Page 35 of Breakaway Hearts

I can feel my entire body turning red, from my toes to the crown of my head, when he starts reading the part I was just getting to—aloud.

“‘Down on your knees, baby girl. I can’t wait to see what that pretty mouth of yours can do.’ He uses his thumb to part my lips, and I wrap my tongue around it, sucking it just how he wants.”

I bury my head in my hands, praying that I can sink into the couch and never emerge.

But instead of laughing, Reese lets out a low whistle. “Damn. That’s hot.”

I raise my head slowly, blinking at him. “Really? You think so?”

He glances up from the book, giving me a curious look. “Yeah. I mean… don’t you? You wouldn’t be reading it if you didn’t, right?”

“No, yeah,” I admit, my stomach fluttering. “I think it’s hot.”

“Well, there you go.”

He keeps flipping through the book, nodding here and there, and I practically chew a hole in my lip as I watch him. While I’m glad he’s not teasing me about it, I don’t know quite how to handle watching my best friend—who I’m also wildly attracted to—reading a very steamy sex scene in front of me.

The embarrassment hits even harder when his cheeks flush slightly, and I suddenly wish, yet again, that I could disappear into the couch cushions. I’m pretty sure I knowexactlywhat part he’s reading right now, and it’s definitely a ten out of ten on the spice scale.

He reads in silence for a moment longer, then shuts the book and clears his throat.

“I didn’t know you read romance novels.” He gives it back to me, our fingers brushing as I accept it. “I always took you for more of a Jane Eyre type, since you’re a teacher and all that.”

“Idolike Jane Eyre.” I shrug, keenly aware of the weight of his gaze. “But you also don’t know everything about me.”

A look I can’t quite read passes over his handsome features. He seems almost surprised by my words, and a tiny line appears between his brows as he studies me, as if he’s seeing me in a whole new light.

“No, I guess I don’t,” he murmurs. “We’ll have to change that.”

He settles on the couch next to me, draping one arm along the back. He’s still looking at me like I’m a puzzle that he just realized is made out of a thousand pieces instead of a hundred, and when I set my book on the coffee table, his gaze tracks the movement before returning to my face.

“What got you into reading romance novels?” he asks.

“Oh. Um.” I tap nervously on my thigh. “Nothing.”

He frowns. “You know, it’s nothing to be embarrassed about. Everyone should read what they like. If these are the kinds of books you enjoy, then that’s great.”

I nod, trapping my lower lip between my teeth. I’m sort of avoiding his gaze, but I still notice when his frown deepens, a line appearing between his eyebrows.

“Don’t tell me Austin made you feel bad for reading these,” he says, his tone annoyed. “Because it takes a special kind of dipshit to be threatened by his girlfriend enjoying romance novels.”

“No.” I shake my head quickly. “I started reading them because of him, but it wasn’t until after we broke up.”

Reese’s jaw tightens a little, something flashing in his eyes that makes my stomach flutter. I’m usually pretty good at reading my best friend, but right now, I seriously can’t guess what’s going through his mind. He looks almost jealous, but that doesn’t make any sense.

“You started reading romance because ofhim? Why?”

Oh shit.

I swallow, my gaze darting sideways. I shouldn’t have said that. I should’ve thrown the book all the way across the room when Reese came home, or better yet, I should’ve stayed up in my bedroom to read tonight. Anything to avoid this conversation and keep me from having to admit what I’m about to say.

“I… started reading them so I can get better at sex,” I say, my voice dropping to a whisper.

Reese freezes. His entire body goes still, except for his eyes, which widen ever so slightly.

“What?”

Heat creeps up my cheeks. The embarrassment I’m feeling now is ten times stronger than when I watched my best friend read the smuttiest scene in that book. Sudden tears prick at the edges of my eyes, but I hold them there with every bit of willpower I have in me.

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