Page 52 of Slay Ride

“And why would she feel the need to bring any of this to your attention?”

He shrugs. “I don’t know. I wasn’t really listening. I zoned out when I realized she didn’t know you’ve had my dick in your mouth.”

Thank god for small favors.

“So why’d you do it?” he asks.

“Do what?”

“Why’d you tell Kindra that you choked?”

I roll onto my side and face away from him, unable to admit my reasoning for coming clean to her. Well, coming clean to her aboutthat, at least. As much as I love and trust Kindra, I may never grow courageous enough to tell her what I’ve done with Bennett.

And what I’ve decided I won’t be doing again.

“Hey, can we talk?” I ask, and I hate the way my voice sounds. It’s like I’m speaking through a wad of cotton. I clear my throat and try again. “Seriously talk, I mean. Let’s call a truce to the snark for five minutes.”

“Look, I’ve gotten tested religiously ever since I contracted something on that godforsaken trip. If you’ve got some weirdinfection or disease, it didn’t come from me, I can fucking assure you.”

“What the actual fuck? No! I want to talk about . . . us.”

“Aw, kitten, I didn’t know we were an item.” He scoots closer and tries to wrap his arm around me, but I sit up and push his grabby hands away.

“Snark truce, remember? I’m being serious. I think we need to just...cancel the whole thing. We don’t need to know if the sex is good.”

His face remains a mask of indifference, but I don’t miss the brief flicker of disappointment that slips through. He wanted this as much as I did. As much as I still do. If we didn’t have to hide it, it wouldn’t be so bad, but I hate this sneaky shit.

Plus, there are other complications.

He clears his throat and does his best attempt at sounding unbothered. “Yeah, I mean, if that’s what you want. Am I allowed to ask what changed your mind?”

I can’t answer that honestly without tipping my hand, so I scramble for a lie. My lips part and my brain reverses everything in my head so that I can say the exact opposite of how I truly feel. “There’s really no chemistry, if I’m being honest.”

“No chemistry, huh?” He rolls onto his side and trails his fingertips along my thigh. “You sure could have fooled me. Seems like we havetoo muchchemistry.”

Fuck, I hate it when he sees through my charade. Because he’s right. The draw to look at him and be near him and tell him things...it’s overpowering my thoughts and freaking me out.

Maybe honesty is the best policy here. Bennett sees my refusal as a challenge, and he loves to overcome a challenge. But if I tell him the truth, that I’m getting attached and wanting more, he’s liable to back off. If Bennett is Superman, then even a whiff of something resembling commitment will be his kryptonite.

“I told Kindra about freezing up because I didn’t want anyone to be upset with you,” I blurt. “I knew what you did for me, saving me from looking like an idiot, and I wanted someone to know the truth. That I was appreciative of what you did for me, not upset.”

“What does that have to do with fucking me?”

“Don’t you see what’s happening? You stole that kill to savemyass, and I fessed up to Kindra to saveyourass. The dynamic has shifted, which can only mean we’re in danger of developing feelings.”

“Do you always over analyze things, or is this a new problem?”

I don’t know why I expected him to understand.

His hand travels higher, his fingertips nearly brushing against the denim over my pussy. And I want them to. Fuck, I want him to rip off my clothes and touch me harder. What is wrong with me?

I place my hand over his to stop his tempting teasing. “Please don’t make me weak. I need to be strong right now.”

He sits up and breathes against my neck as I grip his hand in mine. His lips move over my skin, speaking words I can’t hear, gentle whispers meant only for that hidden part of me I keep locked away.

But that part of me doesn’t want to remain hidden. It rattles inside its confines, begging to break free. Begging for his fingers, his mouth, his pierced cock.

His fingers snake out of my half-assed hold, and he squeezes my flesh as he gives my neck a gentle nip. “Tell me what you want me to do. Just say the word and I’ll leave this room. I promise. But if you want me, tell me now.” He sucks my skin and squeezes my thigh in his powerful hand. “Tell me, kitten. Tell me what you want.”

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