Page 33 of Ruined

“How old is he, by the way?” Luca asks.

“Forty-three,” I say casually.

“Damn.” Nico chuckles. “Well, it’s no wonder he’s holding himself back.”

“Why?” I ask.

“Are you kidding me? Because of the obvious power imbalance, of course.”

“I don’t think there’s a power imbalance,” I mumble.

“Oliver,” Luca says, leaning in and catching my gaze. “He watched you grow up. Even if he wasn’t your real dad, he was your parent, and not to mention, he’s literally twice your age.”

I give a one-shouldered shrug. “I don’t see how that’s… I mean… I know it’s not normal for me to want him, but⁠—”

Nico waves a hand. “Who cares about normal? Even if he likes you, he doesn’t want to overstep. He’s a good guy, right?”

“Yeah,” I whisper. “The best.”

“See, that’s part of your problem,” Nico says. “You’re idolizing him, and he knows it. He probably thinks you’re just confused.”

I raise an offended brow. “I’m not confused. I know what I want.”

“Well, then you need to show him that. Otherwise, he’ll keep worrying he’ll hurt you or take advantage of you.”

“He said that,” I say in a low voice. “He said he doesn’t want to hurt me.”

Luca shrugs. “Well, there you go.”

“Luca’s slept with loads of older guys, but they’re all assholes, right, Luc?” Nico says.

Luca rolls his eyes. “It’s not like they stay as my client if they treat me badly, but yeah.”

“They just want a young ass to fuck,” Nico says. “It seems like this Logan guy is different. He takes the moral high ground.”

I shrug. “I guess.”

“Think about it. He knew you as a kid. Now you’re not one anymore, but seeing you in a sexual way must be a major mindfuck to him.”

“I guess,” I say again.

“So prove it,” Luca says. “Prove that you’re not a kid anymore. Prove that you know what you’re doing and that you can make your own decisions.”

Nico nods. “And if he still doesn’t fuck you after that, I don’t fucking know. Maybe he needs more time, or maybe he just doesn’t want you in that way.”

“It’s not just about the sex,” I blurt, and immediately blush. I wish Luca had spiked my drink after all.

“What else is there?” Nico asks.

“There’s kissing,” Luca offers. “And I guess you want him to take care of you, huh? Like a daddy does.”

“Yeah,” I whisper. “Like a daddy.”

“Well, tell him that, then.” Nico stands up and stretches, looking bored with the conversation. “I’m fine with my one-night stands. The last guy choked me so hard, I saw stars.”

“That’s dangerous,” Luca says, frowning.

Nico grins. “Without danger, there’s no fun.”