His cheeks pink a little. God, I love making him blush like that. “I certainly wouldn’t say no to that.” His molten look could melt my phone’s screen. “I like just talking to you, though. You deflect a lot with sex.”
My nose wrinkles. “Yes. If the alternative is pretending we’re friends.” I’m trying to be funny, but my comment lands like a dropped egg. His face falls before I respond. “I’m sorry. That was unkind, and I don’t even mean it. You’re obviously my friend. I wanted to call you first, after all.”
The admission costs me. I’ve started to like Grant as a person, and I’m not even sure when it happened. He’s become a good person, an active listener, and someone I trust.
“I don’t want to be your friend, Kendall.”
“Grant . . .”
“I know, I know. Can I ask you something, though?”
I suck in a breath. “Of course.”
“You would give me a chance if I weren’t me, right? That’s what the hang up is for you. Or do you just not want a relationship at all?”
He’s stolen my words for a moment. We’re looking at each other as he waits for me to speak.
“Can’t I just take my shirt off?”
“Come on, Kendall. Let’s have a real conversation.”
My eyes sting again. What is wrong with me? “I’m open to something serious.” I hold his eye contact. “You say all the rightthings. I even like you as a person now. I just can’t get past who you were.”
He looks up at his ceiling. “All right.” His eyes fix on me again. “I think we’ve had this talk enough times now that I get the point. I just had to be sure.”
“Do you want to stop what we’re doing?”
He shakes his head. “I’m not smart enough for that.”
My hands find the hem of my threadbare T-shirt, toying with the fabric. My mouth stretches into a smirk when his gaze snags there.
“About what you mentioned,” he says.
“Yes?” I lift my shirt a little.
He gulps. His Adam’s apple shifts as he watches me. “The phone sex.”
“You’d be into that?”
“I could not be more enthusiastic,” he says. His voice lowers. “Can I see you?”
I position my phone on my coffee table so that it’s propped up. His sharp intake of breath when I peel my shirt off sends warmth flooding into my pelvis.
He groans, low and long. “You’ve been braless this whole time?”
I work on my shorts next. I’m standing now, moving slowly, watching his rapt attention that presses on my skin like a weight. I slide them off so that I’m left in my black silky thong.
Grant looks absolutely wrecked. His eyes are glassy, like he’s drunk, and his face has taken on a flushed cast.
“God fucking damn. You?—”
“What?” I hesitate, just for a brief moment, then sit and spread my thighs a little for him. I can’t believe I’m letting him watch this on camera.
His hand trembles a little when he pushes it through his hair. “I didn’t think I could be any more into you.”
My belly flutters.
“What else do you want to see?” I brush a finger along my thigh, a tease, and his eyes shoot there. “And you can touch yourself, but no coming yet.”
