Page 62 of Sweet Caroline
13
CAROLINE
Miles and I exchange a few flirty texts over the next week, mostly consisting of him begging for details about my sex list—and, nearly just as often, making ridiculous, unhinged guesses about what’s on it.
Miles
Threesome?
Me
No.
Miles
Intruder role-play?
Me
No!
Miles
Me in a gorillasuit?
Me
No!!
Miles
It’s butt stuff. I knew it.
Me
Miles!!
With each message, I shrivel into an increasingly tight, awkward ball of nerves, unable to bring myself to share much of anything.
And now I’m hovering inside his apartment door, list complete, thumbing the edge of the folded paper in my pocket. For a second, I think I might flee, burn the evidence, and enter the witness protection program.
I shouldn’t be embarrassed. My brain knows sex is perfectly natural, but tell that to my body. Nothing screamsvanilla borequite like staring down an itemized list of all the sex acts you’ve been curious about but never tried.
With shaking hands, I slip off my heels. We’d agreed I’d come over tonight, and we both know exactly what I’m here for, but showing up at his apartment for the sole purpose of having sex fills me with a strange, simmering thrill. I’m nervous about actually going through with this, but under the nerves is excitement. Writing out that list was like drafting a blueprint for my own little sexual revolution.
Miles looks effortlessly delicious as usual, the jeans slung low on his hips and his worn T-shirt only fueling my thoughts of exploring what’s underneath. But knowing I’m here to do exactly that is already giving me heart palpitations.
“You wanna take off your coat?” He gestures to the hooks near the front door.
“Um, not yet.” Avoiding his gaze, I drop my small bag on the floor and snug the belt of my thigh-length trench coat. “I’m cold.”
“Okay.” Miles watches me for a moment. “Well? You finallyfinish it?”
My cheeks heat. “Uh, yes?”
“Cough it up, then.” He holds out his palm with a smirk. “You’ve got me so fucking curious about this damn list.”
With a grimace, I thrust the paper toward his handsome face and squeeze my eyes shut. “Just take it. Take it before I change my mind!”
