Page 5 of Such a Sweet Girl

THREE

FRANCESCA

Dust particles floated through the shaft of early morning light, drifting aimlessly like lazy afternoon bugs over the lake.

Nick thrust into me, his dank breath hot over my neck as he panted. Sleeping with him felt like an out of body experience, and not in a good way. Discomfort had me wriggling against him. I wasn’t wet enough to take the lazy thrusts, and I silently thanked the universe that at least he wasn’t girthy. My poor labia would be ripped to shreds if he was packing.

I laced my fingers with his, pulling his hand from my stomach where he’d gripped me tightly and pressing it between my thighs. My breath caught as his fingers grazed where I needed him, and I let out a moan of encouragement. Perhaps it wasn’t that he was selfish, but that he just needed a little guidance.

Within three thrusts, Nick’s hand was back on my stomach.

I should stop him. Tell him to make me come first. I wanted to. Every time I summoned the words, they caught in my throat, my cheeks heating at the idea of confronting him.

In movies sex always looked like the woman enjoyed it too, but why? Men enjoyed sex in the real world. Women just tolerated it.

I just tolerated it.

Maybe I could touch myself?Would he judge me if I did?

Biting my lower lip, I tried it. He might not even notice from his place behind me. My pulse quickened as I slid my fingers against my clit, circling it a slow, clandestine movement.

Nick’s lazy thrusting didn’t skip a beat.

I smiled, finally feeling warmth roilingthere. Was this what I’d been missing out on? Could taking a dick feel more than just uncomfortable?

Nick stiffened behind me, his fingers sinking deeper into the soft flesh on my stomach.

‘No,’ I muttered as his hips jerked, pinning me tight to him as he unloaded into his condom.

Disappointment hit in a wave of heat. I withdrew my fingers and twisted them into the blanket.

It was over.

Nick slid out of me, an aching void left behind. There had to be more. But it wasn’t only Nick. None of the guys I’d slept with at college had acted like the men in movies and shows, either. The passion and desire to please a woman had to be made purely for entertainment.

Sitting, I pulled one of his oversized t-shirts over my head. Tucking my hair behind my ears and hoping that Nick wouldn’t see the hot tears that verged on escaping.

I heard him pull off the condom, throwing it in the wastebasket by his desk.

‘Francesca,’ he said, his voice sounding thick.

For a beat, hope ignited. Would he pull me back to the bed and show me what I had been missing?

‘Can you get the coffee on while I grab a shower?’

My chest deflated with a sigh. I turned, deciding to just ask him. The en-suite door shut with a definitive slam, the patter of the shower sounding a moment later.

Stopping in the family bathroom, I washed my face and relieved myself, chastising myself for being a wimp. Nick had never even asked if I enjoyed myself after. Others had, and I’d always lied and said yes. Because I didn’t know better. I thought women had sex to feel close to a man, to gain his favour for his attention. That it was just the way of the world.

But exchanging my body for the smallest ounce of intimacy became less and less of a good bargain. Nick barely even gave me that.

I had to call it a day on the summer romance. Over the weeks, I’d hoped his attention would grow, but it only waned as the days passed. The initial excitement of being wanted wasn’t enough to sustain our arrangement.

After breakfast, I’d let him know I wouldn’t be coming around any longer.

Piling my hair on top of my head in a rough bun, I made my way to the kitchen. The air-con cooled my hot skin, whispering over my naked thighs and skirting my ass. The t-shirt was too short, but it’s not like Nick would even notice, far less care. The sleek, white tiles were cold underfoot as I filled the coffeemaker. The kitchen simmered with the sound of bubbling drips and the heady scent of early morning brew.

Reaching up into the cupboard where Nick kept the cups, my skin prickled with the sensation of being watched. There was a shuffle near the door, and I bit my lip, imagining Nick’s view from behind as I reached up to grab the cups, my shirt riding high over my ass cheeks.

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