Torque by Gillian Archer (have you read this book .txt) 📗

that I wanted a ring at the end of the date.

Personal Message: Just looking for something casual, not too serious!

And then I scrolled to the next form.

Madison’s bedroom:

Biting

Blindfolding

Dirty Talk

Nylons

Submission

Toys

Peeping

Wax

Vanilla

Leather

Yup, I was definitely going to need alcohol. And I still hadn’t gotten to the photo uploading portion of the app yet.

Kill me now.

Chapter Six

Nathan

Sitting on my aunt’s sofa Sunday afternoon waiting for the rest of the family to show up only emphasized how pathetic my life had become. None of my brothers had shown up yet. Neither had Sabrina. Wendy was wrapped up in her…I didn’t even know what to call him. Referring to a fifty-something man as a boyfriend just felt wrong. But they were busy doing something in kitchen and giggling—I wasn’t going to investigate.

Everyone had a life. But not me.

Fuck this.

I pulled my phone out of my pocket. I might look like the loser of the family, but it didn’t have to be true. I’d play happy family when everyone finally showed, and after, I’d spend some time with a little hottie to unwind.

Minutes later I was happily swiping left and right when I stumbled over her profile.

Maddie.

Maddie was on my app.

She hadn’t even gone for a mysterious partial profile picture. Maddie was all out there blatant as ever, biting her luscious bottom lip and visible from the top of her head to the bottom curve of her perky tits.

Timid little Madison Roberts had a hookup profile. And so fucking blatant: Just looking for something casual, not too serious!

My stomach dropped. Nothing about Maddie was casual. Maddie was hearts and sunshine and weddings and babies. How could she! Why would she?

I clicked on her profile, and I swore I saw spots when I read what followed.

Kink Interest: Curious

Curious? Did she not know that was like catnip to all those asshole predators out there? Curious?!

Fuck.

And I couldn’t help myself. I clicked on the Madison’s bedroom link.

Biting: No

Blindfolding: With the right guy

Dirty Talk: Yes, please

Nylons: I like thigh highs

Submission: Sometimes

Toys: I have several

Peeping: No

Wax: Maybe?

Vanilla: Ice cream? Yes, please. Sex, sometimes. Mostly.

Leather: Yum

I boggled at my phone. It was too much information. I couldn’t take any of it in.

Or maybe, judging by the throbbing of my junk, I’d taken it all in. It was way too easy to imagine Maddie in a pair of thigh highs, blindfolded on my bed while I teased her with her collection of toys.

Suddenly, it was all I could think about. Were her nipples a pale pink, deep rose, or a light brown?

Fuck. Me.

I didn’t know what to do with this information. Suddenly Maddie wasn’t my little sister’s best friend—she was a siren I couldn’t stop thinking about. I wanted her.

I wanted Maddie Roberts.

Fuck.

With a new resolve, I headed for the half-bathroom at the end of the hall. After locking the door behind me, I tore my shirt off and took a few selfies, making sure to crop my head out of them. And to obscure my blazing motorcycle tat—the logo for Badass Builds. If she saw that she’d know exactly who was messaging her. Then my thumbs flew across the screen. I created a new fake profile with the generic name Nate, and all my answers mirrored Maddie’s.

I pulled her profile up, swiped right, and sent her a personal message.

Looks like we have a lot in common. Interested in meeting up for a drink later tonight?

I tried to calm my racing heart. If she looked horrified when she found me sitting at the end of the bar, I could always give her the riot act about internet dating. Given how much she’d spilled in her profile, I wouldn’t have a hard time finding my anger. It was risky and made me pissed when I thought of all the different scenarios that could happen to her.

But if the night went the way I hoped…

It was win-win really.

I put my shirt back on and was washing my hands when my phone pinged.

Sure, I like what I see. How about B-Side at 9?

A smug smile curved my lips.

Got her.

* * *

It was fucking hard to sit across Aunt Wendy’s table from Maddie knowing what I did. I shifted to lessen the strain on my cock from my jeans. Hard in more ways than one.

And Maddie didn’t have a fucking clue. She was happily eating and talking to Sabrina on her left. Every once in a while, her eyes would slide toward me, but I attributed it to the fact I sat across from her. She’d give me an awkward smile and turn back to her plate or Sabrina.

It was killing me to not say anything.

Killing. Me.

“I have an announcement to make.” Austin said as he stood up a few seats down. He raised his cup and beamed down at an equally beaming Rachel. “Last night, I proposed, and Rachel said yes.”

There were joyful exclamations, cheers, and chatter.

I grinned at the couple, even as I felt a twinge of something I couldn’t name deep in my chest. I was happy for my brother. He and Rachel fit so well together. And he was great with her son, Wyatt. I’d had a suspicion that the announcement was coming, but he hadn’t asked me to help him pick out the ring or plan the proposal. We’d been so close for so long. But lately—with everyone coupling up—I found myself on the outside more than usual.

I didn’t know if it was disappointment at being left out or jealousy that two of my brothers were on their way down the aisle to their forever. Honestly, I didn’t want to think about it. I did what I usually did and buried it. Easier that way.

“Congrats, Aust. I’m happy for you,” I said, clapping Austin on the shoulder.

“Thanks, bro.” Austin grinned. “You up for standing up for us as my best man?”

I laughed, as his question lessened some of whatever that pang feeling had been. But it lingered. “I guess this is an