Page 25 of The Dare

“First girl to ever reject my cock.”

“Not for the first time, either,” I remind him.

“Yes, thank you, Taylor. You find me unfuckable. I get it.” Conor flicks up an eyebrow. “It’d be a shame, though.”

His hair begs for fingers. To drag them through the soft strands. To touch. My hand itches with the urge to fulfill that wish. “What’s a shame?”

“Don’t stop.” It isn’t until he speaks that I realize my fingers have run off on their own accord. “That feels good.”

So I continue, combing my fingers through his hair. Softly pulling my nails across his scalp. “What’s a shame?”

“Well, we’ve laid such great groundwork already. Spent a night of mind-blowing sex together. Everyone thinks you’ve got me pussy-tranced into falling in love with you. Seems unfortunate to let that all go to waste?”

I eye him suspiciously. “What do you propose?”

“Let’s ride it out.”

“Ride it out.” I play with the idea in my head, turning it over. It is, of course, a terribly dishonest and immature suggestion. So, naturally, I’m intrigued. “To what end?”

“Marriage, death, or graduation,” he says. “Whichever comes first.”

“Okay. But why? What’s in it for you?”

“A cure for my boredom.” He grins up at me. “I like games, T. This feels like it’ll be a fun one.”

“Uh-huh. But what if my perfect man comes along to sweep me off my feet but he gets scared away by Conor Fucking Edwards sniffing around my petticoats?”

“First, yes, keep calling me that. Second, if he can’t take a little healthy competition, he isn’t your perfect man. Trust me on that, babe.”

Every time he calls mebabea stab of electricity shoots through my chest. I wonder if he feels my pulse spike. Or maybe he knows all too well he has that effect on every girl and I am but a toy doll off the assembly line. Lot 251 per one billion. Wind me up and watch me go.

“Fine. What aboutyouradmirers?” I counter. “What ifNatalie from Tri-Delt wants another go and suddenly you have a fake girlfriend?”

He shrugs. “I’m not interested in another go with her.”

“Bull. Have you seen her hair? It’s so shiny.”

That earns me a snicker. “Shiny hair aside, I’m being serious. She posted a pic of me naked in her bed when I was asleep. That ain’t cool with me. Consent, you know?”

“Bull,” I say again. “Look at you.” With both hands, I gesture toward his half-nakedPlaygirlphysique. “You probably love flaunting it for the camera.”

“Not without my consent,” he repeats, and the hard look on his face tells me hereallywasn’t fond of Natalie’s actions.

I suppose I can’t blame him. I still have nightmares about Kappa pledge week and all the embarrassing shit the seniors filmed us doing.

“Anyway,” he goes on, “maybe I need a break from the sex circuit. Take some time to regroup.”

I punch him in the shoulder. “Sex circuit? Oh my God. Must you be so gross?”

He offers that cocky grin again. “You don’t think I’m gross. Otherwise you wouldn’t be letting me snuggle up in your lap.”

I swallow through my suddenly dry throat. “This is not considered snuggling,” I say sternly.

“Sure it is, T.”

“It sure isn’t,C,” I mock. “And, what, you’re saying you’re going to abstain from sex for the foreseeable future? Because I don’t buy that.”

Conor looks aghast. “Abstain? Hell no. I’m gonna try to seduce you at every turn.”

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