Page 23 of Touch Me Not (Manwhore #1)

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Nikoli paced the small apartment like a caged animal.

He was sexually frustrated, and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it.

Except get surly, which he’d been for the last week.

Lily, damn her, grinned whenever she saw him in this state.

She was betting he couldn’t last without sex, but he was just as stubborn as she was.

Luther started a betting pool on it. Most people gave him two weeks, tops. Luther gave him a week and three days. He threw a glare at the top of Luther’s head over that one.

“You know, if you wear a hole in the carpet, we lose our deposit,” Luther said casually, his gaze focused on the game he was playing.

“And?” Nikoli growled.

“Just saying, bro.” Luther paused the game and turned to face him. “It’s only been a little over a week, and you’re ready to explode. You need to de-stress.”

“You’re not winning the pool, Luther,” he said, his glare hot enough to singe what little hair was on his friend’s head.

“Hey, man, I’m just saying you need to de-stress. Why don’t you go out and have a few? I’ll even come keep you company.”

“No,” Nikoli snapped. “If I do that, I’ll end up fucking someone.”

“Then go pace in your own fucking room,” Luther snapped back. “It’s getting on my nerves.”

Nikoli flipped Luther off and stalked to his room, slamming the door.

Damn, but he was in a foul mood. Who the hell knew going without sex could cause this much irritability?

Porn wasn’t even helping. Well, not much.

He sat down at his desk and stared at the computer screen.

He should be programming, but he was too wired.

He trolled his Facebook page for a few minutes before giving up and dragging out his phone.

Lily’s face appeared when he pulled up her contact information.

He just stared and felt himself get even harder.

Damn, this girl was messing with him in more ways than should be possible.

He missed her. It was odd. He’d never missed anyone before, except his family, but certainly not a woman.

His phone pinged, and he glanced at the screen to see his brother Viktor had sent him a photo of him and his new girl.

Vik was the only one of his brothers who’d had a relationship with a woman for longer than a week.

The rest of the brothers thought he was weird, willing to tie himself down to one woman.

Lily made him wonder what it would be like to be tied down to one girl, and even though it set off alarm bells, he found himself thinking of it more and more.

She was unlike any girl he’d ever met. She knew cars maybe even better than he did.

Sexy as hell, and she could keep him interested in an actual conversation for more than five minutes.

He glanced from his phone to his open Discord app on his computer and back to his phone.

Why didn’t he have her on Discord? He grinned.

Maybe seeing her on cam would alleviate some of his irritability.

Hell, just seeing her get riled and irritated as much as he was might help.

He enjoyed getting her all worked up and spitting fire at him.

First, he searched her name, and there were too many hits to even sort through. He tried her email with no results. Frowning, he sent her a text.

Nikoli: What’s ur Discord handle?

Lily: What makes u think I have Discord?

Nikoli: FFS, who doesn’t have Discord?

Lily: Me?

Nikoli: LILY!

Lily: Fine. Arabella.

Nikoli: Arabella?

Lily: Game account.

A game account? She was a gamer? He’d never seen the name. She probably played those girly Facebook games. Farmer Lily. He chuckled at the thought as he searched Arabella. Six popped up.

Nikoli: Which 1?

Lily: Girl with the finger to her lips.

Her Discord had a provocative picture? So many things about her didn’t make sense to him. She had a severe issue with being touched, but her Discord profile picture oozed sex? He shook his head and sent her a contact request.

And waited.

And waited.

Nikoli: FFS, Lily, accept the damn request.

Lily: My Discord isn’t open.

He rolled his eyes in frustration and let out a long-suffering sigh.

Nikoli: Then open the fucking app!

Lily: Hold your damn horses.

Nikoli: I’m about 2 come over there.

Lily: Sheesh!

His eyes roamed back to the screen to see she accepted, but her status was set to “away.” His eyes narrowed. Such a liar. Her Discord had been open the whole time; she’d been messing with him.

He hit video call and waited and waited and waited until it hung up. Damn that woman. He sent her a private message.

Nikoli: Answer the damn call!

Lily: Busy!

Nikoli: I’m getting in my car and coming over there right now.

He hit the video call button again, and she answered before the first ring finished. Her irritated face greeted him, and he laughed. She looked pissed.

“What the hell do you want, Nikoli?” she asked. “I’m trying to study.”

