

“Hey, Channing! Catch!” I said before slinging the bra toward him.

What I didn’t anticipate was my bra landing on his head. A wide smile spread over his face. Clearly, he was used to women throwing lingerie at him since he seemed amused but unfazed that my bra was currently hanging off his face.

He climbed up on a chair and hooked it over the bar where it joined the bras of over a thousand other women who’d lost their minds here before me.CHAPTER SEVEN* * *CHANNINGAmber taking off her bra was definitely…interesting. It made me realize what shaky ground I was on because it was a full-on struggle not to make my gawking obvious for the rest of the night. She was so goddamn sexy without even trying to be. I’d always thought so, but I’d never really gotten to see that wild side of her until tonight. Of course, knowing what she’d told Gentleman Nine about me—knowing she wanted me—made my inner conflict worse.

I’d taken it too far with that “let’s pretend” game, too. It felt too real. I was playing off of our attraction to each other and experiencing actual chemistry with her. My strong reaction to her saying she’d come home with me was a little much. It’s not like I hadn’t picked up countless women in that exact same manner. But I couldn’t help feeling protective because her gullible response reminded me about the whole Gentleman Nine situation and how vulnerable she was.

It truly was my intention to try to hook her up with someone decent if the opportunity presented itself at the bar tonight. But the more time we spent there talking, drinking, and reminiscing, the more I hoped no prospects came along. I was enjoying having her to myself. But that was wrong, because I really did want what was best for her. And that didn’t include me. And Gentleman Nine most definitely wasn’t what was best for her.

I’d been relieved that she hadn’t contacted “him” again all week. That made me hopeful that she decided to nix the idea of seeing him and had come to the correct conclusion that it wasn’t the right move.

As I sat up in bed unable to sleep, I decided to check the account I’d created just in case there was anything new.

My stomach dropped when I noticed a new message from Amber that came in about fifteen minutes ago. She must have just sent it from her room.

I braced myself and opened it.Dear G9,It’s been a few days, and to be honest, I wasn’t sure if I was going to ever contact you again. I was leaning toward no. But as much as I’ve tried to distract myself, I can’t seem to let the idea of this go, even though it’s literally the craziest thing I’ve ever done. So, I’m thinking I’d like to move forward with a meetup. What’s the next step?—AmberMy pulse raced.

Shit.

I needed to either not respond ever again or come up with something that would get my ass out of this situation. There was also the burning need to know the reason behind her sudden push to move forward. If anything, I’d hoped that my words of warning about impulsivity tonight would have helped steer her away from the idea of paying some man to fuck her. Clearly, that wasn’t the case.

Angry and perplexed, it took me several minutes to figure out what to say, and I ultimately came up with something short and sweet that would put the ball back in her court.Hey Amber,I didn’t think I was going to hear back from you. What changed your mind?—G9Hoping she didn’t decide to fall asleep, I waited for the next message to come in.Hi G9,Thank you for the quick response. I just came in from a night out with my friend—the one I told you about. He was hoping to serve as my wingman tonight. But no one worthy of his efforts ever showed. We still had a really great time. Well, I already told you about my attraction to him. We’d done this roleplay thing where he pretended to be picking me up in the bar so that I could practice my dating skills. We were flirting or pretending to, and his body was close. Anyway, I came home feeling very aroused. Also, I might be a little drunk. I don’t want to wait months or years to satisfy the sexual need I’m feeling. So, I’m taking matters into my own hands. Or maybe into yours. (That was bad.)

Let me know what’s next.—AmberBlood was pumping through my veins and rushing down to my cock. I just started writing the first thing that came to mind. This time the words were coming from a different place within me.