Chapter 17 Teasing With A Storyline
Dexter
I sat in my truck and watched as people bustled about, closing up for the day.
It was after eight, and the streetlights were already illuminating the parking lot.
I parked next to Natalie’s car and waited for her to arrive.
I thought she was already here, but the door to the shop was still locked.
When I texted her, she told me she was getting dropped off.
I figured she was with her friend Mya since her restaurant was a block away.
My eyebrows lifted as a silver Mercedes stopped in front of her shop.
Natalie hopped out of the passenger seat with a scowl on her face.
Slowly opening my car door, I watched as she waved a dismissive hand towards whoever was driving.
I could hear whoever it was call her name, but she ignored them as she unlocked the store.
The driver called her stubborn before speeding away.
Who was that? Neither Key nor Black drove that type of luxury car.
Maybe it was her dad? I slightly shook my head with the realization that it probably wasn’t.
I didn’t bother to ask if she had a boyfriend and only assumed she was single.
“Perfect example why I need to steer clear of her,” I mumbled to myself as I approached the shop.
Here I was fantasizing and wanting to fool around with another man’s woman.
I wasn’t the home wrecker type, so I needed to fall back.
Standing in front of the door, I decided that I’d get Natalie’s help with my prototype, help her with the Spring Festival, and then put my notice in.
The more distance I placed between us, the better off I’d be.
Opening the door, I saw Natalie looking over some paperwork behind the counter.
My breath caught as I stared at how gorgeous she was.
Her once auburn straightened hair was now in fluffy black curls, which framed her face nicely.
The jacket she had on was lying on top of the counter, showing off her low-cut white t-shirt.
I know it was a basic shirt, but Natalie was wearing the fuck out of it.
A flash of her wearing only that shirt and those red lacy panties flashed across my mind.
At that same moment, Natalie’s pouty lips spread into a smile as she looked up from her paperwork.
Fuck, this woman was going to get me in trouble.
“What’s up, Dex? Damn, I didn't know you wore glasses.”
I swallowed and nervously waved my hand. “Hey, Nat. Yeah, but only when I'm reading or doing homework.”
Natalie ran her bottom lip between her teeth before she cleared her throat. “C’mon in and lock the door behind you. I’m going to make myself some coffee, then we can get started. Do you want some?”
“Sure, I’ll take a cup,” I said, heading towards the table where we had our interview.
“How do you like it?”
“Surprise me.”
She gave me a salute before sauntering off towards the break room.
I set up my laptop and pulled out the script that I had made so far for my game.
Shrugging off my jacket, I threw it over the back of my chair and sat down.
The smell of fresh-brewed coffee filled the air, causing my stomach to rumble.
I had been working on my game and this manuscript all day and only had lunch.
Looking at my watch, I saw it was already after eight in the evening.
My stomach grumbled right as Natalie came out of the break room holding two coffee mugs.
She lifted an eyebrow before breaking out into a laugh.
“Are you hungry?”
I shook my head as I stood up and grabbed one of the mugs out of her hand. “Nah, I’m straight.” At that moment, my stomach decided to be obnoxious and yell at the top of its lungs.
“Yeah, a straight lie!” Natalie laughed harder. “Hold on.”
She placed her coffee on the table before jogging back to the break room.
I took several sips of my coffee, and my eyes damn near rolled into the back of my head.
This was some of the best coffee I had ever had.
The sound of the microwave slamming shut had me looking back towards the breakroom.
Natalie came back with a plate of double chocolate chip muffins.
“From my secret stash,” she winked, placing the plate in front of me before grabbing her own.
I took a muffin and bit down into the chocolaty goodness and damn near groaned. “You have me about to start moaning over here from how good everything is.”
Something flashed in her eyes before she took a sip of her coffee. “I’m glad you like it.”
“What did you put in this coffee, and where did you get these muffins?”
“The coffee is a medium roast with white chocolate, peppermint and mocha. The muffins I made earlier this morning. They were going to be my after dinner snack.”
I took another bite and groaned. “Damn, Nat! I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, but I’d have this exact combo every day if I could. This is delicious.”
A wide smile spread across her face before she bit into her muffin. Natalie’s eyes trailed down my face before they landed on my lips as she swallowed. She tucked in her bottom lip, “Thank you, Dexter.”
Her voice was low and almost seductive. The way my name rolled off her lips had my dick twitching. Everything about Natalie made my heart skip a beat, and I found myself craving her. I cleared my throat and dusted off my hands.
“So, here’s the manuscript for my game,” I quickly said, grabbing my laptop from my backpack.
I needed to change the subject fast because if Natalie kept speaking in that same tone and looking at me like that, I would have no problem lying her on top of this table and diving my tongue deep into her.
“Before I get started, tell me what ‘Warrior of the Seven Suns’ is about?”
“Well, it follows the story of a twenty-five-year-old who unknowingly falls into a different realm when they find a magical relic. They must save the gods and goddesses of Sylic, whom demonic gods possess, in this new realm.
“How do they do that?”
