Page 64 of She’s Worth the Risk

It only ends in humiliation.

26

ZINNIA

My heart falls as I watch Nick slink into his room.

I take a moment to catch my breath, body humming. I’m still reeling from the sex, the way it felt to have him so close, so open and present and vulnerable.

It was… fuck, it was everything. Like nothing I’ve ever felt.

I mean, I’ve had great sex in my life, but this was different. Less about the act itself, as hot as that was, and more about the man.

About Nick.

My pulse steadies, and I sit up on his sofa, glancing at the door to his bedroom. Maybe he wants to be alone, but I can’t leave it. I can’t let him think that was anything other than perfect.

I rise to my feet, padding to his doorway. “Hey,” I say softly. “Are you okay?”

He nods stiffly, not meeting my gaze, and my chest tightens. I hate seeing him like this. Shut down, guard up. It’s the Nick I met, but it’s not the real him. The real Nick is the man who just bared himself to me, just confessed, You feel like heaven, honey. Like everything I could ever want. The words send a delicious shiver through me, and I cross to his bed, lowering myself beside him.

“You’re not, Nick.” I hesitate, then slide a hand onto his arm. “Talk to me.”

He heaves an exhale, tugging off his glasses to wipe them in that nervous tic of his. Then he realizes he’s not wearing a shirt and shoves them back on.

“You know that was amazing, right?” I say gently. “I could never have imagined it would be that good.”

His jaw works, and maybe someone else would read it as him being angry at them, but I know Nick well enough now. He’s angry with himself.

“I’m sorry I…” he trails off, shoulders tensing.

“Sorry you what?” I ask. “Came?” I can’t help but laugh. “Fuck, Nick, that’s exactly what I wanted.”

He glances up, brow creased in confusion.

“You spent all of class, and God knows how long before that, holding back,” I tell him. “Keeping yourself—your passion—contained. Do you know how fucking good it was to see you give in? That’s what I’ve been waiting for. Aching for.”

He swallows. “But you didn’t—”

“I did. Maybe you didn’t realize, but that tongue of yours is pretty fucking magical.”

He huffs an uncomfortable laugh.

“And to be clear,” I add, “I didn’t come here tonight for an orgasm. I can get those at home. I came here for you.” The skin of his forearm feels warm as I stroke it. “That’s all I want. To be close to you. To see you let your guard down.”

He sighs, the tension draining from his shoulders, and relief fills my chest.

“Besides,” I add, smiling wryly, “this isn’t entirely on you. I like to think it had something to do with me.”

His eyes darken as they rake over me, naked beside him on the bed. “It had everything to do with you,” he says thickly.

I inch closer, dropping a kiss on the muscular globe of his shoulder. “See? It’s my fault. All my fault.”

A smile hovers at the edge of his mouth. “It is all your fault. If you weren’t so gorgeous,” he says, lips brushing mine. “So fucking soft and perfect…” He tugs me into his lap, and I straddle him, covering his mouth with mine.

“No more talking,” I whisper, focusing on the velvet feel of his lips, the scratch of his scruff on my chin. His kiss tastes so damn good, tastes of him, and as his tongue laps against mine, he hardens again between my thighs. I rock against that hardness, not asking for anything, just wanting him to feel good. It doesn’t take long for his kisses to grow more urgent, and I reach into his underwear to free him, then slowly sink onto his length.

“Fuck,” he rasps, hands gripping my hips. “Honey…”