“No pressure,” he says, his voice barely above the movie. “But it’s there when or if you ever need it.”
My breathing shallows as he looks at my parted lips. With Neil, he always pressured me to do things, but the way that Reid is going about it…I don’t feel pressured whatsoever. In fact, all I have are these intense butterflies that damn near demand that I kiss him. And the way he’s looking at my lips tells me he wants me to.
“You’re really taking this off-limits thing to a whole new level,” I whisper.
He flashes me a grin but never looks away from my lips. “I live on the edge.”
“Always?”
He shakes his head and slides his gaze back up to mine. “Only with you.”
My heart skips a beat. “Is it because you can afford to?” I ask, wanting an honest answer and knowing that he’ll know what I mean by it.
He blinks, and I know he caught on to my meaning. “Where’d that come from?” he asks with a squeeze of my hand.
I shrug. “I was told you had a lot of money. I just want to make sure you’re not hiding behind it.”
Slowly, he nods. “My parents have the money. I only get an allowance for food, gas, and rent until I’m finished with college. Nothing more.”
“And the nice car?”
“I got that when I turned sixteen.”
My eyebrows rise. “It’s rare for a teen not to crash their first car.”
He shrugs and squeezes my hand again. “Like I said, I only live on the edge when I’m with you.”
“Why?”
He reaches and touches my chin, and it’s then that I realize how close we are. “Because you’re worth every secret.”
I glance at his lips and then back up at his eyes. “I’m glad that your parents aren’t throwing money at you.”
“I’m glad that my parents’ money isn’t all you see.”
I shrug. “Money means nothing to me.”
“Oh yeah? What does?”
I smile a little. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”
He chuckles. “So you have secrets of your own. I get it.” He releases my chin and settles his hand on his lap. “So I heard you had college paid for. Did your parents-”
I shake my head. “It was all my own money.”
“Care to share?”
Blushing, I shake my head. He doesn’t need to know that I stripped to a bikini and posed for a million horny men, especially when I no longer look that way.
“More secrets.” His eyes are intently back on my lips again.
“I have many.”
He closes the distance and presses his lips to mine. It’s over too quickly, but it was enough to make my pulse hammer. “Share them with me, Avery. Date me.”
I look down at our joined hands. His fingers curl tightly around mine. “I can’t,” I whisper.
I’m surprised that he heard me, but he answers, “Why?”
