Page 83 of The Pretender

At least that’s what my dad says.

“It’s not the same when you fight back.” He rolls over and traces my forehead. “There’s this little line that forms and—”

I kiss him.

Out of nowhere and I don’t feel an ounce of regret for it.

I suck his bottom lip into my mouth and moan before he gets on board and takes over. His hands grasp my hips in a bruising hold and he rolls over me, pinning me beneath him. I can see his swollen lips in the glow of the moonlight, streaming in from the window.

His chest is heaving when he says, “No more games after this.”

I nod, swallowing down the knot of fleeting panic. “Except when we’re bored.” Who are we kidding? Pranking each other is our thing. I’m sure we will grow out of it one day but that doesn’t mean we have to completely give it up.

He grins and agrees. “Except when we’re bored.”

I place my hands on his face, the atmosphere turning thick with seriousness. I smooth my thumb over the spot on his cheek where my favorite dimple appears and press my lips to his.

A tortured sound rumbles from his chest as he pushes me down with the weight of his body, heavy and perfect.

I take a breath and turn my head to the side. “Bash?”

I can feel him tense above me. “Yeah?”

I want to know if he forgives me or if we will go back to being only neighbors once the contest is over, but I don’t. “Never mind.”

Some things you just don’t need to ruin with a reality check. I know what I signed up for when I agreed to do this contest with Sebastian and having sex with him is probably a huge mistake, but it’s one I want to make. I’ve never made good decisions where Sebastian is concerned, and I don’t plan on starting now, even if it does make things messier between us.

“Are you sure?” He probes suspiciously.

“Yeah, I’m sure. No going back, right?”

“Right.”

His hands move under my shirt and graze up my ribs. My back arches and I suck in a breath. Sebastian’s hands have always felt good on my body, even when he didn’t know I was enjoying the feel of his touch. A simple pat on the back. A high five. I wanted to be repulsed. I wanted to hate the warmth of his touch, but I didn’t. I couldn’t. Ever since playing his fake girlfriend, feeling his hands willingly roam the expanse of my body… I’ve not only welcomed his touch, I’ve craved more.

“Can I take this off?” His fingers tug the hem of my shirt, lifting it ever so slightly.

I nod. “Please.”

His chest smells of soap and the heat of his skin begs me to come closer. I press a kiss between his pecs, and he flinches as if it burned. I lift up and allow him to pull my shirt all the way off. The air is cool against my skin, but only for a second, before he wraps me in his arms and his heat, warming me instantly.

Deep in his embrace, I feel small, cherished, and revered. I pull my hand through our bodies and place it at his throat, feeling him swallow.

“You’re more beautiful than I ever imagined,” he whispers in the moonlight, removing my hand and kissing the palm.

“You were expecting something different?” I joke.

He grins, lowering himself down, his weight a reminder of what we’re doing. “I think you’re done talking,” he says, pushing his thumb into my mouth. I don’t wait for him to tell me to suck. I know what Sebastian Carrington needs. Control. A redo of that night.

Sebastian buries his face in my shoulder and moans as I let his finger slip from my mouth. “Look at me, Bash,” I demand. I want to see his face. I want him to know that it’s me making him feel this way. Not the girl he hates or the one he used to prank, but the friend he used to spend his days with.

Slowly, he raises his head, pushing up on his forearms, and swallows. His frosty blue eyes lock onto mine and, for the first time since we’ve known each other, I feel like he’s seeing the real me. “I see you, Valentina.” His voice is a soft whisper while his fingers stroke down my cheek, lingering on my lips. “I’ve always seen you.”

My stomach dips as I absorb his words.He sees me. Just me. Not anyone else. That may not seem like a big deal to most people, but to me, it’s everything.

I lean my face into his hand and close my eyes. This man has seen me at my worst. He’s elicited the most immature actions I wish I could take back, but right now, in this moment, feeling his eyes on my face, all I can think is: it’s all been worth it. Had it not been for those wars or insane actions, it would have never led me to this moment. This one singular moment of love.

“Vee?”

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