Page 34 of Audiophile

He’s not laying it on thick, and it’s a relief. “You know what? That sounds great.”

He puts the flowers in water and then passes me a bag of puppy chow, grabbing a handful of the sugary cereal snack for himself. “Not the same as home,” he notes. “But close.”

My anxiety turns the treat into ash in my mouth. “Maybe this isn’t—”

“You’re in control here,” he affirms. “But if you want to semi-break your fast, this is the best way. Pretend it’s my voice on a speaker.”

“Itisyour voice,” I grumble. “And that’s the problem.”

Reed is gentle as he touches my hair. “We can call it a night, Pet. I can take you to your car, or we can go get ice cream—”

I’m not listening.Pet.Not like a dog, or a servant. A version of my name, so imbued with affection that makes my heart flutter. “Just…wait to come in until the curtain’s closed.”

He hesitates, then leads me to the bathroom. “Knock on the wall when you’re settled?”

“Sure.” And before I can change my mind again, Reed turns on the water, steps out, and closes the door behind him. “You’re insane!” I hiss to my reflection, but I pull my top over my head.

I can’t pretend it’s one of his audios. It’s him and it’s me, and my body will be in that bathtub while his will be one swath of fabric away.

I fold my clothes carefully, but it doesn’t calm my nerves. After a moment’s indecision, I unclasp my necklace and secure Natalia’s name snugly into the pocket of my jeans. When I step into the full tub, the heat of it creeps up my leg and burns away some of my embarrassment. With a shaky hand, I pull the white curtain closed.

Reed is going to walk in that door. Not a recording that will get me off and then cease to exist. A man. Am I ready for that?

I touch my lips, desperately missing the human connection that sex is supposed to provide. Though there will be a curtain between us, I won’t be alone. I get to push away the loneliness without actually having sex. It’s the best option Reed could’ve offered, and he doesn’t even know why.

I raise my hand and rap my knuckles twice against the wall.

Chapter fourteen

Reed

It takes a hundredyears—a thousand—as cloth rustles behind the bathroom door. A million years, while I’m stretched taut as a bowstring. I try not to picture her under her clothes—plush and sweet, with hips that would fit perfectly in my hands.

Pull it together, Reed. I pinch myself to keep my brain from wandering off, fucking Petra without me. Dinner opened a door that I wasn’t ready for. I want her, but this bath isn’t for me. Well, it’s a little for me, because I get to drown in each noise she makes.

We both have an aural kink, but the boundaries are hers. At least she’s used to my voice.God, how many times has she come while listening to me?A surge of power, greater than any aphrodisiac, has me hard as granite.

My thought is interrupted by two soft knocks. I take a deep breath, allow myself one insufficient pass over the fly of my jeans, and crack open the door. “Everything okay?”

There’s a long exhale, full of nerves, before she clears her throat. “Come in.”

I nudge the door open, closing it behind me to keep in the steam. It’s sweltering inside, and I wish I could strip down and join her, but she’s nervous as a doe. She’d bound off into another state if I tried it.

“It’s just me.” I set my phone on the counter with the flashlight on and shut off the overhead light in hopes it will ease her nerves. Her shadow stays quiet when I close the lid of the toilet and sit down. “You’re still in control, Petra. Breathe.”

“I don’t know how. I’ve never been in control. And Nate wasn’t receptive to…listening.”

Her tone sets me on edge. “In what way? Did he make you do things you didn’t want?”

“No. Yes. Sort of. Then I became adamant about condom use and we hardly had sex at all.”

What the hell? I fight my urge to rip the curtain back and demand answers. All my muscles clench with the effort to stay where I am, and the curtain stays closed. Her most basic boundary.

“It sounds like an unequal relationship,” I grit out, and Petra snorts. I file the information away for later. I’ll beat Nate Fitz to a pulp later. Right now, I want to heal all of Petra’s bruises. “What did you want that he wasn’t receptive to?”

Her pause is heavy. “Toward the end, even wanting a kiss annoyed him.”

If I ever meet Nate Fitz, he’s toast. “Kissing you is a privilege, Pet. I’m sorry he made you think otherwise.”

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