Page 82 of Reputation (Tempt)

She’d been dreaming of me.Fuck yes.My chest puffed with pride, and I wondered if that was a frequent occurrence.

“Tell me about your dream, Em,” I whispered, trailing my hand over her shoulder, down her arm. “What were we doing?”

“H-how…”

“You moaned my name.” I smoothed my hand down the same path once more. “What did I do to have you moaning my name?”

She hesitated, rolling her bottom lip between her teeth. “You were…kissing me.”

“Where?” I asked, brushing my lips against hers. “Here?”

She swallowed hard and nodded. “Yes, and then…” I pulled back, keeping my mouth just out of reach until she added, “Other places.”

“Mm,” I hummed, kissing her lips, then her cheek. “Like here?”

“I, uh—” She turned away.

I leaned over and grazed the shell of her ear with my teeth.

“Oh god.” She shuddered.

“Answer my question, and I’ll kiss you anywhere you want.”

I continued exploring her body. Teasing her with the lightest of touches—skimming my fingers over her back. I followed the same trail with my lips, taking my time. Drinking her in.

“Here.” She smoothed her palm down her throat, then used both hands to cup her breasts and push them together. “And lower still.” She slid her hand over her stomach, sliding down to cup her pussy.

Her chest was heaving, and she was on the verge of snapping. It was clear in the way she kept arching her back. Her hips rising as if searching for something to fill her. In the way she parted her lips on a needy sigh, looking so fucking sexy.

God, I want her.

I knelt between her legs. My dick was so hard it was painful. I needed this. Neededher.

I need her.The words echoed through my mind, reminding me that I couldn’t fuck this up because I needed Emerson’s help. And adding sex to our already complicated situation could definitely fuck things up.

So, as difficult as it was, I forced myself to stop. To focus on the bigger picture and ignore my own needs. Emerson frowned, perhaps sensing the shift in my thoughts.

“I, um—” I released my grip on her thighs. She was going to hate me for this. Hell, I hated myself for it. “I got carried away. I shouldn’t have…” I sat up, my back to her as I willed my hard-on to go down.

Part of me knew I’d done the right thing by stopping. But another—bigger—part couldn’t help imagining what would’ve happened if I hadn’t.

“What?” She swallowed hard. “You… Unbelievable.” She huffed, and I could hear shuffling behind me.

A moment later, the bathroom door closed. I didn’t blame her for being upset, even if I’d been trying to do what was best for both of us.

I let out a sigh, burying my head in my hands.Great. Just fucking great.

CHAPTERSEVENTEEN

Ipressed my palms to the bathroom counter, concentrating on the intricate pattern of the tiled floor. What a mess. What a fucking mess.

I wasn’t supposed to be sharing a bed with Nate. And we sure as hell weren’t supposed to be…well, doing whatever had just happened.

But I’d spent years fantasizing about him. And with the way he was acting, it was difficult to separate truth from fiction.

I lifted my head and stared at my reflection in the bathroom mirror. My skin was flushed with anger and desire. My head was at war with my heart. And my entire world felt as if it had been turned upside down, thanks to him.

Our fake engagement was causing friction with my dad. I was avoiding my best friend. I couldn’t train on the track. And I was lying to Brooklyn.

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