Page 36 of Scoring Position

“It’s swollen,” I reply quietly. “Are you sure you’re alright? Did I do something wrong?”

She sits up. “Ace, remember our first lesson. If I was properly lubricated, which I definitely was, why else would I be swollen right now?”

Gripping the back of my neck, I think carefully before realization dawns on me. Wedidtalk about this the first time she came to my hotel room. I remember being distracted by how hot she was while she went through the chapter, talking about the body’s physiological responses to sex.

“Increased blood flow,” I reply, making her smile proudly.

“Exactly. I’m perfect. You didnothingwrong.”

I shake my head, chuckling. “How unsexy is it that we’re reviewing course material after we just fucked?” Then again, all of that was a little different than I expected. We laughed, we had fun, and now we’re talking about it in a way that may not be normal for other couples, but for us—it justis.

She scoffs playfully. “I’m not here to be sexy. I’m here to make sure you pass Human Sexuality, and that was a learning moment.”

Tossing the cloth to the floor, I tackle her to the mattress, kissing her face as she giggles. “You’re sexy no matter what you’re doing, Sweets,” I reply, digging my fingers into her sides and reveling in the way her little laughs get louder.

“Ace, stop!” she says between heavy breaths. I take mercy on her, pressing my lips to hers once more before standing and pulling her to her feet. “Nooooo,” she groans as I lead her to the bathroom, ushering her inside.

“Go pee,” I order. “Then get your fine ass back in my bed so I can hold you.” I close the door, hearing her mumble somethingabout me beingso bossyas I walk over and pull the blankets down, sliding under them while I wait for her to finish. I take a few seconds to think about everything that just happened and all the things I felt. There was no denying the emotions that washed over me as I pushed inside her for the first time. I’m falling for Lark Dawson, and I don’t know if she feels the same. I’d like to think there’s no way she doesn’t, but I’m also not dumb enough to believe all her reservations just magically disappeared because we had sex. I’m glad she agreed to open her mind to the possibility of us, but are the things I’m doing enough to make her think it would be worth the risk?

The bathroom door opens, and she emerges, still completely naked. Just like the first time I saw her, every breath is sucked from my body, and all the anxiety I felt moments ago falls away, only to be replaced by the warmth of being in her presence. We might have a lot to talk about, but for now, I just want to enjoy the rest of the night in our little bubble. Finals week is coming up, and if she decides to move on without me, I don’t want the last of our time together to be anything less than a perfect memory of the most amazing summer of my life.

“Come here, baby,” I say, lifting the sheet for her to climb in beside me. As soon as she’s within my reach, I pull her under my arm, wrapping it around her protectively as she snuggles her soft body into mine. “Will you stay with me tonight?” I can’t imagine sleeping alone after what we just did.

“Only if you promise to do that thing with your tongue again in the morning,” she quips, making me laugh.

“You liked that, huh? I suppose that can be arranged.” I kiss the top of her head, holding her tightly and hoping that this is only the beginning of a lifetime of nights just like this one.

TWENTY-ONE

LARK

“Oh, fuck. Just like that,”I moan, pressing my heel into Ace’s back. I thought I was being sneaky, slipping out of bed this morning to take a shower while he slept, but I barely even started washing my hair before he slid in behind me. The next thing I knew, he was on his knees, making good on his promise from last night.

“Like this?” he mumbles against me, latching his lips onto my clit and swirling his tongue around it. My knees almost give out, but he grips my waist with both hands, pinning me to the warm tiles as he eats me like I’m his favorite meal.

“Mhmm,” I reply, reaching down and clenching my fists into his hair to keep him pressed to my pussy. “I’m going to come.” He sinks two fingers inside, never abandoning my aching bundle of nerves while he works me toward the edge. Small whimpers leave him as he sucks, and his desperation sends me careening over the summit. I shove my hips into his face once more, my orgasm overtaking every one of my senses as I stiffen and explode around him.

