Page 62 of Heart of Stone

“Krystina…” he warned.

“Geez, you’re pushy! It was a one-night stand, all right? Wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am. Not something I like to brag about. Are you happy?”

“That’s it then? Two guys?” he asked in astonishment.

“Is there something wrong with that?” I shrunk under his confounded look. He was making feel like some sort of prude.

“Well, it’s just that…I knew that you were probably inexperienced, but I didn’t realize that I misjudged you by so much. That day in the grocery store…the cinnamon gum…” His voice trailed off. He raked his hands through his hair in obvious frustration.

Hmm…the gum thing did throw him for a loop after all.

I felt a little smug, but not enough to cover the embarrassment over my lack of sexual expertise. I automatically jumped on the defense.

“Well, excuse me Mr. Lets-fuck-and-get-it-over-with! I’m sorry that I don’t have enough notches in my bedpost for you, but that’s me. Take it or leave it.”

“Damn it, Krystina! What am I supposed to think? Of all the flavors of gum on the shelf – peppermint, spearmint! You chose cinnamon.”

“So what?” I asked, confused by his outburst.

“Cinnamon is an aphrodisiac! I thought you were trying to imply something when you tossed it in my cart,” he said as justification for his apparent bafflement.

“It is?” I asked in surprise.

That’s an interesting little fact.

I almost laughed at the irony of our situation.

“Why else would you have done it?”

“I, um…” I trailed off.

Because the way you chew a piece of gum is hotter than hell.

“Forget it. I guess that’s what I get for assuming and thinking with my dick. Fuck,” he swore, shaking his head.

He stood up and began pacing the room.

I just sat there completely mystified by his behavior. He was normally so composed, only giving me the occasional glimmer as to what he might be thinking. Never had I seen him so conflicted.

And all because of a gum flavor?

“It’s no big deal – just a misunderstanding, Alex,” I reassured. He stopped pacing to look at me.

“You really have no idea what I am asking of you, do you?”

“Of course I do. I’m not that naïve.”

At least I didn’t think I was.

“What do you know about BDSM?”

His question took me by surprise. I raised one eyebrow at him, racking my brain to try and recall any knowledge on the subject.

BDSM was that kinky shit, right? When a guy liked to dress a girl in a costume and give her a spanking?But what does that have to do with chewing gum?

I made a mental note to start reading sleazy romance novels instead of crime and mystery.

“I know enough,” I said, raising my chin with false confidence. I was trying to hide how much of an amateur I really was, all while attempting to wrap my head around the fact that he wanted me to play the starring role some twisted sexual fantasy.

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