“In this realm, they’re a flame-bearer and the fire is an ancestral flame. The character will have to complete trials and fight off the enemy of each territory to save the god or goddess for that section until they get to the final boss level.”
Natalie nodded. “Sounds intriguing.”
“Yeah, but something is missing from the plot. It has the quest and is full of action, but I feel like it needs something.”
Natalie hummed as she tapped her chin. “Let me read through this and get back to you. In the meantime, I want you to work on something for me.”
She got up from the table and walked over to the reference section. My eyebrow rose with curiosity as she gleefully pulled a book from the shelf and handed it to me as she walked back to the table.
“What’s this?”
“It’s a book with creative writing prompts.”
“Creative writing?”
She nodded. “The premise of your game sounds fantastic, and I can’t wait to dive into what you've written so far. However, I learned that writing can help with out-of-the-box thinking. Who knows, maybe you’ll figure out what’s missing while I read.”
She smiled down at me as I took the book out of her hand.
Natalie sat back down across from me, and we began to work.
I have to admit; I wasn’t big on creative writing.
I’m not saying I couldn’t do it, but it wasn’t my first choice.
At first, it felt as if I was doing homework, but listening to Natalie and trying out a few writing prompts sparked new ideas for a new game.
She was right. These prompts were definitely helping, but not with my current manuscript.
“I got it!”
Looking up, I saw Natalie dancing in her seat as she was frantically writing on a scrap piece of paper.
“What you got, Nat?”
She slammed her pen down and picked up her chair to sit closer to me. The smell of vanilla and strawberries filled my nose, causing my mouth to water. She smelled as she tasted: sweet.
“Dex, what if you added a romantic plot twist to your story?”
“A romantic plot twist?”
She nodded and proceeded to explain everything she had jotted down while she read through my manuscript. At first, I was hesitant, but as Natalie explained her idea, I couldn’t help but smile. Sitting back in my chair, I rubbed my hand down my beard.
“Well? What do you think?” Natalie asked.
Standing up from my chair, I paced. “That might work. I can have the flame-bearer get overly engrossed with each trial completed.”
Natalie stood up and leaned against the table with a nod of her head. “Yes! Each time the flame-bearer completes a trial, they lose a part of their loved one’s voice of reason. Then, they get consumed with power and greed. The final boss level can be the ultimate test, power over–”
“Love,” we said in unison.
I grabbed Natalie by the waist and spun us in a circle. “Natalie, you are a genius!”
Her laughter filled the room as she threw her hands in the air.
After a few turns, I slowly stopped moving and realized how soft she felt in my hands.
As I gently placed her back onto her feet, her brown eyes locked onto mine.
Her chest rose and fell slowly as her eyes trailed down to my lips again.
I lifted my hand and rubbed my thumb across the bottom of her lip while I pulled her closer to me with my other hand.
“Dexter,” she breathed out as I lifted her chin. She pressed her body against me, and I could feel her erect nipples on my chest.
“Just a taste,” I leaned down and whispered onto her lips.
Her hands ran up my arms, causing the hairs to rise and my dick to twitch.
My heart raced as she wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me closer to her.
I should stop this. Natalie was off-limits, and if Key ever found out, it'd ruin our relationship.
Hell, it'd probably ruin the relationship between him and Natalie.
Then again, she drew me to her. I wanted her more than I needed air and it was scaring the hell out of me. However, that wasn't going to stop me.
Natalie's phone rang, causing her to jump back. “Shit! I, I can't.”
“Nat, baby, wait.”
“Dexter, I won't lie and say that I am not attracted to you because I am. Ever since that night, I find myself thinking about the what if, but that's all it will ever be, a mere thought. We cannot cross that line. I love my brother too much to betray him.”
My shoulders slumped as I ran my hand down my face. “You're right. I don't want to hurt Key.”
Natalie snatched up her phone and walked into the back room as she answered it, and I gathered my laptop and backpack.
My heart raced as rejection and disappointment raced through my mind.
What the hell was I thinking? My feelings for Natalie needed to end now because she obviously didn't want me.
Well, maybe she did, but at the end of the day, we weren't going to step into unknown territory.
Besides, there was a very strong possibility that she was taken, and I wasn't about to touch what wasn't mine.
Throwing my backpack over my shoulder, I saw Natalie coming out of her office. “C'mon, I'll walk you to your car.”
“You don't have to, Dex.”
“It's late, and I'm not about to let you walk out of here by yourself.”
She nodded her head and gathered her items before we headed out the door.
The walk towards our cars was silent and full of tension.
I felt it, and I knew she could too. Natalie unlocked her door before I opened it for her.
She opened her mouth to say something, but then quickly closed it and looked away.
I gently grabbed her hand and pulled her into a hug.
“It's cool. We made a deal, and I'm a man of my word. Have a good night, okay?”
She nodded her head as she sat in the driver's seat and started her car. I closed the door and headed toward my truck. It was late, and I had an hour drive ahead of me. That should be enough time to get Natalie out of my head.