Page 22 of Such a Naughty Girl

Emmett’s arms and legs swept in enormous arcs, making the perfect imprint of an angel.

‘It’s too cold,’I said.

‘I’ll warm you up after. I’ll even make cocoa. With real chocolate.’

I twisted the hem of my jacket in my fingers and bit my lower lip. ‘Cocoa… and you put your mouth on me again, like you did last night?’

A wicked smile plastered his face. ‘You can ride my face as much as you like.’

I laughed and turned, falling back into the pillowy cold.

CHAPTER TWELVE

EMMETT

Izzy sat on the sofa with her feet in my lap, all flush-cheeked and full of life. She’d stumbled into my home and ripped my hermit-y life asunder. I’d thrown myself in the snow and flopped around like a fool. Just to see her smile.

What had she done to me?

‘That feels so good,’she moaned as I pressed my fingers deep into the arch of her foot.

‘You should have better boots for winter,’I chided, smiling as she rolled her eyes and took another sip of cocoa.

‘I didn’t expect to be out in the woods with snow up to my butt. I wore comfy sneakers for driving.’

We sat listening to the crackle of the logs and Chunk’s gentle snoring for a while, the easy quiet like a huge weighted blanket over me.

After drinking the last dregs of cocoa, Izzy tipped her sweet face toward me.

‘Why did you choose to live so far out of the city?’

I sighed and continued rubbing at her feet. She was too young to need to worry about the draining reality of life.

‘I did the whole rat race thing and almost drove myself into an early grave. Needed a change of pace.’It was half of the truth.

She rested her chin against her hand, laying them both against the back couch cushion. ‘Do you get lonely?’

I’d hardened myself too much to feel much of anything.

‘Not really. I have Chunk. What about you? You’re at college but living like a saint to appease your dad. What’s that about?’

Izzy’s lips pursed. ‘I want him to be proud of me. It’s the only thing he’s ever been proud of me for.’

‘For being a virgin? That’s a weird overstep. Is it a religious thing? Do you need to wait for marriage?’

Izzy’s cheeks flushed.‘I don’t know. I just know he wants me to begood.’

‘Your value isn’tdeterminedby your sexual status. If you want to be chaste, it’s one thing, but to do so to please your father… Don’t you ever want to join in the whole collegeexperience?’

‘You canexperiencecollege without sleeping your way around it.’Izzy withdrew her foot from my lap and tucked her knees to her chest.

‘Of course you can. From the way you’ve reacted since you've been here, you appear eager toexperiencethe more sexual side of life.’

‘I had to eat…’

My eyebrows rose in response to her answer. It had gone far beyond the need to eat.

‘You came all over my face last night and asked for more today. I hardly think you can protest to wanting it.’

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