Page 37 of Let’s Be Real

“I—” I didn’t have conversations like this. Frank and true. Bold and out there. “I don’t know what to say.”

She laughed softly. “Sorry. I tend to have that effect on people. I’ll be quiet now.”

“No. You don’t have to be quiet. I…uh, I like how you throw me off balance.”

These past two days, I’d felt more than I had in a long time. Neutral was my resting state—a safe zone I didn’t mind staying in because the other option was too terrifying to contemplate.

But between yesterday and today, I’d gone from fury to exhilaration to arousal to sparkling joy. Knowing I could still feel in that way was a relief. It was safe for me to experience highs without a following crash—at least in the short term.

“I’ve never heard that before, but I’ll take it.” She took her bottom lip between her teeth as her gaze flicked around my face.

Heat rose from my chest along my neck up to my face. By the time her eyes met mine, my fingers were twitching at my side, and my cock was inconveniently thickening against my thigh.

All from her looking at me.

Suddenly, I was very aware we were two single adults sharing a bed. Two single adults who were attracted to one another. That awareness traveled directly from my brain to my cock, and there was no disguising the tent in my pants.

There was a pause, then Samantha scooted closer, her leg sliding against mine.

“Nate…” she whispered, and it shot straight to my gut.

“Samantha,” I replied, doing my level best to keep my voice steady and failing.

“I might make a move now.”

My lids lowered to half-mast as a shuddering breath left me. “Okay.”

Then she moved, her lips colliding with mine.

And I was done for.

Chapter Fourteen

Samantha

This hadn’t been planned. Not at all. In fact, if I’d thought it through for even a second, I would have talked myself out of it.

But my heart hurt, and Nate was so, so sweet in his plaid pajamas and kindness. It was all I could do not to climb on top of him and ask him to hug me all night and whisper the things I needed to hear. I wasn’t a burden. I was wanted. He thought I was lovely.

But that would have been crazy. A bridge too far and way outside what he’d signed up for.

This, though…this I understood. I could give, he’d give back—then it would be okay for me to take.

He rolled onto me, holding the back of my head, kissing me deep and rough. Exactly how I liked. His weight pushed my back into the mattress as he pressed his leg between mine. His erection throbbed against my hip, already rock hard and we’d barely touched each other.

This was right. What we both needed. Dealing with me and my drama, at least he could get something good out of it. We both could.

“Touch me,” I murmured against his lips. “Please, Nate.”

He growled, shoving my shirt up to my chin, revealing my small breasts. I held my breath, worried he’d be disappointed, until he dropped his mouth and practically swallowed one whole.

My fingers slid into the back of his hair, holding him against my chest as he lapped at my nipples, one after the other. He sucked with need, urgency, tugging them between his lips. Again and again and again. I arched my spine with the suction of his mouth.

This man was hungry. Starving. And all I wanted was to feed him until he was too full to take any more.

My breasts were wet from his tongue. Laved so thoroughly, pleasure bordered on pain.

I liked it.