Page 25 of Brodie

“I fucked up.”

“You did, but so did I. I shouldn’t have agreed to be withyou either. I knew it wouldn't work, but like you, I didn’t want to lose youand thought agreeing to be your girlfriend was the only way to keep you in mylife.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Me, too.” My smile is sad because I know that even withthis conversation, there is no going back to us being friends.

“Can you forgive me?”

“Yes, but that doesn’t mean we can go back to being friendslike we were.”

“I get that. I don’t like it, but I get it,” he saysquietly, then looks at the man behind me, his eyes narrowing the way they usedto do when we were kids, and someone was picking on me. “You’d better be goodto her.” I sigh and barely avoid rolling my eyes at him when his gaze meetsmine once again. “Take care, Reese.”

“You, too.” I watch him walk off. When he’s out of sight, Iturn to face Brodie. “How much of that conversation did you hear?”

“I walked out of the bathroom when he said that you and hewere in an awkward place.”

So, basically everything. “Great.” I let out a breath.“Well, now you know that I’ve never had sex, so that’s fun.”

He drops his chin and locks his eyes on mine. “You mean younever had sex with him.”

“Umm,” I whisper, caught off guard when he suddenly beginswalking me backward. My back hits the wall, and then he cages me in with hisbig body.

“Are you a virgin, Ree?” he asks on a growl that sends atingle down my spine.

“Why are you saying it like that?” Also, why is my heartpounding and the space between my legs suddenly pulsing?

“Answer my question.”

“Maybe.” My breath catches as his hand smooths up the sideof my waist, coming to rest just below my breast.

“Has anyone ever been inside you?”

“Brodie.”

“Yes? Or no?”

“No.”

“Shit.” He drops his head to my shoulder.

“Shit, what?” I ask, worry beginning to creep up on me. Iknow there were guys back in college who would refuse to sleep with a girl ifshe was a virgin because they didn’t want to risk the attachment. Pulling back,Brodie’s eyes meet mine, and then he presses his hips into my belly.

“I’m hard as steel, and there is a room full of people downthe hall, Ree.

“Oh.”

“Yeah, oh.”

I lick my lips. “It doesn’t bother you that…?”

“That you’re a virgin?” I nod. “Fuck, no.” His eyes wanderover my face for a long moment, and then he takes a step back, not fully out ofmy space but far enough away that I can no longer feel his erection. I watchhim adjust himself and bite my bottom lip. “Don’t look at me like that, Ree. Westill have at least another hour here.”

“Okay,” I breathe, and his jaw clenches. I press my palmsflat against the wall behind me so I don’t reach for him like I want to. Have Iever felt this desirable, this powerful? No, I don’t think I have. I’ve alsonever been this turned on, so the next hour will be interesting.

Chapter 13

Brodie

---