Pipe Dreams Ch. 01

Lina shrugged, pushing her long dark hair over her shoulder. "It's not that important and I'm already taking an extra class this semester. I'm too busy."

"Bullshit. There's something else. Now spill or I'm going to steal your entire stash of chocolate cookies."

It was Lina's turn to narrow her eyes. "You wouldn't."

Maggie looked at her smugly. "You sure?"

Lina sighed and frowned. She fidgeted with her napkin. She couldn't believe she was going to tell Maggie this, it was just too weird. She had been completely distracted during her study group and had to call Blaine afterward to get her section so she could do the work because she totally forgot what had been assigned to her. She had never felt like this.

"Stop stalling. You know why you don't want to apply; you don't have to think up a lie. I'll be able to tell, you know."

"Fine," Lina said in disgust, "I'm attracted to him, okay?"

Maggie stared at her in shock. She sagged back in her chair. "Really? As in want to jump his bones, lick every inch of his body from his head to his toes and gobble him up, attracted to him?"

"No!" Lina denied it hotly but suddenly a visual of her sucking and biting his neck hard enough to leave a mark hit her and she felt a flash of arousal in her core and a sudden wetness in her panties. "Oh god!" She buried her face in her hands to hide the hot blush that she could feel flushing her cheeks.

"Oh my god! You do! You so do!" Maggie shouted.

Lina looked up, fixing her eyes on Maggie with a glare that should have made her fall out of her chair sideways, completely dead. "Shut up!"

Maggie ignored it. "Girl, you have got to go after that. The way he was watching you he is into you too."

Lina shook her head. "I don't want to. I just... I don't even know how..." Lina buried her face again, certain her blush had her face damn near glowing.

Maggie looked confused. "Haven't you ever--" She paused and Lina jumped in before she could finish her sentence.

"No. I've never done anything with a guy. I wouldn't have any clue what to do." She picked her up her cup of ice water and took a drink, hoping it would help cool the flush in her face from just thinking about getting close to 'the' Alerkane Jacy. Her nose wrinkled, now she was doing it too. The man was hot but he was still just a man.

"I've known you for four years now and you've never dated anyone." Maggie was watching her closely but Lina just answered with a shrug. "Are you into girls then?"

Lina just wanted the conversation over but Maggie was relentless. "No. I've never been into anyone, man or woman."

"Never?"

"Never."

"Until today, right?"

Lina nodded reluctantly. She put her cup down, fiddling with the straw and stirring the ice around.

Maggie stood up, picking up their plates from the table and took them over to the sink. She was quiet for a few minutes and Lina had some hope that the conversation was dead but she should have known better. Maggie finished putting the dishes in the dishwasher and then turned around.

"I get why you would be weirded out today but why would you let that get in your way of what you want?" Her voice was serious, her teasing over. She dried her hands on a dish towel.

"Look, you know this internship would help you. Just because you are attracted to the guy doesn't mean you have to act on it. You are the most focused person I know; you can do the work and forget about the rest of it."

She reached into her bag on the counter and pulled out a business card. She held it out to Lina wordlessly.

"I don't know..." Lina really did want the internship but she was scared almost witless about being around Kane. She nibbled on her lip before finally taking the card Maggie was holding patiently. She didn't like men in general and usually stayed away from them; her father had made sure of that.

Maggie was right; she would just keep it professional. Besides, she might not even get the internship. She sighed as her finger traced Kane's name embossed in black and silver on the card.

"I'll call tomorrow."