Page 85 of Nothing to Tell

“Like hell you will,” he said.“If you want to leave, we’ll leave.But I’ll fire the guy if—”

“It wasn’t his fault,” she said, still unable to turn around.

Idiot.Again.Why had she thrown the bag to the bed?Another example of her stupidity.Think things through.Think then act.It didn’t matter how many times she told herself that…

The exit was right there in front of her, just a few feet away, if she had her bag, she could leave this minute.

“You don’t have to leave,” he said.“I don’t want you to leave.”

Like a gentleman, raised to display every courtesy, could say any different.His tone was softer, but she couldn’t take his pity.

“I need to go,” she said, fighting to clear her throat and strengthen her timbre.“It’s not your fault, it was me.I’m sorry, I didn’t think about—” He touched her shoulder and her whole body clenched.After a silent breath, she tried to step away, but his fingertips curved around the ball of her shoulder, holding her there.“Please let me go, Bastian.”

“I hurt you.”When his chest met her shoulder blades, she wanted to lean, she so desperately wanted to draw strength from him, but she couldn’t.“I didn’t mean to shout.I’m sorry.”

“You have nothing to apologize for,” she said, attempting a smile, hoping it would carry to her words.What a futile hope, she wasn’t fooling anyone.“You can’t help your honest reaction.Could you pass me my bag, please?”

That request was a full-page ad announcing her humiliation.Now she did want him to take pity on her.It was plain as day, she couldn’t even look at him.Turning around wouldn’t change anything.Meeting his eye wouldn’t make this any better.She had to get out of there.Away.Free.Into the open to breathe.

“Sweet,” he murmured.His lips met the top of her head.That was meant to be a comfort, to soothe her, but it didn’t relax her rigid body.“I’m sorry.Don’t walk out.We made a deal to communicate.”

Yes, they had a deal, but declaring her feelings wouldn’t erase any of the embarrassment.At least she couldn’t imagine it was possible to feel worse.Maybe honesty would be cathartic.Seemed it was the price of freedom either way.

“You couldn’t even look at me,” she whispered the stinging confession.“I wasn’t trying to make you angry.I didn’t think you’d notice enough to care but… you couldn’t even look at me.”

“This is about Twaddle,” he said, withdrawing.“You honestly still think—”

“Just hand me my bag, Bastian, please,” she beseeched and held her hand out backwards.

She couldn’t do this.She couldn’t fight.She was too tired to explain herself.He’d never convince her that anything other than his initial reaction to her nudity was genuine.Anyone could make up excuses and reasons later; the kneejerk reaction was always the most honest.

Instead of her bag, her hand came into contact with skin, hot sculpted skin.His hand spread over hers, pressing it against his abdomen.

Pull away.Walk out.To hell with the bag.Why wasn’t she moving?

He slid her hand downwards over the soft cotton of his underwear.Immediately, she felt the width of him, the length of him; hot, hard, and ready to fill the void inside her.

Without thought for tears, her head snapped around to meet his eye.She didn’t steal her hand away.In fact, when he averted his gaze, she curled her fingers around his cock through his underwear, shrouding his darkening focus.Tension gathered in his shoulders until his body was as taut as hers.

“Bastian…” she whispered.

Jaw clenched, he reached for the hem of her sweater, baring her body again.Releasing him was a torture she endured as pain.The second her jeans and panties were gone, she grabbed for his length again.If she was going to wake up any second, she had to make the most of each moment.

Bastian scooped her from the floor fulfilling their mutual desire when her legs twined around his hips.With a single step, he pinned her spine against the post at the bottom corner of the bed and just held her there, making love to her with his gaze.

Bastian was sure.Always.She couldn’t say the same about herself.This could be a huge mistake.They were friends.They weren’t supposed to be intimate.Not like this.They hadn’t talked about it; there were no rules for the physical.If they gave in to whatever was going on here and now, they may not be able to go back to the way things were later.

Answers were distant.Intangible and irrelevant the instant his lips met hers.She locked her arms around his neck and arched against him, desperate to be closer, driven to be a part of him.

Bastian slid a strong arm under her ass, boosting her high, freeing a hand to go exploring.Caressing her hip, her waist, her breast, he squeezed her.All she could do was squirm against the ridge in his underwear.

Any uncertainty she had flew out of the window when he lowered his mouth to her breast and breathed her in.With a gratified yelp, she secured her ankles at his back and grabbed his hair to pull his mouth to hers.She needed him.She needed his mouth.Needed his body.Needed him to occupy her, all of her.

Sucking his tongue from his mouth, her hands clamored with his underwear, shoving them down his legs out of the way.She released his mouth, but caught his lower lip in her teeth, overwhelmed by a need to keep him.

The glitter that shone in his eye braced her for what might come next.Yet, there was still a question in him.Was it her he doubted or himself?

He kissed her again, slow this time.On his release of her mouth, he guided himself into her, watching her so intently that one advance matched the other.As he went deeper, she grabbed for his shoulders, stalling him.