Page 112 of Red Marked

“Hear me out.” I take a step toward him. “I’m attracted to you too. In case that wasn’t obvious from the way I nearly climbed into your lap this afternoon.”

“Star, stop.” He puts the T-shirt down on the bed without taking his eyes off me. “Let’s not⁠—”

“I’m saying my piece.”

“Don’t!”

“I want to have sex with you.”

Flint closes his eyes for a second. When he opens them, he looks like a male working out a math problem. A really difficult one. An impossibly hard one.

I keep going before he can stop me. “I’ve missed sex. It’s been five very long years. Masturbation doesn’t really cut it.”

He makes this noise of agony. “Please don’t talk about touching yourself. Um… Star, I…”

“We’re attracted to each other, we’re stuck in a room with one bed, and we’re both adults.” I shrug like my heart isn’t going a mile a minute. “So why not just have sex? Just while we’re here. Once you officially hire me and we’re back at the facility, we won’t do it again. We can go back to being appropriate. Nobody would ever know.”

“It doesn’t work like that.”

“Why not?” I shrug. “It could. I have a feeling we’d be good together. Our biggest problem would be trying to keep the noise down. That bed might bang the walls. That could be a problem too.”

He makes a strangled noise. “Star… Fuck! Shit! No, okay?” He shakes his head. “Because fucking would mean crossing a line, and there’s no going back.” His voice is quiet. “It wouldn’t be right.”

“That’s very noble of you.”

“It’s not noble. It’s the job.” He rubs the back of his neck. “Thank you for offering…asking…whatever the right term is. I mean that. I’m…flattered.” He laughs, short and rough, and looks at the ceiling. “Fuck. You have no idea how much I would love to… But no. No! No!”

He sounds like he’s trying to convince himself rather than me.

“Are you sure? It would be no-strings-attached sex. Like really great sex, judging from how good that kiss was.”

His jaw works, and he looks really angry. His eyes blaze.

Shit!

I think he might be turned on thinking about having sex with me.

“I wouldn’t develop feelings for you. I’m technically on the rebound…sort of…maybe. Point being, it’d be some fun and nothing else. Who says no to that?”

“I do.”

Why did I have to pick a gentleman? Why?

“Thank you for the offer. As I said, I’m flattered.” He meets my eyes. “I can’t. I’m going through a celibate patch.”

I laugh and then cover my mouth. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t laugh. It’s just that you’re currently in a celibate patch and I’m coming out of one. You have to admit, it’s a little funny…” I lift my brows, and he stays poker-faced. “Or not so funny at all, depending on how you look at it.”

“My being celibate and your being celibate are a little different, Star. I went through a phase where I fucked all the damned time. I picked a different female every weekend. Sometimes more than one. I’ve never fucked the same female twice.”

“Never?” I sound completely shocked.

“No…never ever. I didn’t like myself much. As time went by, I realized that I liked myself less and less. I’m… I guess I’m doing better and feeling better about myself. I don’t want to fuck around.”

“But you also don’t want a serious relationship either?”

“No.”

“How does that work? Are you going to remain celibate your whole life?” Why am I sounding so angry? I actually think this is noble, a touch adorable, a lot irritating, and even more frustrating. I can’t believe Flint decided to go cold turkey now.