Make Me (Sterling Shore Series #10)(14)

Shutting up is the best course of action.

"Maverick is the charming playboy who won't settle down," I say instead of keeping my lips closed like I should. "It makes him a conquest to women."

She purses her lips, probably wondering what I'm rambling about.

"Dane is the smooth, skilled, unattainable guy-or was. Really, he was just fixated on Rain that no one else would ever do. But it made him unapproachable."

She leans back, watching my face, studying me.

"Corbin was impossible to tame, just like Maverick. The two of them together were wild and fun. Everyone wanted in on the fun, but they hated being fun for one-night only."

I blow out a long breath. "Then there's Kode. The dick to most, nice to few. Getting on his good side was impossible. Completely unobtainable."

"Yeah … heard he was with Tria. I like Tria. I hate Kode. I'm not sure how that happened," Harley says, confused.

I laugh under my breath.

"Long story that started with a change in hair color."

She looks twice as confused.

"The point is, I was the nice Sterling. The laidback, mature one. The easiest one to approach, and the easiest one to obtain, considering the leg and all-or so they thought. Hence the Gateway Sterling comment. Girls thought they could use me to penetrate our circle and get the Sterling of their choosing. So yeah, Harley, I know what it's like to be used."

Her lips purse like she's lost in thought. "You're the hardest to obtain," she says quietly, so quietly I almost miss it.

I watch her lips as they continue to convey every expression. Finally, they start moving again.

"They're stupid if they think you're easy to move in on. Not to sound like a total creeper, but I watched you. You were selective. Very rarely did any girl get you-even for one night. Maverick and Corbin went through half the student body, yet you were always turning girls away. It's what made me like you more. You seemed to have standards."

I laugh, caught off guard.

"It also made me feel special when you acknowledged me on any level," she adds, killing my laughter as my eyes lock with hers.



       
         
       
        

Something passes between us, silent and unspoken. She's the one to break the eye contact.

"Bathroom?" she asks, sounding nervous now.

"Down the hall and to the right," I say absently, watching as she puts her glass down and starts moving down the hall.

I run a hand through my hair, wondering why I told her all that. I'm also stuck wondering if this thing between us might actually-

A slight squeal catches me off guard, and I leap from the sofa, rounding the corner to the hall quickly, only to stumble to a halt when I see the room Harley is gawking at with wide, horrified eyes.

How the fucking hell did I forget about that room?!

Why did I ever listen to Maverick and Corbin?

I can only imagine the thoughts running through her mind right now. How am I supposed to explain this?!

"Harley, this isn't what-"

"I'm a virgin," she blurts out, then her eyes go wider as she darts her gaze to me and claps a hand over her mouth.

My entire body goes rigid. Virgin? Fucking virgin?

"I have to go," she says, practically sprinting by me, and I back out of the way as those words play on repeat in my head.

I just showed all that to a fucking virgin? I'm killing my cousins.

It's not until I hear the front door shut that I remember I drove her here.

I race through the house, fully ready to apologize a thousand times and come up with some way to explain all that shit. When I jerk the door open though, there's no one on the sidewalks. It's like she's already disappeared.

I'm an ass.

And an idiot.

And a fucking tool.

I grab my phone and text her instead of trying to call, not trusting my mouth to function properly.



ME: Come back. At least let me drive you home.

HER: All good. I just live a few houses away. We'll talk tomorrow.



We'll talk tomorrow? I hope that isn't her just trying to shut me up.

Maverick and Corbin were right. That crazy room definitely sent her sprinting out of here, but that wasn't the desired effect. At least not after spending all night with her.

Now how do I fix this?

This time, instead of calling the immature dicks I know, I call the one person I know can be an asshole and spin his shit into gold.

"Dale? What's up?" Kode asks.

"How the hell did you get Tria to not hate you in the beginning?"

"Really? You call now to ask this question?"

"I'm being serious. Tell me everything."

"Okaaay … I acted like I deserved her, even when I didn't. And she seemed to like the fact I wouldn't take no for an answer." 

