Page 91 of Loved By The Bad Boy

“Gracie,” he draws out the word. “Let’s talk about that later, okay?”

I nod, sliding my hands between my legs. “Okay.”

“What are the cons?”

The answer to this comes easily. “Haters. Hate comments. Trolls. Death threats.” Maria showed me some of her messages. I was horrified. A shudder runs through me just from thinking about it. There’s always that one or two miserable fans ready to bring her down, and it is exhausting. What keeps her going are the positive comments and emails. If she keeps looking at the negative, that’s the only thing she will see, so she’s more focused on the positives. I don’t know if I can do that. She has had a longer time to prepare for fame and grow a thick skin. “That’s all, I guess.”

The car finally stops in front of a condominium. I shield my eyes from the sun to get a better view of the dusty brown building. It is tall and pretty, the type you can expect in a movie.

Ben pats his lap. “Come here, babe.” He doesn’t have to ask twice. I cup his face and kiss him. He pulls back with a grin and kisses me one last time. “I think it’s great to talk about yourself. Talk more about your superpower. At any point you don’t feel comfortable, you can ask them to stop. I’m always here for you.”

I like it when he calls it a superpower.

“If you don’t want to do it, I’m here. If you want to do it, I’m still here. I’ll always be here. But I think you should give it a go,” Ben murmurs. His lips brush mine as if to seal his promise. I hug him. Yep, I’ll be fine. “Babe, as much as I love hugging you, yeah? We need to head upstairs.”

Ben’s excitement rubs off on me as we exit the car. He says so much about this place at once. Its proximity to NYU, the mobility. I pause twice to stare at him. Why does it have to be close to NYU? I don’t get to ask because he continues on how it’s perfect for his parents and Asher. We stop in front of the elevator, and I kiss him to silence him. His cheeks flush, and his eyes crinkle.

“I needed that,” he murmurs and punches the floor number into the elevator. Once we are inside, I kiss him again for a longer period. I feel his boner against my thigh and purr into his mouth. He tears himself away from me against my protest. Eyes hooded, chest heaving, and hands running over his hair, our eyes lock in a stare. His smile lights up my entire world. “You are so pretty.”

I blush. “You’re so pretty too.”

“Boys are not pretty,” he says, linking our hands as we reach our destination. False. Boys can be anything they want. Pretty, handsome, whatever. “But I’ll take that since it’s coming from you.”

The elevator opens, and we step into the hallway. We walk past doors on either side, and I count ten before we stop. Ben opens the door to room number nine and ushers me inside. The smell of new leather welcomes me in, and I stop behind a black couch covered in plastic film. Some items are still in their boxes, but the flat TV has been attached to the wall with a sound system under it.

Standing in the middle of the living room, Ben sweeps his hand around the place, and my eyes follow the movement. Grey walls, black furniture, glass coffee table. “What do you think, babe?”

“Super.” I spare another look around. From here, I can see the door leading to the kitchen. It is big enough for a family of three or two. I am smiling again when I say, “Super. I really like it.”

A part of me wishes this is our place and we are on a tour led by him. But it’s a wish I can save for the future when we finally get to live together. I haven’t decided between off-campus and a dorm. But I’m leaning towards an apartment. Ben will need a place to crash whenever he visits.

Ben leads me to the kitchen, and I swipe my hand over the counter. There’s almost everything a house should need. Running water. Electricity. Other things shouldn’t be a problem for them. The fridge is empty. Ben laughs when I return to him with a pout. He hoists me on the counter to stand between my legs, and I stretch his cheeks.

“Josef said I could pick out the furniture. Bed, table, anything you can think of. It is my choice. He trusts my decision.” His chest puffs as he says this, and I’m thankful to Josef for entrusting him with this duty. Their relationship has grown. “I don’t know yet what to get for their room.”

“When are they moving in?”

He shrugs, and his cute pout appears. “I don’t know. After graduation? I’ll have to ask him.”

“Alrighty.”

Ben looks up. “Do you want to help me pick out stuff for their room? There’s a bed already.”

“They won’t mind?”

My thumb traces his lower lip, and his tongue darts out to wet my fingertip. Ben slips his phone out of his pocket. We are about to do online shopping. I giggle at the thought. It’s our first time.

“If they don’t mind. You should get a portrait of something they both like for the walls,” I say. Ben laughs. I would have gotten that if this place was ours. Maddie loves fashion, and my style has improved. It can also work for her. I spot one antique table on his screen and tap on it. “This looks pretty. It can stay by the window.” Ben adds that to his cart. I swipe at more pictures and select a dresser with drawers and a large mirror for Maddie’s makeup time. “I like this one too.”

Ben cups the base of my neck and smashes his lips against mine. My toes curl, and my thighs clench, aching for him to run his fingers between them. I’m a little breathless when we break for air.

“What was that for, Benny?”

“Because I love you,” he answers.

“I love you too.”

Ben nods at his phone. “Is that all?” I press my fingertips to my lips. I think so. “Mom wanted to get a mixer and a new oven, but she wasn’t sure what brand would work. I said I will ask you.”

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