Page 35 of Undeniable

“Yeah?” I laughed, enjoying the sound of her voice in my ear. If I closed my eyes, I could imagine she was in the room with me instead of…wherever she was. At home? “Where are you now?”

“California,” she deadpanned.

“Smartass.” I chuckled. “Do you like it there?”

“It’s home. Though, I’m not your typical California girl.”

I furrowed my brow. “What does that mean?”

She let out a deep sigh. “Just…forget I said anything.”

“No. Wait.” I sat up, the duvet cover rustling beneath me. “Explain. Please,” I added.

“I’m not—” she huffed. “I’m not thin or blond. I don’t have hair that hangs down my back in beachy waves.”

For someone who seemed to have so much confidence, she’d faltered when it came to her appearance. Did she not think she was pretty?

“You’ve told me a lot of things you aren’t, but you haven’t told me what you are,” I said. “And even without seeing you, I know that you’re beautiful.”

“Connor…”

“What? I mean it. From what I can tell, you’re always thinking of other people. Whether it’s Spines for Soldiers or your charity work, you care. Hell, I wish there were more people like you in the world.”

“You’re one to talk,” she teased. “Mr. Hero.”

I rolled my eyes. “I’m not a hero.”

If anything, I was a coward. I’d failed to protect my mom. And I’d failed to protect countless others when it mattered. My most recent failure came to mind, making me feel even worse.

“You are. At least, you are in my eyes. Not many people would put their lives on the line to help someone else. That takes courage. And courage is sexy.”

“Mm.” I smirked to myself, enjoying the turn of the conversation. I wanted to focus on this woman instead of my shortcomings. “So, you think I’m sexy?”

“I-I,” she stammered, and I could just imagine her blushing, “I didn’t say that.”

“But you were thinking it.”

What was wrong with me? I shouldn’t be flirting with Olivia. She was…well, she lived on the other side of the country. And she deserved more than emails and phone calls from a broken man. Yet I couldn’t seem to stop myself.

“So…what’d you think ofInsatiableso far?” I asked, clearly a glutton for punishment.

“I just started it when I got home from work. But so far, I love it.” I heard some noise in the background. It sounded like she was opening and closing cabinets.

“Did you get to the pool scene?”

I heard her sharp intake of breath, and my pulse spiked. Not just about the scene—though it had been hot. But Olivia’s reaction to it.

“Yep,” she chirped. “It was…yeah. Hot. But perhaps slightly unrealistic.”

I tilted my head to the side. “How so?”

“Um.” She cleared her throat, and I sensed her nerves through the phone. “You know—the fact that she, um, climaxed so many times.”

I frowned. “What’s unrealistic about that? He fingered her. He licked her clit. And then they had sex.”

Her laughter was breathy and nervous. “I, um… Okay.” She practically gulped. “Sure.”

“And that’s unrealistic because…?” I asked, still trying to understand.

---