Page 63 of The Romance Library

‘Oh.’ She winced. ‘Sorry. I didn’t realise. Story time it is, then. Although you might want to rename it smutty time after you’ve read this book. Actually, maybe you should read a few pages to yourself before you agree. I’m not sure you know what you’re letting yourself in for.’

‘It’ll be fine. I might look innocent, but when it comes to sex, there’s nothing sweet about the things I like to do in the bedroom…’ I fixed my gaze on her and as she bit her lip, my dick twitched.

Under different circumstances, if Jessica was willing, we wouldn’t be spending the rest of our time in this basement talking.

I’d pin her against that wall and bury myself inside her.

‘Is that so?’ She cocked her head to the side.

‘Correct.’

Jessica held my gaze, then handed me the Kindle.

As I skim-read the page she selected, I swallowed hard. She wasn’t joking. This book was steamy.

It wasn’t the sexual content that bothered me. Like I said, she should read whatever the hell she wanted. Romance, erotica or nursery rhymes—it was her choice.

No. The issue was that I was trapped in a basement with Jessica, who I found incredibly attractive, and was about to read out loud about a woman getting fucked against a wall. Which was exactly what I’d just been imagining doing to Jessica.

Working out how I was going to read this without getting turned on was going to be hard.

Pun totally intended.

Here goes nothing…

20

Jess

As I bit into my apple, I couldn’t help looking at Theo. He was studying the chapter I’d given him to read, and I was curious to know what he was thinking.

He seemed cool and calm. The polar opposite of how my ex reacted.

My stomach twisted as a flashback of that night flew into my head. Theo was the last person I ever thought I’d tell about it. But ever since that night, I’d promised myself that I’d always listen to my gut and strangely enough, it told me that I could trust him. That it was okay to open up. And so I did.

I didn’t know what I was expecting him to say, but I definitely didn’t think he’d offer to read it to me to help me get my mojo back. Not in a million years. I didn’t know if it’d help, but I wanted to try. I really missed reading.

Hearing Theo had lost his mum so young made my heart lurch. Losing mine at sixteen was hard enough. I couldn’t even begin to imagine what he must’ve gone through at that age.

When he told me, I wanted to let him know that I understood his pain because I’d been through a similar trauma. I’d opened my mouth, then stopped. I didn’t want to bring down the mood. I hated talking about what had happened to Mum. It stirred up too many emotions. Grief, yes. But also anger, shame and embarrassment.

Even though it had happened over fifteen years ago, I still felt it.

No. Now wasn’t the time to dredge all of that up again.

‘Apple?’ I held it out to him, trying to distract my mind from thinking about Mum. ‘I’ve only eaten one side. I left the other for you, so you don’t have to worry about me contaminating it.’

‘What?’ He frowned. ‘Why would I be worried?’

‘We don’t really know each other, so you might not want to exchange saliva with me.’

‘We’ve been in this basement for more than two hours already, so I’ve already known you a lot longer than some of the women I’ve exchanged saliva with.’

As he deliberately took a bite from my side of the apple, a tingle raced through me.

That was the second time tonight he’d hinted at his sexual experience. My pulse had quickened earlier when he’d said there was nothing sweet about the things that he liked to do in the bedroom. I’d almost asked him to elaborate and tell me exactly what he’d meant, but luckily I’d stopped myself just in time.

Although the words didn’t come out of my mouth, that didn’t mean I wasn’t still thinking about it.

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