Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 60931 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 305(@200wpm)___ 244(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60931 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 305(@200wpm)___ 244(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
I let him yank me toward him just before the stairway door. “Whoa, what?”
He frowns. “I’m not here to cuddle.”
“I can’t have sex with you.”
He laughs, sliding his arms around my waist. “And why not? Is it that time of the month? I’m good with shower sex.”
Nibbling at the corner of my bottom lip, I shake my head.
“No? Then what?” He cants his head.
“I’d rather not say.” I escape his embrace and head toward my apartment.
“Vague is not your MO. What’s going on?”
Before I can answer, Eric’s door opens. He fills the space with his shirtless torso and his usual sexy jeans—freshly showered hair. It’s weird that a guy who owns a T-shirt shop wears one so infrequently. Was he watching for me?
“Hey.” My mouth tries to find a casual smile where my lips don’t quiver as much as my voice—total fail.
“Hi.” Eric’s gaze goes straight to Carson.
“Sorry … uh … Eric, Carson. Carson, Eric.”
No handshakes are swapped, just two men sizing each other up as if they know I’ve had sex with the other one.
“You staying?”
Wow. Just … wow. Have to hand it to Eric; he wastes no time getting to the point.
“Why should you care?” Carson rests his hand on the small of my back.
Eric ignores the possessive move on Carson’s part, keeping his gaze locked on mine. “We had sex in the bathroom of the bouldering gym earlier today. No condom. I’m just saying … proceed with caution. You don’t know where my dick has been. Have a good night.” He takes a step back.
After a final ruling, the door shuts like a gavel: my life sucks.
Kill me now.
Carson steps in front of me, forcing me to acknowledge him—to answer the question before he asks it. I don’t need to answer it. The truth blooms in my cheeks and wrinkles my face as a permanent cringe.
“Now I know why we’re not having sex tonight.” He shakes his head before rolling his eyes to the ceiling. A long, heavy breath shoots out his nose as he bites his lips together.
“I …” I rub my temples. “I can’t believe he just said that.”
“Well …” Carson grunts, returning his attention to me. “It’s the right thing to say when you don’t want another guy fucking your girl.”
“I’m not his girl.”
Biting the inside of his cheek while studying me for a few seconds, he shakes his head slowly. “I’ve known you for years. We’ve had sex countless times. I know you’re on the pill, and you know I get tested regularly. Yet … you’ve never even considered letting me stick my dick in you without a condom.” Bending forward, he kisses my cheek and slides his mouth to my ear. “You’re definitely his girl,” he whispers. His declaration makes the hair along my neck stand up and my pulse surge.
My defenses send my thoughts into a frenzy. I’m not Eric’s anything. I’m just … I’m …
Closing my eyes because I don’t know what I am, I wait to no longer feel Carson’s touch. I wait for his steps to fade, the door to the stairway to shut, and for my anger to find the correct target.
My hands curl into fists, desperate to bang down Eric’s door. All these words no longer want to be muted, suppressed, and ignored. My insecurities win, guiding me to my door instead of his. As I open my door, I hear the faintest noise behind me.
It’s him. I don’t have to turn around. I just know.
“I like you. A lot.”
I nod slowly. “That’s a relief. I’d be pissed off if you felt the need to trample my evening by confessing intimate details without really liking me first.” I turn.
“What must I do to make you not want to bring other guys home? Flowers with the petals still on the stems?”
I tell my lips to remain neutral. He hasn’t earned a grin, but damn … it’s hard. The problem is that I like him too—a lot.
“A journal of all my thoughts about you in a day?” he asks.
That one hits me in the feels.
“A night of cuddling instead of sex?”
My gaze drops to the floor between us.
“Old school? Need I remind you that I formally asked you to be my girlfriend?”
I slowly shake my head.
“If I kiss you again, will you push me away?”
“Don’t kiss me,” I whisper, feeling …
Feelings …
I have these crazy strong feelings for him. I’m attracted to him and angry at him … even when I’m clawing at his skin, desperate to feel him inside me. It’s so messed up. Attraction like this is a drug that plays havoc with every ounce of sensibility I have left in my brain.
“What will you do if I kiss you?” He steps closer, putting us toe to toe where I can smell that heady mix of spice and citrus and feel the heat from his bare chest.