Page 37 of Taming Bull

LILY WAS IN my space.

I’d managed to avoid this very thing for more than two years, and suddenly, here we were. I should have never let her lead us into to my room. It was too private, too personal in here. Sure, there wasn’t much to look at on the surface, but I had shit hidden away I wasn’t ready to disclose yet. She’d already dragged my secrets out of me, leaving me feeling vulnerable and raw, and I wasn’t ready to give up anything else quite yet.

I had every intention of trying to restore our friendship to what it was before.

I needed this girl.

Needed her random bizarre texts, and the annoying way she knew just when to drag me out of my own head and demand I take her out to eat or accompany her to the mall. What the fuck was wrong with me, that I even missed shopping with her? Shopping sucked ass, but somehow Lily managed to make everything fun. I needed her late-night phone calls that helped lull me to sleep when the demons of the past were holding sleep hostage. I craved her infectious laughter and its uncanny ability to make even the darkest days a little brighter.

I couldn’t sacrifice our friendship for sex. I was standing firm, enforcing our boundaries and keeping a respectable distance between us.

And then, she took off her shirt and removed her bra.

Dressed, Lily was gorgeous. Topless, she was a fucking goddess, all smooth, milky skin and soft curves. She put my hands on her tits so I could feel the very definition of temptation. Hard nipples pressed against my hands, begging to be squeezed and licked. I tried like hell to resist, but her soft, cool touch against my stomach shattered any hope I had of self-control. I needed her friendship, but I also needed to taste her.

I needed to fuck her.

I was going to burn for this.

“Look at me,” Lily said.

Her arousal leaked into her voice, making it huskier, sexier. Every word she muttered sounded like an invitation made directly to my cock. I didn’t want to open my eyes. As long as they stayed closed, I could pretend this was just another dream. And dreams held no consequences. I could do all the things I’d ever wanted to do to her without fear of destroying our friendship. Ignoring her request, I slid my hands around her breasts, feeling their weight and enjoying the soft, smooth skin.

I could smell the hint of cinnamon on her breath from the two Fireball shots she’d taken. Mixed with the lingering vanilla berry body wash on her skin, the scent of her was some forbidden cocktail that made my mouth water. Everything about her invited me to touch, to lick, to claim. I wanted to watch my cock slide in and out of her mouth, to study the way she writhed under my tongue, to hear the sounds she made when I buried myself deep inside her.

Our very own porno played on the inside of my eyelids, as I imagined all the ways I’d wring pleasure out of her.

“Bull.” She slid my cut down over my shoulders. The leather rubbed against my skin, and I released her tits so the cut could fall down my arms. I felt lighter and less grounded without it, almost like I was floating.

“Look at me,” she whispered.

I met her gaze. The golden flecks in her hazel eyes were practically glowing. Warm and inviting, like the welcome heat of a freshly stoked fire on a cold winter night. I wanted to step into her glow, to be surrounded by her warmth.

“We’re friends,” I said, trying to remind us both of what was at stake.

“I know. But I want more.”

I suddenly realized I did, too. There was more than attraction pulling us together. If I let myself hope—let myself dream—I could see her in my bed. I could picture her wearing a white dress and walking down the aisle to meet me. What I couldn’t imagine, was my life without her. What if we shot for the moon and came up short? I could end up stranded with no way to reach her, dying alone. “But what if we fuck it up? I can’t lose you.”

She cupped my face in her hands and looked into my eyes. Heavy, raw emotion stared back at me, and it was all I could do not to buckle under the weight of it. “You won’t. I won’t let you. You may be bull-headed, but we both know I’m more stubborn.”

Could I trust her? Could I trust myself? Could we actually take this thing between us to the next level? There were so many hurdles in our way. “But my family…”

“I’m sure your family wants you to be happy.” She slid her fingers up my abs, taking my T-shirt with her. “And if you’ll stop overthinking everything and just allow yourself to enjoy this, I bet I can make you very happy.”

Oh, I had no doubt she could. As if on autopilot, I raised my hands, letting her tug my shirt over my head. I couldn’t resist her. I’d tried, and only lasted two, miserable, lonely weeks. I never wanted to go through that kind of hell again. She tossed the shirt aside and stared at me, biting her bottom lip as she gave my chest a full appraisal. The appreciation in her eyes made me feel good, but this was Lily, so I had to give her shit for it.

“Like what you see?” I asked.

“Shh. I’m tryin’ to check out the goods. I’ve waited a long time for this. Don’t distract me.”

I opened my mouth to fire a snappy comeback, but the words died on my lips as the reality of the situation crashed into me.

We were doing this.

There was no holding back anymore.

Lily was mine, and I suddenlyhad tohave her.

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