Page 129
Story: here
“Just… shut up for a second.”
I lean against the wall, making a show of zipping my lips before crossing my arms. Like a good boy. Which I’m not, but hey, I can play along when I want to.
Her fingers twist together as she paces in front of me. “I… I’m not good at this.” Her hands flutter. “The whole…”
My lips twitch, but I maintain my silence. Christ, she’s adorable when she’s struggling to find words. A tiny, angry cupcake with murder sprinkles.
“Stop looking at me like that. This is hard enough without you—” She gestures at my face, “doing that.”
I arch an eyebrow, channeling my best ‘who, me?’ expression, while inside, my heart’s doing backflips. She’s actually trying. Really trying.
“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”
I nod slightly, feeling my dimples deepen. Can’t help it. She brings them out like butter brings out flavor.
“Asshole.” She resumes pacing. “I’m trying to apologize here.”
My shoulders shake with silent laughter. I want to grab her, kiss her, tell her it’s okay. But no. She needs to do this. We need this.
“Fine. You know what? Never mind. I take it back. All of it. The kiss, the?—”
She barely makes it a step before I catch her wrist and guide her between my legs.
Watching Naomi try to express her feelings is like watching a temperamental chocolate soufflé rise at precisely 347 degrees. One draft of cold air, one slam of the oven door, and the whole thing deflates into an expensive puddle of cocoa and regret.
I know this is hard for her, but please.
My thumb finds her pulse point, tracing circles over the flutter beneath.
“That’s cheating,” she says.
I shrug, holding her gaze. Everything about her calls to me, the slight tremble in her voice, the way she’s trying so hard to be brave. My fierce little cupcake.
“I…” She swallows hard. “I’m sorry. For pushing you away. For running. For—fuck, Brandon, say something.”
“Why?” My voice comes out rough. “You’re doing so well.”
“I hate you.”
“No, you don’t.” My fingers trail up her arm, counting the goosebumps rising in their wake. “Keep going.”
“You’re seriously going to make me do this?”
Another shrug, but I let my eyes show her how serious I am. How much I need this.
“Fine.” She takes a deep breath. “I’m sorry for making you think you weren’t enough. You were—are more than enough. I just… I got scared.”
“And?” My heart’s going crazy.
“What are you, five?”
My hand slides up to cup her neck, thumb brushing her jaw. “And?”
“And I’m sorry for making this harder than it needed to be.” The words tumble out faster now. “I’m sorry for using the safeword to avoid dealing with my shit. For not trusting you enough. For making us both miserable because I couldn’t handle?—”
“Handle what?” Come on. Say it. Please.
“How much I…” Her throat works. “How much I need you.”
I lean against the wall, making a show of zipping my lips before crossing my arms. Like a good boy. Which I’m not, but hey, I can play along when I want to.
Her fingers twist together as she paces in front of me. “I… I’m not good at this.” Her hands flutter. “The whole…”
My lips twitch, but I maintain my silence. Christ, she’s adorable when she’s struggling to find words. A tiny, angry cupcake with murder sprinkles.
“Stop looking at me like that. This is hard enough without you—” She gestures at my face, “doing that.”
I arch an eyebrow, channeling my best ‘who, me?’ expression, while inside, my heart’s doing backflips. She’s actually trying. Really trying.
“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”
I nod slightly, feeling my dimples deepen. Can’t help it. She brings them out like butter brings out flavor.
“Asshole.” She resumes pacing. “I’m trying to apologize here.”
My shoulders shake with silent laughter. I want to grab her, kiss her, tell her it’s okay. But no. She needs to do this. We need this.
“Fine. You know what? Never mind. I take it back. All of it. The kiss, the?—”
She barely makes it a step before I catch her wrist and guide her between my legs.
Watching Naomi try to express her feelings is like watching a temperamental chocolate soufflé rise at precisely 347 degrees. One draft of cold air, one slam of the oven door, and the whole thing deflates into an expensive puddle of cocoa and regret.
I know this is hard for her, but please.
My thumb finds her pulse point, tracing circles over the flutter beneath.
“That’s cheating,” she says.
I shrug, holding her gaze. Everything about her calls to me, the slight tremble in her voice, the way she’s trying so hard to be brave. My fierce little cupcake.
“I…” She swallows hard. “I’m sorry. For pushing you away. For running. For—fuck, Brandon, say something.”
“Why?” My voice comes out rough. “You’re doing so well.”
“I hate you.”
“No, you don’t.” My fingers trail up her arm, counting the goosebumps rising in their wake. “Keep going.”
“You’re seriously going to make me do this?”
Another shrug, but I let my eyes show her how serious I am. How much I need this.
“Fine.” She takes a deep breath. “I’m sorry for making you think you weren’t enough. You were—are more than enough. I just… I got scared.”
“And?” My heart’s going crazy.
“What are you, five?”
My hand slides up to cup her neck, thumb brushing her jaw. “And?”
“And I’m sorry for making this harder than it needed to be.” The words tumble out faster now. “I’m sorry for using the safeword to avoid dealing with my shit. For not trusting you enough. For making us both miserable because I couldn’t handle?—”
“Handle what?” Come on. Say it. Please.
“How much I…” Her throat works. “How much I need you.”
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92
- Page 93
- Page 94
- Page 95
- Page 96
- Page 97
- Page 98
- Page 99
- Page 100
- Page 101
- Page 102
- Page 103
- Page 104
- Page 105
- Page 106
- Page 107
- Page 108
- Page 109
- Page 110
- Page 111
- Page 112
- Page 113
- Page 114
- Page 115
- Page 116
- Page 117
- Page 118
- Page 119
- Page 120
- Page 121
- Page 122
- Page 123
- Page 124
- Page 125
- Page 126
- Page 127
- Page 128
- Page 129
- Page 130
- Page 131
- Page 132
- Page 133
- Page 134
- Page 135
- Page 136
- Page 137
- Page 138
- Page 139
- Page 140
- Page 141
- Page 142
- Page 143
- Page 144
- Page 145
- Page 146
- Page 147
- Page 148
- Page 149
- Page 150
- Page 151
- Page 152
- Page 153
- Page 154
- Page 155
- Page 156
- Page 157
- Page 158
- Page 159
- Page 160
- Page 161
- Page 162
- Page 163
- Page 164
- Page 165
- Page 166
- Page 167
- Page 168
- Page 169
- Page 170
- Page 171
- Page 172
- Page 173
- Page 174
- Page 175
- Page 176
- Page 177
- Page 178
- Page 179
- Page 180
- Page 181
- Page 182
- Page 183
- Page 184
- Page 185
- Page 186
- Page 187
- Page 188
- Page 189
- Page 190
- Page 191
- Page 192
- Page 193
- Page 194
- Page 195
- Page 196
- Page 197
- Page 198
- Page 199
- Page 200
- Page 201
- Page 202
- Page 203
- Page 204
- Page 205
- Page 206