Total pages in book: 153
Estimated words: 148704 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 744(@200wpm)___ 595(@250wpm)___ 496(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 148704 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 744(@200wpm)___ 595(@250wpm)___ 496(@300wpm)
I wait for a smile, but his lips only press together more.
“How is it you’re afraid to hook up with a dude, but not afraid to stand half-naked in front of one?”
“One, I am not half-naked.”
His eyes snap to mine. “You’re only wearing shorts and a bra.”
“It’s sports bra and Spanx Sunday.”
“You’re not wearing a sports bra.”
“Yes, I—” I look down to find my basic black bra. “Oh.” I shrug. “Well, whatever. You’ve seen plenty of naked people, so the sight of me in a bra shouldn’t even faze you.”
“Mm-hmm,” he deadpans. “So this whole never getting dirty with a man thing has nothing to do with your body?”
I jolt, feeling the sudden need to cover up.
“Should it?” I ease away. “I sort of thought my body was satisfactory enough, but if you think I need to—”
“No.” He flies forward, taking my hands and lowering them to my side with an urgent expression. “That is not what I meant. At all. Your body is…” He pauses, his head remaining still while his eyes look lower. “You have nothing to worry about there.”
“Are you sure, because your questions sort of suggest otherwise?”
“Trust me. I’m sure.” He holds still, then slowly releases my wrists. “I guess I thought maybe that was part of it. I’m just trying to figure this shit out.”
“What is there to figure?”
“Honestly, Davis, I’m shocked as shit,” he says suddenly, his hands finding his hips. “I would have thought you lost your virginity a long time ago, and not for any reason other than the things related to what I told you last night. Men want you. Men stare at you. I’m sure as fuck not mad about it, but it blows my mind no one pushed until you grabbed hold. And to be real with you, I’m beginning to think some have, but it went right over your head.” He shakes his own, his attention briefly flicking along my exposed skin. “You have no idea what you do to a man.”
My chest heats, and there’s nothing I can do to stop it from spreading, or from Crew instantly spotting—following—the path it burns up my neck.
I knew he meant what he said last night, Crew would simply not speak rather than ramble on about things that weren’t true. I knew this when I told him not to lie but knowing and hearing him talk about me in such a way was… a lot. I was nervous, anxious, excited. Basically a hot flippin’ mess.
He stretches tall. “I want to see the pros and cons list.”
Horndog meet cold shower.
A panicky laugh leaves me, and I round the kitchen, the long way. The way that takes me away from him. “I was kidding.”
He starts to step from around the small island, so I move as fast as I can, without running, and shut myself in my room.
Giant steps echo down the hall, and I squeeze my eyes closed.
“No you weren’t,” he accuses.
“I was.”
“Davis.”
“Oh my god! Fine!” I tear a shirt from the hanger, pulling it over my head, the second he pushes the door open as expected. “Yes, I did, but you cannot see it.”
He crowds my doorway, forced to tip his shoulders to the side in order to slip through.
He walks straight up to me, and I freeze, my eyes locked on his as he reaches out, guiding his hand around my neck.
A million thoughts run through my head, the first, loudest and most irrational being, dear god, please say he changed his mind and we’re getting naked right here, right now, but then he simply frees my hair from the collar, and his hand falls to his side.
So anticlimactic.
Crew scowls. “Why not?”
“Because I said.”
“So let me get this straight.” He crosses those big arms of his. “You’re willing to lie on your back and open up for me, but sharing your tick list is a no-go?”
Okay, wow. He said that.
And my, my, the visual that comes with it…
Crew
Davis’s cheeks grow an even deeper pink, and I’m tempted to push more.
“Look, if we’re doing this, shouldn’t I understand every aspect of why and how it makes you feel or something?”
“I do not think that’s necessary, no.” Her nose lifts into the air. “That would be like getting a new job, sitting down with the person who hired you, and asking them why they chose to be manager.”
“If that manager was asking for something real fucking personal from their employee, I’d say it’s very necessary.” A small frown creases along her forehead. “Come on, Baby Franco. I know no man has touched you, I know you want to be touched, and you straight up asked for my cock. How are we not passed the holding-back stage after all that?”
“Are you trying to make my skin catch fire?”
I ignore her and keep going. “According to you, you’re not thinking, asking, or looking for anything outside of the fact that you don’t want to be a virgin anymore. I get that, now tell me why.”