Page 40 of Worth the Trouble

She’s soaking my hand and the feel of her quivering around my fingers is almost enough to make me come in my pants.

“That’s it.” I drag my teeth along her throat, wanting to taste every inch of her. “You’ve never been touched right, have you? You’ve never really been fucked? I’ll fuck you up so bad there’s no going back. You want to feel something?Feel me.”

I shove another finger inside her and there’s barely room, which makes me wonder how tight she’ll feel riding my cock. I’m tempted to find out right now, but I’m having too much fun making her come apart on me to stop.

Her nails dig into the sides of my thighs and her mouth falls open as she tightens around my hand.

“Beautiful,” I whisper in her ear, and that’s all it takes to send her over the edge.

Lili gasps as her head tips back, and her whole body is shaking on me. Her hips circle, riding out the waves on my hand, and it’s the most gorgeous sight I’ve ever seen. Watching the pleasure flush her face. Her puffy lips parted and searching for air. Her eyes fluttering.

I watch her fall apart on me until she finds her breath and finally turns to face me.

“You were wrong,” I tell her, pulling my hand out of her on an exhale. “There is something left in you, and I’m going to be the one to take it.”

Lili’s eyes widen as she watches me bring the fingers that were just inside her up. I suck on one of them and she tastes so good I’m tempted to bury my face between her legs.

“Open your mouth.”

Hesitantly, she does. And I stick my fingers inside, playing with her tongue and forcing her to taste herself, to see if it’ll make her understand what she does to me. Because even if I told her one time is all it would take to be over her, it feels like a lie in this moment.

I hold three fingers on her tongue and my thumb on her jaw, realizing how beautiful she is when she’s flushed and relaxed.

“I’m going to break you,” I say, tightening my grip.

Lili lifts her hand and grabs my wrist before closing her perfect lips over my fingers and sucking on them.

She pulls my hand out of her mouth and tips her chin up, bringing her mouth so close to mine she’s brushing my lips. “Good.”

13

Lili

Today’srehearsalisrunningtwice as long as usual, but I’ve never felt more energized. As the final song ends, Rico tugs me to him, and my chest is heaving from exertion and energy.

“That was hot, Lili,” Rico says, pulling back to smile at me. “You’re on fire today. What’s gotten into you?”

I pull back and hope he doesn’t see me blush because it’s not aboutwhatgot into me, it’s aboutwho. Tattooed fingers and a black hole of a soul I’m free falling toward. It doesn’t matter that I haven’t seen or spoken to Rome since that night, I can still feel him in every part of me.

“Nothing.” I brush Rico off. “Got some sleep last night, that’s all.”

“Sure thing.” Rico winks, like he doesn’t believe me at all. “Well, whatever it is, keep it up.”

I’m not sure that’s a good idea, but I nod before walking off the stage and grabbing my sweater. Rico is right about one thing: I felt every ounce of my performance today. There was no beat, no counting. I was liquid, I felt it. Time slowed and it was me and the air as I danced on stage.

It was almost as if someone took a key to my ribs and set my heart free. I’ve never felt more one with the music. Only, it’s not so simple. Just because I’ve felt free ever since that night I spent with Rome, it doesn’t make it a reality I can entertain.

While he’s been on my mind for days, he probably forgot about me the second he shut my car door and I disappeared down the road. He probably even found some company back at the club he took me to. After all, he got me off but didn’t let me return the favor.

Whenever I get close, he pulls away.

The stage empties, and I see Mom beeline for Pauline. The excitement from my performance is replaced with a familiar sick feeling in my gut. If I don’t get out now, they’ll drag me into whatever they’re planning for my future, and I’m not prepared to deal with that right now.

Before they can pull me into their conversation, I disappear out the side door. I make my way to the bathroom and lock the door behind me, sinking down in front of the toilet and feeling myself spiraling.

The show.

Rome.

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