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The sated feeling I’d had just moments ago disappeared, the want and need taking over again. I was momentarily distracted as he moved one of my pillows over. “Are you staying?”

“Is that a problem?”

I shook my head. “I’m just used to sleeping alone, so I’m not sure if I move around.”

Or snore.

Or snoreanddroolandtalk in my sleep.

Theo muttered something to himself I couldn’t catch. Before I could say anything, he asked, “Why’d you try to end things tonight?”

The question caught me off-guard. “You kept holding me back today, and you haven’t tried to take things further.”

Sitting up, the moonlight streaming in hit half his face. The eye I could see was piercing as his voice lowered, an erotically harsh tone to it. “Have you been fucked by a man, Dahlia? Not a fumbling kid. Not a selfish fuckboy. Not a finger, tongue, or plastic cock?”

“No one,” I admitted.

No one real, at least. And it’s silicone based.

By the time I was old enough to want to have sex, I’d moved around too much to form any sort of connection. On the rare occasion I was at a place for any extended length, I’d spent the entire time secluding myself from almost everyone. I wouldn’t have had sex anyway since an accidental teenage pregnancy or a getting caught would’ve gone against my survival plan of blending in.

As an adult, my schedule nor my personality were conducive of a relationship. I’d entertained the idea of getting together with someone to just scratch the mutual itch, but it never panned out that way. Plus, I wasverycapable of scratching the itch all on my own.

Anyway, I preferred to keep to myself. I worked. I came home. Same thing, day after day. And I was happy with it. If not happy, then content.

Things with Theo were different.

Iwas different.

Theo’s eyes flashed at my words. “I was so fucking hard tonight, I didn’t trust myself to have you any closer and not lose control.” He softened his voice. “But I don’t think that’s all there is. What else are you hiding in those big green eyes, gattina?”

Stalling as I tried to find the right words, I asked, “What does that mean?”

“Little cat.” His thumb rubbed the top of my cheek. “Your eyes remind me of a cat’s. Big and inquisitive, taking in more than people suspect.”

It’s disconcerting how much he sees.

“And the other one? I’m assuming it’s a swear word.”

“Cazzo?” At my nod, he said, “Fuck.”

“I was right,” I said through a yawn.

Theo moved, dropping onto his back and pulling me closer so my head rested on his chest. “I’m selfish, and I want you. But I’m not going to fuck this up because you don’t trust me,” he started. When I tried to sit, he put pressure on my head to keep me in place. “You don’t trust whatthisis. You will.”

“And until then?”

“I keep doing what I do after I see you.”

I shifted so I could see him. “Why are you so okay with waiting?”

His whole expression went intense as he opened his mouth. Closing it, he paused for a moment, his features softening as his lips curved up. “Because it’ll be worth it.”

With nothing left to say, but plenty to think about, I put my head back down. Listening to the steady beat of his heart, I fell into a dreamless sleep.

Theo

Because I’ve got the rest of our lives to be inside that tight, sweet pussy.