Chapter 23

Jordan guided Natalie’s hands up to her chest, and Natalie squeezed lightly, prompted by Jordan.

For a moment, Natalie just stood there, frozen, her thoughts whiting out. She was hardly a virgin, and this was just some over-the-clothes groping, but it was Jordan. She had her hands on Jordan’s tits. Not some random hookup, but Jordan. Her best friend. It was so different from other encounters as to be comical. It didn’t remotely compare.

Jordan hesitated, some of her amused nonchalance fading from her face, uncertainty replacing it. Natalie realized she’d stayed frozen longer than appropriate. Any freezing at all had been inappropriate. This shouldn’t be something Natalie was awkward about.

Natalie might be stunned, but if there was one thing she wouldn’t do, it was make Jordan hesitant. It was Natalie’s job to take charge. That was how their dynamic always worked.

Really, this was—bizarrely—the one exception to that rule. Jordan pursued this aspect of Natalie’s class with more dedication than even Natalie.

She wondered why.

Probably, she knew Natalie was weirded out by her class and wanted to encourage her. Or maybe she wanted to make clear she was willing to help Natalie, and knew Natalie wouldn’t push Jordan into doing stuff like this by herself.

Natalie plastered on her trademark sideways grin. She’d been told she had a ‘roguish appeal’. She pretended it wasn’t cultivated ... but truthfully, it kind of was. Natalie wasn’t like Sofia, who needed perfect hair and a perfect outfit every time she went out, but that didn’t mean she didn’t care how people perceived her. Anyone who said that was lying to themselves. Natalie tried to keep lying to herself to a minimum.

“Bet this isn’t how you thought our first day at Tenet would go,” Natalie joked. She tried to ignore how her hands were on Jordan’s tits, squeezing and kneading, and failed.

“Second day, technically,” Jordan murmured. Her face was scarlet—Natalie’s hands worked away, rubbing in a gentle rhythm. She had her bra on, and Natalie could feel it through her uniform. Maybe that was a good thing. It protected Natalie from melting down entirely.

“Second day,” Natalie said, rolling her eyes. “Whatever.”

Could Jordan see through her? She always had been able to, before. She had to know what was happening to Natalie. Had to know the smirk and eager movements of her hands was a farce, and that Natalie was a few seconds from catching fire. She was surprised she wasn’t radiating steam, right now.

“My bra’s getting in the way,” Jordan said. “Go ahead and go from under.”

Ah, shit.

Well, Natalie had to keep the act up. Hesitating once had already made Jordan nervous, and this was Natalie’s cross to bear. She had to be the one totally at ease, to help Jordan be the same.

Jordan had told her to ‘go from under’, but the uniform’s buttoned top was too unwieldy for that. She popped open the buttons of the top half, exposing Jordan’s bra. It was a black, lacy thing ... surprisingly fancy. She hadn’t dressed up for this, had she?

Obviously not. What was Natalie thinking? She just guessed Jordan liked wearing lacy bras. Never mind Natalie had seen Jordan half-dressed plenty of times before, and she’d always worn practical undergarments ... plain ones, not lacy. Maybe it was coincidence she’d worn something fancy today, despite knowing Natalie’s skill would progress, and it would probably result in ... this.

Her hands wiggled underneath Jordan’s bra, and so Natalie had two handfuls of her best friend’s tits. Those hard nubs brushing against her fingers were Jordan’s nipples.

Fascinated—something primal overtaking Natalie—she pinched them, making Jordan squeak in surprise.

The noise did something to Natalie. The awkwardness and tension vanished. Natalie wanted to hear the sound again. Wanted to extract it.

She pinched harder. Another gasp, and Jordan arched her back. Her eyes widened, surprised as Natalie’s sudden boldness. Natalie leaned forward and bit Jordan’s lower lip, gently, then tugged it back with her teeth. Jordan closed her eyes and moaned. The noise washed across Natalie.