Page 18 of Touch Me Not: Anniversary Edition

“He followed you to Boston?” Nikoli’s gaze became more calculated by the second.

“Yeah, but not for the reasons you’re thinking,” Lily put in quickly. “He only wanted to make sure I was okay, that I could handle it.”

“Why wouldn’t you be able to handle it?”

That was not something she wanted to get into with him. “Doesn’t matter.”

“Does it have something to do with why you don’t like to be touched?” he asked softly.

Her nostrils flared defiantly. Why was he getting so personal?

“You realize if you want to stand any chance of winning him away from the blonde model, you’re going to have to let him touch you.”

“Adam is aware of my sensitivity to people touching me,” Lily hissed. “Why are we even talking about this?”

“Look over at Boy Wonder. See how he’s holding her hand? Would you let him do that?Couldyou let him touch you like that?”

Lily peeked over at Adam’s table. Sure enough, he was holding Sue’s hand, his thumb idly brushing the back of her palm. Lily wanted to be able to let him do that, but the thought alone sent her into panic mode.

“You don’t stand a shot at winning him if you can’t let him touch you, Lily Bells,” Nikoli whispered so only she could hear. “You need to be able to tolerate it if you want Adam. He needs someone he can touch, caress, kiss, and make love to. Right now, that’s not you.”

“Do you think I don’t know that?” Lily seethed. “I have wondered so many times how different things might have been if I could let him touch me.”

“Then let me help you.”

“How exactly can you help me?” Lily asked suspiciously.

“For starters, you said he only looks at you like a sister, but the looks I’ve been getting since he got here say something else entirely. He’s jealous, and it’s working the blonde up into a full-on rage. You need someone to show real interest in you, to spend time with, someone he can’t stand.”

“And that someone would be you?” Sarcasm dripped from each word.

He gave her a devilish smile. “Of course. Who better to get his attention than Boston U’s very own manwhore?”

Lily smiled when he threw her words back at her. He sounded much less cranky now, but what was he up to?

“Everyone knows you don’t date, Nikoli,” Lily pointed out.

Nikoli’s grin turned wolfish. He knew he had her attention. She wanted Adam, he wanted her, and he’d found a way to get them both what they wanted. Hopefully. It all hinged on her acceptance of his help. He had to be careful here.

“As you pointed out, everyone thinks of me as a manwhore.” He couldn’t help but cringe at that. He was not a whore. Usually. “So, you’re going to help me buff up my image.”

“And how exactly am I going to do that?”

“By dating me and making me remain celibate.”

Her mouth dropped open. Just the right response. He was slowly reeling her in. Now, the tricky part.

“No one is going to believe that,” she said after a minute. “Can you even go a day without sex?”

“Of course, I can,” he snapped. “That’s not the point, anyway. I’m not going to need to go have sex with random women. I’m going to have you.”

“Uh, no, you’re not,” Lily told him hotly. “There is no way I am going to sleep with you just to get Adam’s attention.”

“Oh, baby, there is so much more to it than that,” he said, his voice low and deep. He knew exactly how his voice affected women, and Lily was no different. Her eyes glazed a bit, and her cheeks flushed. Despite what she said, he affected her. He hadn’t lost his mojo after all. “You can’t just spend time with me. You have to let me touch you.”

Her eyes went wide, and her nostrils flared. He saw sheer panic take over her expression. “Lily, if you want Adam, you have to be able to let him touch you. I can help you with that. You just need some structure, rules. I promise I won’t do anything to scare you, and if I do, I’ll stop right away. All you have to do is safe word.”

“Safe word?” She frowned then gasped, getting ready to go all outraged female on him.

---