Page 48 of Taking Chances

“Glad you came with us, man.” Matt pats my shoulder and Noah nods in agreement.

“I’m glad I came, too.”

We enter the cars and get on the road. Anne fidgets her fingers in her lap, her teeth nibbling on her bottom lip.

Fuck, she must be nervous. I need to make this right.

“Look—” I start, but she interrupts me mid-sentence.

“I have a proposition,” she squawks, all in one breath.

“A what?” I spare her a quick glance, my eyes focused on the road.

“A proposition.”

“What do you mean?”

She releases a deep breath. “This is embarrassing… it never felt likethat.Never before.” Her head turns to the side, staring out of the window.

“What never felt like what?”

“You know.” Her hand dances dramatically in my peripheral vision. “Naughty things. Never. Felt. That. Good.”

I don’t dare look at her, but I would put money on her skin being flushed that gorgeous pink. “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about, actually.”

“Please, let me finish.” Another breath. “I think I would like more of it. You know what you’re doing, and for some reason, I think you might be enjoying it, too.” Her voice breaks a couple of times, but she doesn’t falter. No, she asks for what she wants.

Fuck, she’s prefect.

But this is the opposite of what I wanted to say.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea.” My grip on the wheel tightens.

“I realize you probably have many other options and that this isn’t ideal.”

“It’s not that… but I don’t want to hurt you.” There’s a lump in my throat just talking about it. “I told you I don’t do relationships and it’s the truth.”

“It’s a good thing I’m not looking for one, then,” she says with conviction. “I’ve been doing some thinking lately and realized I’m not sure I know who I am. I always molded myself to people I was dating, or to my family. And it never worked.” She shakes her head. “So, I think I finally decided to do things I want. And I think some good sex is what I really, really want.”

I almost choke on my own spit, her words surprising me. I know she needs good sex, it’s obvious in her responsiveness. Desperate for anything I’ll give her. But to hear this shy girl say it aloud, it took some guts. “What are you proposing?”

“You and I.” A sigh. “Having sex. Just sex.” My brain knows it’s a terrible idea, but my dick’s demanding all the blood be directed to him.

“Did you ever do something casual?” I measure my words carefully.

“No. But what I’ve been doing obviously hasn’t worked.” She shrugs.

“I’m still afraid you’ll get hurt.”

“I thought about that. And I don’t think it’s going to happen. With my exes, I was brainwashed into thinking they loved me, andthat’s what hurt the most. Not losing Bryce, but realizing I’ve been living a lie. With this, I know exactly where I stand. You and I don’t share interests, goals, or anything else. Just chemistry, I guess.”

Her words, though making sense, burrow themselves deep inside of me. She’s spot on. What would a nice girl like her have in common with a guy like me? We’re two separate worlds, but I can’t deny the chemistry.

My pause forces her to continue, “How about this? If I do get some feelings, I’ll tell you and we’ll stop immediately?”

“And how do I know that will happen?”

“Because it’s in my best interest not to get heartbroken.”

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