Page 62 of A Taste Of Darkness

Things that I wasn’t sure he wanted to happen, especially after my total failed kiss-attempt from last night.

“I know you didn’t mean it that way, but fuck, Sterlie, that sounded hot.”

My stomach fluttered, which was a bad sign.

I couldn’t fall for him. How was I supposed to explain that to my sister?

With every other second that passed, something semi-hard that was pressing against the inside of my thigh was hardening more, and trust me, I tried to ignore it. I really did.

The rest of his stubble I shaved with even more trembling hands. No longer shaking because of fear of cutting him, but because I could feel his freaking hard-on press against my skin.

When my words could do this, what was I capable of when he ever saw me naked? Would he find me attractive at all or was this just a stupid reaction that he simply couldn’t control?

I mean, he had the chance to look at me last night and he didn’t. I’d never met any guy who was respectful enough to look away, and while I knew Milo had far more self-control—or at least I assumed—I kind of expected him to at least glance at me once.

But he didn’t.

He could like me and still not be attracted to me. It happened.

As soon as I finished shaving his face, set the razor down, and rinsed off the last bits of shaving cream, Milo reached for my hand and held it in his.

His expression was so soft, I could’ve gotten lost in it had my mind not been running wild with awful theories.

He must’ve noticed because his free hand reached up to my face and his thumb brushed my cheek.

“What’s going on inside of that beautiful mind of yours?” he asked.

I shook my head as if to deny myself a reply. He didn’t actually want to know what was going on inside of my head.

This was just something people asked to appear kind. Nobody ever really cared what someone thought, or how they felt. Nobody cared.

“Nothing,” I replied instead.

“You can tell me, cuore mio,” he encouraged. “You disappeared for a whole minute. Where did you go?”

One corner of my mouth tugged up and my shoulders lifted into a shrug. “A place you don’t want to be part of.”

He let go of my hand, now cupping my face with both of his hands. “There’s not a single place you could go where I wouldn’t want to be. That includes dark corners in your brain.”

My gaze fell between our bodies. “Don’t laugh.”

He lifted my face to meet his eyes again. “I’d never.”

I felt my cheeks heat with embarrassment before I said, “I had a boyfriend before.”

“Okay?”

“He thought I was… He just liked my face. He told me that I was too thin and that I should eat more because he was disgusted that he could see my ribs sticking out when I stretched or breathed in too deeply. And he didn’t like seeing my collarbones, so I always had to wear turtlenecks to hide them. He refused to look at me when I wore pants that were too tight because he thought my legs looked like sticks an?—”

“What’s his name?” His eyes were burning with anger.

“Anthony Lewis, why?”

“I’m going to fucking kill Anthony Lewis.”

My eyes widened and my hands instantly shot up to cup his face. “What? No, you’re not. He didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Uh, yes, he did. But alright, I’m not going to kill him.” I wanted to believe him, but there was a mischievous smile on Milo’s face that I didn’t quite trust.

---