“I just wanted to see your smiling face,” he said, the laughter in his voice apparent. She sounded so grumpy.

“There, you’ve seen it, I need to?—”

“Now, now, my little prude,” he interrupted. “It’s either talk with me here or I come pick you up. Your choice.”

The glare she gave him rivaled the one he’d just leveled at Luther.

“Fine,” she huffed. “What do you want to talk about?”

“You.”

“Me? Why?”

“You’re a fascinating girl, Lily.” That was an understatement. “Stand up.”

“Why?”

He sighed. “Lily, don’t argue. Just do as you’re told.”

Lily stood, and his mouth went a little dry. She had on an old Metallica t-shirt and a scrap of white lace that served as panties. Damn. He shouldn’t have asked that, but he was curious to see what she wore to bed.

“Well, at least you’re not wearing granny panties like I assumed,” he said. “You’re a lace girl, huh?”

She sat back down and nodded. “Yeah. I don’t like to feel anything else against my skin. Why would you think I wore granny panties?”

He laughed. “Because you’re a prude, Lily.”

“Says the manwhore,” she quipped and tossed her heavy hair over one shoulder. “I bet Luther’s pissed.”

Of course, she knew about the pool going around. “He tried to get me to go drinking tonight.”

“Mikey thinks you’ll last three weeks. He’s being generous.”

“And what about you, Lily Bells? How long do you think I’ll last?”

She smiled, and it lit up her face. “I think you’ll go the distance.”

“Why’s that?”

“You want to keep your car as much as I want it.”

Hell, yes, he was keeping his baby. He kicked off his shoes and stretched. While the bulge in his pants wasn’t going anywhere, the sound of her voice calmed him. It took the edge off. That irritated him too, but he wasn’t going to complain.

A knock at Lily’s door interrupted them, and he watched as she got up and opened it.

He couldn’t see around her, but he did hear several girls.

They sounded agitated. Lily was shaking her head, and he chuckled at the sound of the girls’ raised voices.

Being a floor advisor had to be an adventure in and of itself.

“What was that about?” he asked when she sat back down.

“Nothing,” she said, pulling a book in her lap. “Just teenage girls being teenage girls.”

“How long have you been a floor advisor?”

“Since sophomore year.” She flipped several pages and wrote something down on her notepad.

“Why?”

“Because it pays for my room and board,” she told him, looking up.

“After my dad died, it was hard financially, and then when Laney died, it got worse. After Mom married Dave, it got a lot better, but she couldn’t afford to send me to college.

I had to pay for it with grants, loans, and scholarships. ”

Here was a girl who understood hard work and paying your own way. Another first for him. Most of the girls he knew wanted people to do everything for them. His respect for Lily went up a notch.

“Why do you call me Lily Bells?”

“I don’t know.” He shrugged. “It just popped in my head that first day. Besides, it suits you.”

“My name is Lily Isabella Holmes. I wasn’t sure if you knew that or not and, if you did, how you found out.”

“Nope, sorry, I didn’t know that.”

She shoved her glasses on, and he burst out laughing. She had these old fifties-style black-rimmed glasses that screamed nerd. She wound her hair up in a loose knot and settled back, getting comfortable.

“Appreciate the nerdy bookworm,” she told him.

“Oh, I am. She’s sexy as hell.” It was true. Even with those awful glasses on, she was still gorgeous and sexy sitting there in her t-shirt and lace underwear. It made him want to take the scrap of material in his teeth and strip it off her slowly.

“Tell me about Laney.” He needed to distract himself from that thought or he’d never get to sleep.

“What…why?” she asked, her eyes wide.

“Because, Milaya , part of your problems stem from what happened to your sister. You feel guilty. Talking about her will help.”

“What do you want to know?” she asked cautiously.

“Whatever you want to tell me.”

Lily stared at Nikoli’s face and frowned. Talking about her sister wasn’t going to help. It might make it worse. Anytime she thought of her twin, she always got depressed and lonely. She missed her more than anything and wished she could take back that awful day. Talking about Laney hurt.

What if he was right, though? What if not talking about her was part of the problem? Rebekha seemed to think talking about Laney was helping her to forgive herself, and it was easier to talk to him than anyone else about her sister.

“You remember I told you Laney and I were twins?”

He nodded and waited for her to continue.