Page 98 of They Break Beauty

He stroked my calf. “There’s my good girl.”

I slapped his hand. “I’m not your good girl.”

He smirked. “Oh, really? You sure as fuck were last night.”

“Does that make you my good boy then?” I challenged. “After all, that makes more sense, I’m three years older than you.”

“I’ve never been called good before. But if it pleases you, feel free to call me that. Although, Hell Spawn is my favorite, for the record. Actually, nothing can beat the breathy and needy sound of the way you utter ‘Levi’ when you’re turned the fuck on.”

I kicked at him from underneath the covers. “Stop!”

He laughed and rolled out of the way, and the movement turned into some sort of partial somersault as he somehow landed on his feet in front of the bed.

Off my incredulous look, he told me, “A few gymnastics classes gave me an edge in the fight arena. It opened up a bunch of moves for me that I wouldn’t have been able to pull off as easily otherwise.” He waggled his eyebrows at me. “Helps out in the fucking arena too. Last night was our first time, but down the road I’ll show you some things, baby.”

A tremble of excitement rolled through me. “I can’t wait.”

He tutted. “You’ll have to. I’m gonna make you a bath, then I’ll see to your laptop for you.”

“Oh, so you’re headed home?” I asked, pushing out of bed.

“Is that what I need to do?”

“Need to do?”

“Yeah, I mean, is that how this morning-after thing works?”

Oh my God. He looked unsure, almost… vulnerable.

“I don’t think so. Well, I don’t have anything to gauge it by.”

“What do you mean? You’ve dated before. One person… that slimy shit, Tommy.”

“He’s not slimy.”

“Not from your perspective, because of the hero worship you had going on.”

“What?”

“He was the first person you saw after those two weeks in that hellscape, storming in as part of the rescue crew. After that, your dad ordered him to teach you how to fight as a reaction to it all, and you developed a relationship on that highly unstable ground. He took advantage of you.”

“That’s not… can we not talk about that… about him, while we’re standing in my bedroom both half-naked?” I winced. “Or at all, actually?”

He held up his hands. “Fine by me. Just one more thing… so you didn’t wake up beside him, hence you saying you’re not familiar with this morning-after thing either?”

“Correct. It was a secret relationship. From my father, from his club. Any time we… came together… it had to be… brief.”

“No stamina, huh?” he said, grinning.

“Stop,” I said, grabbing a pillow and tossing it at him.

He snatched it out of the air and hugged it to him.

“You’re lucky I’m too nice to snap a picture of you cuddling a fluffy pink pillow.”

“Your social media is weak. It would do nothing.”

“I’ll send it through to Colton.”

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