Page 56 of A Conflict of Interest

“It’s—” She looked away. “Okay, um… if you’re sure. I’ll try not to take up too much of the bed.”

I laughed. “You can be anywhere you want. Well, c’mon, I’m exhausted from all the running around today.”

“Right—yeah.” She led me into the bedroom, moving stiffly as she tidied up the bed, and she turned on the low lamp by the bed and turned off the overhead lights before she shifted into the bed, sitting up against the headboard. “Well… make yourself comfortable.”

I paused at the edge of the bed, one leg up over it, half just to pause there and half to see if Veronica looked at where the riding posture showed my underwear. She did, just for a second. “Come to think of it—talking about how clean the sheets are—have you had sex with anyone else in them since you last washed them?”

“What—no—of course not,” she said, flushing hot. “No! I haven’t…” She looked away, putting a hand over her face. “I wouldnotinvite you into a bed like that.”

“Under what circumstances would you invite me into a bed?”

“Just—” She patted her hand on the spot in the bed next to her, still not looking. “Just get in bed. You can do it, Kelce. I believe in you.”

I laughed, settling into the bed and shifting up against her side, my bare leg pressing against the soft satin of her pants. “I mean, I hear your last attempt didn’t work out.”

“My last attempt—at what?” she said, her voice tight.

“At getting someone into this bed? Apparently you only talked about nutcrackers…”

“Kelcey.” She put both hands over her face. “I mean, yes. That’s accurate. What, are you wishing he was here?”

“Nah. I like the current company,” I laughed. She was really getting blushy and embarrassed… she was cute enough I couldn’t help myself, and I wanted to see how far I could push this thing. “You doing okay?” I said. “I know you have a pretty healthy appetite, and it sounds like you haven’t had that met in a while.”

She took a long breath, holding it for a second, before she let it out slowly. “I’m, uh… I’m doing okay, but I appreciate the concern.”

“Oh, really?” I leaned forward into her field of vision, looking at her. “Has your sex drive changed?”

“It’s not that it’s changed, just—” Her voice was strangled, and she looked everywhere but meeting my eyes. “Just that it’s not the most important thing in the world, you know?”

“And what is?” I laughed, and she shrugged.

“Oh, dunno. World peace? Prosperity of nations and equality for all? A happy, sustainable future for all humankind?”

“Okay, superhero. Well, assuming you can’t enact that—anything more on a personal level?”

She tented her hands in her lap, looking down at them like whatever she was doing there was the most fascinating thing ever. “Well… right now I’m hosting, so probably making sure my guest is comfortable. Especially since my guest is you.”

“Does that mean your guest is getting in the way?” I laughed, nudging her side. “I don’t want to cramp your style. You can do what you like.”

“Uh…” She adjusted the collar of her shirt, still explicitly not looking at me. “I don’t know… what you mean.”

I felt warmth bubbling up inside me, a nervous sensation making my heart race faster, and I edged closer, putting a hand on her knee. “Do you… need me to explain more of what I mean?”

“I—” She shrugged, looking up at the ceiling, and she caught herself more, speaking in a measured tone again. “You can do anything you want to.”

She wasnotgoing back to giving me non-reactions. Not as long as I could help it. I moved my fingers a little along the inside of her leg, just above her knee, and I saw her swallow. “I’m just sayingyoucan do anything you want to. Anything that comes to you?” I said, my voice low, and she pursed her lips, shrugging again, looking past me.

“Um… dunno. It’s just nice being here with you.”

“That’s all? Nothing else you want?” I moved my hand higher, fanning my fingers quickly along her thigh, and she arched her back with a gasp, her composure splintering.

“God, Kelcey—” She sucked in a shaky breath. “I’m… I don’t need… anything. You don’t need to worry about me.”

“I didn’t ask if youneededanything, I asked if youwantedanything.”

She swallowed, and, in a bad attempt at casual, she shrugged, not looking at me. I shifted, and before I could rethink it, I turned to face her, slipping one leg over hers to straddle her lap, and she drew a sharp breath, looking at me with wide eyes.

“Nothing that comes to mind?” I said, my heart pounding so wildly I felt dizzy, brushing my fingers over her upper arm. She swallowed hard.

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