Page 43 of Devoted

“You get what I mean though.”

“I do. You think I’m hot.” Zeke was practically crowing.

I clicked off the photo with a sigh. “You being hot is a fact, Zeke. Anyone with decent eyesight would agree with that.”

“I don’t care what anyone else thinks.”

I blushed, glad he couldn’t see me. “But you care what I think?”

“Yes, Sam. Your opinion is literally the only one I care about. And the fact you think I’m attractive? That makes me happier than I have any right to be.”

“That just makes it worse.” I rubbed my forehead. Thank fuck he hadn’t agreed to meet me in real life. He would’ve realised how far out of my league he was before getting within six feet of me.

‘Everything is doomed between you. It has been from the start. You should end the call now. It’s the only way to salvage the situation.’

It was hard to ignore the thought. The desire to follow this compulsion was strong, but the fear of losing Zeke was stronger.

“Sam, I don’t understand. Why are you upset? Do you not like how I look?”

I rolled my eyes. “Of course I do, Zeke. We’ve just established that. You’re the hottest man I’ve ever laid eyes on.”

“So what’s the problem?”

“The problem is you look like that while I look like…”

“Like what?”

My chin dropped to my chest in defeat. “Like someone you’d never choose. Like if I walked beside you down the street, people would wonder why on earth you were spending time with me.”

“People aren’t that shallow, Sam.”

Yes, they are.“Have you met people? You’re an anthropologist, for fuck’s sake.”

“Fair point,” Zeke said, with a cough. “There’s just one flaw in your argument.”

“What?”

“I don’t believe you. I think if I saw your face, I’d find you very attractive. I’d go so far as to bet I’d think you were out ofmyleague.”

I snorted. “I can promise you that wouldn’t happen.”

Zeke hummed. “I don’t know, baby, that’s one fine body you have there. There’s only one thing about your face that might put me off.”

“What’s that?”

“If you’re wearing a grey mailer over your head. That’s where I draw the line, I’m afraid.”

A laugh sputtered from me. How was Zeke able to stop my spirals so easily? “You did suggest imagining me like that once.”

“Now I don’t need to,” he said huskily. “Now I can imagine how your torso will look covered in my cum.”

“Fuck, Zeke.” I’d thought the sexual part of the evening was over, ruined by my meltdown, but one comment from him had my dick plumping again.

“Would you let me do that, baby? Paint you all over, so everyone knows you’re mine?”

I pressed the back of my hand to my cheek to see if my face was actually on fire. “With you looking like that, I’d let you doanythingto me.”

Zeke paused, his voice oddly strained when he spoke. “But you wouldn’t have before you saw my picture?”

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