NAUGHTY LITTLE THINGS is a collection of steamy short stories featuring diverse characters, thrilling twists, and guaranteed happy endings. In this collection, you'll be taken on an exciting ride that you won't want to get off starring Nina, Ryan, B...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
6
Nina stared at the computer screen for so long that the words in the email she'd been ignoring began to blur.
Her mind wasn't where it should be—on her work—because she hadn't been able to stop thinking about Gabriel. The lingering taste of their shared night was both intoxicating and confusing. She vividly remembered how good it felt to have Gabirel's strong hands on her body, how good his mouth had treated both her and Jackson...
But the abrupt way Gabriel had left the following morning, without a proper goodbye, filled her with doubt. Did he regret that night as much as she cherished it? How, where, and when did things go wrong? As far as she knew, the three of them had shared the same level of excitement about hooking up. But maybe she misread the signs.
Maybe Gabriel had a last-minute change of heart.
"Fuck. What now?" Nina finally looked away from the computer to check her cell phone.
Every notification had her heart leaping in the wild hope that it was from Gabriel. She would've reached out to him already if she hadn't feared he didn't want to see her or Jackson ever again. That fear kept her silent for two weeks, his phone number undialed.
I wish I could understand why he switched up at the last second. Was it something I said? Something Jackson did? Nina shook her head, ignoring the new text from her mother as she slammed her phone face down on her desk. She stood to stretch her legs.
A soft knock at her office door interrupted her thoughts minutes later. "Come in."
Her best friend and business partner, Yelena, breezed into the office with a greasy bag of food in one hand and her signature radiant smile on her face. "I was in the neighborhood and figured I'd drop by to pay my bestie a visit. You're not busy, are you?" she asked, setting the bag on the coffee table in the center of the room. "Because I can come back..."
"Girl, no. I was going to head out for lunch in twenty minutes anyway, so you're right on time. What's in the bag?"
"Well, because I'm such a thoughtful bitch, I got you your favorite from Freddie's Burgers."
Nina whined in a cheerful manner. "Oh my God, I love you so much!"
The two settled down to eat and catch up. The peaceful break allowed Nina to let her guard down, her thoughts quieting, which in turn allowed Yelena to pick up on the dark cloud that hovered above her best friend's head. Something wasn't right.
"Alright, spill the tea." Yelena's piercing gaze made Nina pause mid-way of putting another fry into her mouth. "Who fucked up? You or Jackson?"
"Nobody fucked up. What are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about the reason behind that fake ass smile you've been giving me since I got here, or have you suddenly forgotten how long we've known each other? I can read your ass like an open book, girl."
