Page 60 of Nothing Without You
A week ago, we almost kissed in Osama’s kitchen. I’d been replaying that moment repeatedly, wondering whathe’d feel like. Midway through alone time, my vibrator died on me. It buzzed a broken sound before abandoning me and the ache between my thighs. Either I needed to find a hobby or convince my husband-to-be to save me from this torture.
I was scared that if he touched me and I touched him—I’d fall back into old feelings and never recuperate.
Which is why I decided that if Christianwereto touch me, I wouldn’t touch him back. He kept his ground, I kept mine. Two could play whatever game this was.
Cold air winded downwards, making Christian’s white dress shirt sway. Hand on his hips, he waited for me.
Stepping out of my pink pumps, I extended my hand. “Give me your shirt.”
“For what?”
Raising a brow, “I’m not dressed for this.”
“Then get changed,” he tilted his head towards the changing rooms.
“What part ofwarning medidn’t you understand?”
“Then take them off.” The grin on his face was downright suggestive.Any higher entity out there, please have mercy on me. I was just a girl—horny as heck—but just a girl, nonetheless.
Right,well, I had to do this.
“Give me your shirt, Christian.” I extended my hand out.“To wear.”
Christian’s bewilderedness disappeared, muttering something incoherent under his breath before unbuttoning his top. My mouth watered at the first teaser of skin. The span of his chest was hard, rock solid.I bet that isn’t the only part about him that was.The Instagram video didn’t dojustice to his chiseled eight pack. I only saw a bit of him but damn, he put effort into himself.
I kind of loved that.
“My eyes are up here, Sunshine.”
“Your abs have more personality than all of you combined.”
His shoulder bounced with a laugh. “You wouldn’t say that if you saw my dick.”
I gulped. Now looking at the outline of his bulge.Great, just great.Couldn’t he put it away instead of teasing me with it?
Friends, Adelaide. Just friends.
“Are you gonna stand around there all day, gawking at me, or are you gonna hand me your shirt?”
“I’ll give it to you after you take off your clothes.”
My blood froze. I hadn’t taken my clothes off in front of someone in a long time. With all the possible one night stands I could’ve had, they stopped because I never made it past kissing. Being watched while being vulnerable was unnerving. I didn’t have the best body. Over the years, I gained weight and lost it, again and again. Stretch marks violated the small pudge of my stomach. I didn’t want anyone seeing those. Didn’t want anyone questioning what happened to me. I worked out all the time, ate well, gave in when I wanted to, but I wasn’t in control of the other factors. They swooped past and made me self-conscious about myself.
Strangers looking at me might be fine, but Christian was another story.
I was physically attracted to him, but I’d forgotten about my body.
“Adelaide,” Christian cupped my face. “Sunshine, you’re reeling.”
My fingers were shaking.
“I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable,” he whispered. “You can change in the locker rooms.”
He turned around, completely shedding himself of the shirt. He dropped it on one of the workout benches.
You’ve spent a long time following everyone else’s choices, Adelaide. Maybe it’s because time has never been on your side, and you’ve been stuck in this limbo where no one cared about what you wanted. But you have it now. A choice to make—you can go inside the locker room and change, or you can do it here where there’s no one but Christian.
The same Christian who carried you bridal style in the rain in tenth grade.