“Atta girl,” he says, releasing my clit. He keeps his fingers buried inside me as I squeeze them tightly, riding out my climaxuntil I have nothing left to give. My body slumps against the wall as he takes one last, long lick, savoring every drop of me. Standing, he grips my chin, forcefully pushing his tongue between my parted lips.

“Do you taste that?” he asks. “Your cunt is so fucking sweet, Lark. I’m so goddamn addicted to you.”

I moan into the kiss, wrapping my arms around his neck and pushing to my tiptoes as he stands to his full height. I love tasting myself on him, knowing it turns him on to share it with me. The man isgiftedwith his mouth, and if you had told me yesterday that it was his first time doing it, I’d have called you a liar. Then again, he wrote an entire essay on the female orgasm and reads smutty books written by women, so I shouldn’t be too surprised that he’s picked up a few things.

I’ve never been with someone so concerned with my pleasure. I’ve also never felt comfortable telling a partner what I liked because I was always afraid of making them feel inadequate. We’re programmed to sacrifice our own needs in exchange for not making men feel emasculated, but how can we both be satisfied if we don’t communicate? Ace wants to learn. He wants to know what I like, and I feel the same about him. It’s refreshing to know that he won’t take offense if I give him some direction—not that he’s needed it so far.

Last night was easily the best sex I’ve ever had. Initially, I went down to the bar with the goal of giving him the role-play fantasy we’d talked about, but I didn’t expect it to turn into a real experience between the two of us when we got back to his room. I know I’ve been hesitant about the idea of being with him, but I couldn’t stop questioning what was really holding me back. Sure, there’s an age gap, but if there’s one thing he’s shown me, it’s that I’m not some dried-up old lady. I’m still young—capable of playing and laughing. And being with him brings the absolute best out of me when it comes to that. I like who I am aroundAce, and I’m done pretending I don’t feel the things I do. If we keep exploring and realize that we can’t make it work, I’m still walking away a better person because of him.

“I need a nap after that,” I say, sliding my hands down his body and dropping my head to his chest. The endorphins from my orgasm are slowly coursing through me, making me feel like I could go boneless and fall to the floor at any second.

“Here,” he says, spinning me around so my back is against his chest. I lean into him as he bands an arm around my waist and reaches for the body wash. He lets me go just long enough to squeeze some into his open palm, gently massaging it into my wet skin as I hum contentedly. As much as I love taking care of Ace, being held and pampered by him is equally as satisfying. He makes me feel safe and wanted—like I’m not an inconvenience ordoing too much,as I’ve been made to believe in the past.

He finishes washing and rinsing me, turns off the water, and reaches out to the towel hook. Spinning me back around, he wraps me up tightly before drying himself and lifting me off my feet, cradling me in his giant arms. I giggle as he carries me to the bed, pulling the covers back and laying me against the pillow.

“I have to brush and dry my hair, or it’ll get frizzy.” I attempt to sit up, just to be pushed back with a gentle hand against my shoulder. Resisting for a second, I lie back when he shoots me a sexy wink.

“Let me,” he says, walking to the bathroom and returning with a brush before sitting on the edge of the bed. “Up,” he orders. When I reach out to take it from his hand, he pulls away, circling his finger in the air as if to sayTurn. Shocked, I obey, breathing a relaxed sigh as soon as the bristles make contact with my scalp. I’ve never had a man brush my hair before, andoh my God, I just want to melt right here. He’s careful not to pull as he works the knots free, and I can’t help but moan while hesmooths it through one last time. He chuckles quietly, pressing a kiss to my shoulder before placing the brush on the nightstand.

“Can I have that?” he asks, pointing to the elastic band on my wrist. My brows furrow in confusion as he reaches forward, sliding it off over my fingers and settling back behind me. I’m expecting him to make a valiant attempt at a messy ponytail or something, but he shocks the fuck out of me as he separates my hair into three sections and begins weaving it into a braid.

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