“You absolutely did.” I step into her space, watch the pulse jumping in her throat. “Did I do something wrong? Say something? Because I’ve been trying to figure it out for days and I can’t.”
“You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Then what?”
She turns away. I think she might not answer.
“I can’t.”
“Can’t what?”
“Come. With someone else.” Her face is red now, embarrassmentradiating off her. “I’ve tried. Multiple times, multiple guys. It just... doesn’t happen. So I figured why waste your time trying when I could just?—”
“Waste my time?” The words come out sharper than intended and she flinches. I force myself to breathe, to soften my voice. “You think touching you would be a waste of my time?”
“I think it would be frustrating for both of us when nothing happens.”
I stare at her, processing. The deflection makes sense now. The careful distance.
“How many guys?”
“Does it matter?”
“Yeah. It matters.”
“Four. Maybe five.” She’s looking at the floor now, shoulders curved inward. “Look, it’s not a big deal. I can take care of myself. But with someone else, I just... overthink it. Get in my own head. And then it definitely doesn’t happen. So I’ve accepted it.”
“You’ve accepted it,” I repeat slowly.
“Yeah.”
“Accepted that you’re just never going to come with a partner.”
“Yes, because?—”
“Those guys were idiots.”
Her head snaps up. “Excuse me?”
“Idiots or selfish or both.” I move into her space now, backing her up until her legs hit the bed. “You said you overthink it. That means they weren’t giving you enough reason to stop thinking.”
“It’s not that simple?—”
“It is though.” I lean down, mouth close to her ear. “You know what I think? I think you’ve been with guys who didn’t pay attention. Who didn’t care about learning you. Who treated getting you off like a chore instead of what it should be.”
“And what should it be?”
There’s disbelief in her voice but also something else. Something that might be hope.
“A challenge.” I smile slowly. “Everything’s a challenge I need to win, Moxie. And you just told me you think you can’t come with someone else?”
“It’s not a challenge you need to?—”
“Challenge accepted.”
She blinks. “What?”
“You heard me.” I straighten, putting space between us even though every instinct says to close it. “I’m going to teach you.”
