Page 85 of Something So Strong

It just doesn’t make any sense.

And why hasn’t he told me?

“Where are you from?” I ask, circling his bellybutton with my fingertip.

“Seriously?” he chuckles. “You mean the accent didn’t give it away?”

Endeavoring to keep the mood light, I pinch his stomach. “You know what I mean.”

Jesse removes his hands from beneath his head and brings them to my thighs. “I know you know I live with Romi and Sax in London, so don’t play dumb. I shouldn’t have to give you the Cliffsnotes version of every conversation you’re a part of.”

“You don’t.” I rest my hands on top of his. “But you also don’t talk about yourself very much.”

“Because I’m not that interesting.”

Bullshit! Bullshit! Bullshit! “Where in London do you live?”

“Hackney… Near Victoria Park… But I know that means nothing to you. You could name a thousand places over here and I’d have no clue where you were talking about.”

I rub my hands over my face, through my hair, and link my fingers at the back of my neck. Not because I’m frustrated at Jesse, but because of how long this is going to take if I continue to beat so widely around the bush. “Do you all live in one of your parents’ houses?”

Way too many lines appear on Jesse’s forehead as he looks up at me dubiously. “Why do you think my family has multiple homes?”

“I—I mean. I don’t think that—Isn’t London expensive? Is what I mean.”

“Yeah… That’s why we live together.”

“So you all just rent then?”

“Me and Romeo do.”

“What about Saxon?”

“It’s his terrace.” Jesse’s voice is growing more cagey with each answer.

“I thought you said London was expensive.”

“It is.”

“Then how did he afford to buy—”

Jesse abruptly sits up on the bed with me still on top of him. “That’s his story to tell. If you wanna know, then ask him. But, seriously, Kai, what the fuck is this all about?”

“Nothing.” I smile playfully and drape my arms over his shoulders. “I’m just curious about you. Is that such a bad thing?”

“Not usually, no.” He smiles back. And I can see in his eyes that he’s a little cross with himself for how easily swayed he is by me.

I peck him on the nose. “So, is your family from London?”

“Kai.” He’s trying so hard to be stern.

“What?” Seductively, I lean further into him until our torsos are pressed together.

Taking my face in his hand just as he did yesterday afternoon before making me gag on his fingers, Jesse makes me pay attention in the sexiest way possible. “If you have a question you want to ask, then ask it. If not… I don’t want to talk anymore.”

What’s wrong with me?

How does he always manage to make me want to hand over all my control to him when I’ve never trusted anyone before? It’s strange and so excessively vindicating that he’s able to give me exactly what I want without asking. Like he knows just by being around me that I’m crying out to be taken care of because I’ve been on such high alert for far too long.

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