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“I want you to know that despite that kiss getting out of hand earlier, you don’t have to worry. I’m not going to force or coerce you into sex.”
That’s what he was concerned about? Nyx rushed to put him at ease. “Case, I know that. If I can trust you with my physical safety, I can trust you with my virginity.”
There was an endless length of silence.
Well, shit. She hadn’t meant to tell him that.
Case realized he was staring at Nyx, opened his mouth to speak, and then shut it again. He didn’t have any idea what to say.
It took a moment for the shock to recede. As beautiful as Nyx was, she could have almost anyone she wanted. That meant she’d made a choice.
“Did something happen? Did someone try to hurt you?” That came out more fiercely than he intended, but Nyx didn’t appear uneasy with his intensity.
“No, nothing like that.” He was dubious and it must have showed on his face, because she added, “I promise.”
“Did your dad scare everyone away?”
“My dad wasn’t home often enough to be much of a deterrent. Although, he did teach me to take care of myself.”
“Then why?”
“Maybe I just didn’t meet the right guy.”
There was a note in her words that Case read as flirtatious, but he wasn’t making any assumptions. “There’s more to it than that.”
She tugged the brim of her cap down a fraction. “My reasons don’t make any sense without the history and you’re not going to want to stand here long enough to listen to all of that.”
Case nodded. “You’re right. We should be moving. You could tell me the details while we’re walking.”
“Why is it so important to you?”
Valid question. “You and I have been dancing around each other since we met. We haven’t been able to act on it because of the circumstances, but the more time we spend together, the harder it is to resist the pull.” Case looked away for a moment, before meeting her eyes again. “Do I need to know? Probably not. But your reasons are one more piece of the puzzle that makes up who you are, and you’ve had me intrigued from the beginning.”
Nyx tilted her head, considering him, and then seemed to reach a conclusion. “We’re headed in a direction that has me equally intrigued and uneasy at the same time.”
“I’m not going to?—”
She cut him off. “I know you’re not. I’m not worried about you. The pull between us is stronger than anything I’ve dealt with before. I’m worried about me.”
Without commenting, he stowed his water bottle in his pack and reached out a hand. Nyx passed him hers and he put that away as well. “We can’t stay here any longer. If you want to share your history, I’ll be listening.”
Case headed out, and Nyx was behind him within a couple of steps. It was a good ten minutes before she spoke. “The story isn’t very interesting. You’ll think it’s much ado about nothing.”
“I’m not going to judge you, Fireball. Your reasons are your reasons and they’re legit no matter what they are.” Case waited, but Nyx stayed silent. He let it linger.
It was at least another five minutes before she said, “My mom got pregnant her freshman year in college and dropped out to have my oldest sister. Her boyfriend did marry her, but he stayed in school while my mom worked to support them. They had a second baby, my other sister, a couple of years later. They’d originally agreed she would get to go to school after he graduated. Instead, they got divorced almost as soon as he received his diploma.”
He wasn’t sure what to say to that, but Nyx was clearly waiting for something. “That’s rough.”
“Husband number one was always iffy on child support payments. From what my mom said, she had a really hard time keeping a roof over their heads.”
“No parental support?”
“No. Her parents pretty much disowned her when she got pregnant.”
Case ducked to avoid a woody vine. “Watch your head.”
“Husband number two was a mistake. Mom never said that in so many words, but I’m sure she feels that way. I think she believed he would stabilize her financial situation.”