I blink at the wall in front of me.

"That's it? No grand gestures or whatever?"

"Those come later," he says, and I practically hear him smirking. "Just fuck her brains out in the beginning. We talking about Harley?"

"I need to let you go," I say while hanging up.

I called for wisdom and got told to fuck her brains out. I'm not sure what I expected. I'm the one with all the good advice in our group. Funny how I don't know anything at all to tell myself.

I'm not keen on irony.

My mind flicks to the way Tria is when she's with Kode. Maybe he knows what the hell he's talking about.

And honestly? Fucking Harley's brains out sounds like a damn good option. As long as that virgin confession wasn't real. I really hope she just freaked out and blurted out some random reason to leave.

I can't believe I'm about to take advice from Kode.

After I find a way to explain that motherfucking room and get Harley back to my house, that is.





Chapter 15



HARLEY



"A virgin?" Vivica bursts out laughing like this is funny.

I'm not amused. At all.

"This is not funny," I point out.

"It's hilarious if it's not you," she says, wiping tears from her eyes. "You told him you're a virgin and bolted?"

"I hate you. This is not helpful. I called you to get help!"

"Why in fuck's name would you say you're a virgin?" she goes on, barely able to keep herself in her seat as I sit down beside her, putting my back to my new office door.

"That's the first thing that popped out of my PC trained mouth. In my head, I couldn't say, I've never seen or used any of that freaky kinky shit you have everywhere inside this room-"

"Was the room red?" she interrupts.

"Room was tan," I growl, glaring at her as she struggles to stop laughing. "Anyway, I couldn't say that, because my PC trained mouth decided to make it less rude by saying virgin. I don't understand why I said it either. I didn't mean virgin in the anatomical sense. I meant it in the I'm-a-vanilla-girl only sort of sense."

She laughs. Again. Unbelievable.

I need a new friend. One incapable of laughter.

My door opens, and I turn my head as Frank comes in.

"Frank, if you show me that same pitch, just reworded, one more time, I'm going to fire you and get someone new who can bring a fresh idea to the table after I've discarded the old one."

He pales. "I'll just … go draw up something … fresh," he says, shutting the door quickly and scurrying away.

I return my attention to Vivica, who is getting her bearings back.

"I turn into a seventeen-year-old idiot every time I'm around him," I groan. "I had no clue how to react to that room. He's so poised, and serious, and unflappable-"

"Every guy loves being called unflappable," Vivica inserts sarcastically.

I ignore her and continue. "So seeing that room just sort of threw me. And everything was so perfect and shiny. Like it was brand spanking new-"

"Pun intended?" she asks, snickering. Again.

I ignore her. Again. "So I went total stupid girl and said I was a virgin. Then I bolted before I said something even stupider."

"I can't believe he thought you were a virgin," Vivica says, then snorts. "I mean, what girl past the age of fifteen is these days?"

I was nineteen before I managed to rid myself of my V-card. It was terrible. I shudder just thinking about it.



       
         
       
        

But thinking of sex with Dale … in that freaky room …

I squirm in my seat just entertaining the idea of how kinky he is. What would it be like to let him use one of those-

"I'm eighteen and a virgin. Contrary to popular belief, virgins are usually not highly sought after in today's society," a strange girl's voice says very seriously.

Vivica and I share a horrified look before our eyes dart to the door we never heard open. A redheaded girl is standing there, a folder in her hand, as she stares at us blankly.

"The older you get, the harder it becomes to lose said virginity, because everyone is scared of you becoming too attached to them. Again, today's society lends itself to being more casual and less serious, which makes the virginity thing a scary zone to enter."

My mouth opens, then closes, and opens, and closes …

I'm not sure how long I'm stuck in that loop. Vivica seems to be just as stupefied.

The unknown redhead flicks her gaze between us before frowning.

"I'm sorry. Your assistant said you were expecting me and that I could walk on in. Was I supposed to pretend I didn't overhear your conversation? I know some people are very private with their sex life, but at the risk of offering you unsolicited advice, I'd tell him you're not a virgin."