Total pages in book: 65
Estimated words: 60750 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 304(@200wpm)___ 243(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60750 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 304(@200wpm)___ 243(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
“Music fodder.” Van quietly nods.
And I beam over at him. “That’s what I call it, too. Music fodder.”
“It helps.” Van beams right back at me, and at the sight of his bright smile, something inexplicably leaps behind my chest.
What the hell was that?
I ignore the feeling, silently brushing it away as I go on. “What about you? What were you like in high school?”
“Agitated,” he answers. “School always felt a little too easy for me, like I was being punished because I was too advanced for my age.”
“Yeah, I don’t think I can relate to that one.” I chuckle again. “I’m pretty sure I was always on the average side of things—”
“Was your first time in high school, too?”
“I don’t…” My cheeks flush at the intimate nature of the question. “Is me answering that question necessary right now, Van?”
“I just want to know.” He casually shrugs, like he’d only asked me for the time or the weather. “For songwriting research. And whatever you answer, I’ll answer too, if that makes you feel any better.”
Songwriting research.
Of course. Van didn’t see the question as such a big deal because it isn’t a big deal to him. It’s not like he’s being a perv or even trying to get more info on my sex life for reasons of his own. Honestly, there’s a good chance I’m just filling in the blanks for him, a song already playing in his head and he just wants to get the details right.
“…Fine,” I murmur, looking away from him as I speak. “Yes, my first time was in high school. Senior year. I went to prom with this guy, and afterward he took me back to his hotel room.”
“How was it?”
“Bad.” I laugh as I reply. “Awful, actually.”
“What made it bad?”
“Because he didn’t know what he was doing, Van,” I answer, as I shake my head. “Which isn’t really his fault. I’m pretty sure that was his first time, too.”
“My first time was after prom, too,” Van adds as he quietly sighs. “And I bet if I asked her about it today, she’d say it was just as bad as the way you’re describing your run-in with prom sex. It’s a lot of pressure, you know? Trying to please a woman for the first time.”
“Yeah, well, as long as you got better at it,” I joke. “I think that’s the key to universal forgiveness in the bedroom.”
“…When was the last time you had good sex, Alyssa?” Van asks, his tone low.
“Uh…” My words trail off as I stare over at him. “I don’t think…it’s probably better if we don’t get into it—”
“Was it with Rhys?”
“Yes,” I admit, my response coming out too fast to stop it. “Fuck. Sorry. I shouldn’t have said that—”
“I bet you looked beautiful,” Van murmurs, his gaze locking on my own, his words seeming like he was in a momentary trance. “I bet you look beautiful every time you come, princess.”
“Van...” Something clenches in my lower abdomen, Van’s response trailing over my skin like the lightest feather. My cheeks burn even redder as I stare down at his lips, idly wondering what’s on his mind.
“Sorry.” Van holds up a finger as he apologizes, his face going blank like he’s coming back down to Earth. “Shit. I really shouldn’t have said that to you.”
“Is that something you actually think about?” I press. “What I…what I look like when I come?”
“We should probably just focus on the music here, Alyssa—”
“When was the last time you had good sex?” I interrupt.
“Alyssa—”
“Hey, you said that you’d answer any question that I answered too,” I remind him. “So, it’s your turn to spill, Van.”
“A few months ago,” he answers. “I snuck a girl into one of the conference rooms. She was touring the studio, a French model who’s thinking about starting up an indie career. We’d gone out the night before, but she’d popped a few pills and I didn’t want our first time to be when she was completely out of it.”
“…One of the conference rooms?” A haze comes over me as I remember the way Rhys roughly took me on one of the conference room tables, my legs wrapped around his waist. My mind then shifts from memory to desire, as an image of Van appears in the conference room too, his lips pressed against mine, his tongue expertly exploring my mouth, as Rhys continues to push his cock inside of me—
Wait.
Am I really sitting here fantasizing about sleeping with Van and Rhys at the same time?
“Are you okay, princess?” Van asks, snapping me out of my thoughts for a second time.
“Sorry.” I shake my head. “I just zoned out for a minute. That’s all.”
“You’re going to need to be more focused than that,” Van replies with a smirk. “Especially if I’m going to show you off at that songwriting symposium this weekend.”