Page 13 of Sinful Skulls
“A little pain always makes pleasure more enjoyable,” he whispers over my face before kissing me again.
His words float around in my mind as he takes me higher and higher. I’m starting to feel a little drunk.
I place my hand on his chest, and he slowly pulls away, his gaze locked on mine. “Do you want me to stop?” he asks.
“No, I want more, but …”
He patiently waits for me to finish my thought.
God, this is so embarrassing. I scratch my head, struggling to find the right words.
“Just talk to me, baby. If this is going to make it harder for you to say goodbye, we’ll stop. I’ll go back to the hotel.”
I shake my head, feeling a knot forming in my throat. “I want you to stay.”
“Then what is it?”
I look at the flowers and take a deep breath. “I’m … I mean … ugh … okay … I’ve never done this before.”
He glances at the flowers and then at me. “You mean you’ve never invited someone to spend the night?”
I shake my head no.
His eyebrows shoot up in surprise, and I know he finally understands what I’m trying to say.
“Are you a virgin?”
I cover my face with both of my hands and nod my head, mortified.
Brody pulls them away, his gaze bouncing over my face. “We don’t have to do anything. I can sleep on the couch.”
Again, I shake my head, because that’s not what I want.
“Daisy, if you’ve been saving yourself for the right guy, I’m not going to take that away from you.”
I reach over and pull one of the dahlias from the vase. “You asked me what these flowers made me feel.” I twirl it between my fingers, finding it easier to focus on it rather than Brody. I shake my head. “My family is very … well, very by the book. I’ve always kept parts of myself hidden from them. The darker, less accepted by society, parts. But when you gave me this …” I hold up the flower. “I’ve never felt more seen.”
He pushes my hair over my shoulder and slides his hand along the back of my neck, resting it there. “Daisy.”
“You’re right. I have been saving myself. Saving myself for someone who saw me. Someone who would embrace all of me. Someone I felt safe with. That person is you. I don’t want to pass this up, Brody. What if I never find it ever again?”
His fingers squeeze the back of my neck gently. “But what if you do?”
“Then I’ll consider myself lucky for finding two special people to share my body with.”
He smirks. “You’ve taken a debate class, haven’t you?”
I smile at him. “Am I winning?”
“You’re making it awfully hard to say no.”
“If you don’t want to, I understand. I mean, I have zero experience. That can’t be that exciting for you.”
“Oh, I’m excited. Make no mistake. I just don’t want you to do something you’ll regret.”
I open my mouth to argue, but the look he gives me makes me snap it shut.
“I … I also don’t want to hurt you.”
