Page 59 of Consume Me

“So, you and Mia?”

“Fuck, man. I can’t, I just can’t.”

“The right person will accept you as you are. I promise you.”

Celine rubs her eyes as she walks into the kitchen, still sleepy. She smiles softly at us, then crosses her arms over her chest and says, “Really? No breakfast?”

“Go change. It will be ready when you come back,” Kaden says, kissing her hard.

“Still mad for her, I see,” I tell him, the corner of my mouth lifting.

“There’s no cure for that, man.”

Fuck.

As my body slowly wakes, last night’s memories shoot to the front of my brain. I scoot up in the bed, the movement reminding me of the reason for the discomfort. I still feel him inside of me. It wasn’t a dream, and I have no idea how to feel about it.

I don’t regret giving him my virginity. I wanted it to be Blake. I ached for that and hoped it would be him. Maybe now, this madness will be cured, and I can move on.

I don’t have unrealistic expectations that he’s going to want to be with me or date me. We crashed together in a fury of desire and overdue temptation. And he’s not a saint. Did I provoke him on purpose? Sure, but he has been so in control that I never thought he would actually break. Now he has, and the deed is done.

But just the thought that one time is all I will ever have with him twists my heart.

Staring at the ceiling, my alarm rings, but I smash the stop button. I wish I could just stay in bed and go through every second of us together.

I am not looking forward to seeing him. Not because I don’t want to, but because I know him, he won’t acknowledge what happened.

Climbing out of bed, I stare in the mirror of my vanity. I don’t look different, yet I feel different. I let a guy inside of me, and not just any guy, but the one I have been dreaming and fantasizing about since I first laid eyes on him.

But this is not one of my romance books that ends with happily ever after.

Taking a shower, I let the hot water soothe my skin. I am tender between my legs, but I expected that after I saw his size. I still can’t believe I took all of him, and I want more; I want his everything. I can’t be greedy. My heart can’t take this much longer. The rejection blows its icy chill, leaving a withering organ behind. He’d stomp on whatever blossoms between us.

Drying myself, I change, taking longer than usual to style my hair.

Inhaling deeply, I prepare myself to face him.

Soft chatter echoes from the kitchen as I walk downstairs. The group is at the table, and Blake leans against the counter, drinking a coffee.

As soon as I enter, his gaze lands on me, and my pulse spikes.

Come on. Act cool.

I take my seat and eat my bowl of yogurt and cereal. The girls look at me so intently that I almost choke on a spoonful.

“You’re quiet, sis,” Hunter says. This time, I choke before I swallow the gooey contents. Blake groans, fills a glass of orange juice, and puts it in front of me.

I take it with a trembling hand. When our fingers brush, a current zaps through me, reminding my body how good he can make me feel. I offer a small thank you.

“Didn’t sleep much,” I say, feeling the heat go to my cheeks.

With my head bent over the bowl, I finish my breakfast quickly and am the first to walk out.

“See you later,” I say, closing the front door behind me and gorging on a lungful of air. The crisp air helps me calm my erratic nerves as snowflakes chase each other all around me.

Knowing the girls will want details, I wait by the front door till they rush out.

“So where were you last night?” Celine asks.

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