Page 54 of Moving Forward

“Fine. But what I meant was that . . . I’m comfortable with you and you just make me happy.”

“You know, you’re pretty mellow after an orgasm. I’ll need to remember this for the future.”

Another smack to the chest.

Somehow that’s getting to be a turn-on. Especially when I’m still charged and ready to go.

I chuckle, loving how deep her blush gets as she feels my cock twitch. “It’s the same here, Peaches. I hope you know that.” My smile drops as I move on to something more serious. “I just get a little worried that maybe I’m going to turn out to be your rebound guy since you haven’t dated anyone since Ethan.”

Max doesn’t answer me. She quiet. Too quiet. Not good. Not good at all.

“Max?”

Still nothing. Shit.

I crane my neck to see her. “Something you need to tell me?”

She peeks up at me, biting at the inside of her lip. “You’re not the first guy I’ve gone out with since Ethan.”

And here I was thinking I was special. Damn.

Under my gaze, she shrinks. Her words come out so soft I have to listen hard to hear them. “Ellie sent me out on blind dates. She wanted me to move on before she got married so I had someone. I went on thirty-seven total. Although, one of them counts as two. She sent me out with one guy twice on accident.”

“Thirty-seven?” I choke out. I kind of want to murder every single one of those thirty-seven . . . or six, whatever. Ethan I can handle, but thirty-seven other guys? Thirty-seven guys that she clearly didn’t want to date but did because her friend wanted her to?

“Yeah,” she answers solemnly.

“Great,” I grumble, mentally reminding myself to make sure Ellie keeps her nose out of our relationship in the future. “So does that make me thirty-eight?”

“No. As far as I’m concerned, you’re the only one that matters.”

“Good. Thirty-seven is a lot of competition.”

“Trust me. They weren’t for me. Not like you are.”

She rolls until she’s on top of me. This is definitely a position that won’t last long. “As much as I love lying here with you, Peaches, think I’m gonna need to get up.”

“Right,” she says, her lips pressed together so tightly they’re going white. Against that ever-prominent blush, it’s too adorable for her own good.

“Mm-hm.” When she doesn’t move, I raise an eyebrow. “You aren’t ready, Peaches. You don’t need to worry about me.”

She nods and starts to wiggle, obviously trying to get up. Like that honestly fucking helps.

“Are you enjoying torturing me?”

She freezes. “Sorry.”

I throw my head back, laughing.

She eases herself the rest of the way off me and stands with her arms crossed over her chest to hold her bikini in place. Shame she didn’t forget about that.

“Let me tie you up,” I say gruffly. Dressing her feels almost as good as undressing her. Almost. It’s a reminder she’s my girl to dress and undress as I please.

My fingers work the tie until it’s secure. When I finish, I can’t help letting my finger travel down her spine to the top of her ass and watch little goose pimples appear. I lean forward and kiss the side of her neck. She arches to the side, giving me better access to swirl my tongue there and then give a soft nip of my teeth.

“I need to take a dive before I do something we’ll regret.”

“You wouldn’t,” she tells me.

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