Page 18 of The Nice List

When Cory and I decided to keep our relationship a secret, I was excited about sneaking around with him. It’s been fun and added a certain level of taboo to my life that I’ve never had. But the longer we sneak around, the harder it will be when everyone I’m close to finds out. I didn’t anticipate how hard it would be to keep a secret from everyone. Especially Alexis.

We’ve always told each other everything and it feels wrong to keep lying to her. I was the first person she called when Maddox proposed and as excited as I was for her, I felt equally guilty because I was sitting next to Cory at the lookout.

Then, I was insecure because I didn’t know how he would take the news that they were engaged. I know he never loved Alexis, but they do have history. They had a connection that he and I don’t even have yet. A connection that he refuses to have withme until we find a way out of the dark corner that our secret has painted us into.

I was serious when I told Cory that I was going to tell my family about him at Thanksgiving dinner yesterday. But when the time came, I couldn’t do it. It felt wrong to announce it to everyone without talking to Alexis in private, first.

“You missed a spot, Livvy,” Alexis says, pointing to one of the few spots on the Christmas tree without an ornament.

I giggle before lifting the pink ornament in my hand and hanging it. “You could get up and help, you know?” I turn and give her a mock glare.

“Naw. You’ve got it handled.” She smiles as she leans back into Maddox’s chest from her perch on his lap.

I’ve never seen her smile as much as she has since they met, and that’s nothing compared to how happy she’s been since he proposed. Surely, she would be just as happy for me if she knew that I’d found the same kind of love.

I hang another ornament before spinning back to face them. “Have you guys set a date yet? You know I can’t wait to plan your big day.”

Alexis rolls her eyes even though she’s still smiling. “If it were up to me, we’d just elope to the courthouse and be done.”

“NO!” Maddox and I shout at the same time before laughing.

“I knew you’d both gang up on me. My Ken doll fiancé and my Barbie doll sister…” Her voice trails off. “I’m sure there’s a romance book trope in there somewhere.” She laughs sarcastically before shaking her head. “Anyway…we’ll get hitched next June. That way, we can have a honeymoon before Maddox goes off to training camp. So, you’ve got roughly six months to plan a wedding befitting NFL royalty. Think you can do it?” She looks at me with both a challenge and a plea in her eyes.

“Yes!” I shout before the time constraint hits me. “Maybe,” I admit as I feel my cheeks heat with uncertainty.

“You’ve got this, Livvy,” Maddox says. “We’re getting married in Thorngrove. Just let me know if you run into any issues and I’ll take care of it. It pays to be a local celebrity.”

“Right. I’ve got this,” I say with conviction.Now if I could just have the same confidence when it comes to my own love life.

Chapter 12

Cory

“Please,” Livvy whines as I tease her entrance with the head of my cock. “Don’t stop.”

She’s so pretty, tied to my bed with the Christmas lights that I plugged in just to see the multi-colored glow against her porcelain skin. I’ve edged her to the point of tears, and I’m so desperate for her that I almost give in. It would be so easy to thrust forward and take what we both want. But it’s not what weneed. It’s not what will make us stronger in the long run. So, I pull back, torturing us both more.

It wasn’t a conscious decision to punish her for not telling her family about me like she said she would last week. I knew she wouldn’t go through with it. But the disappointment creeped inanyway. The longer we hide in the dark, the harder it will be to find the light. I want everyone to know that she’s mine. But I won’t force her to ruin her reputation for me. I’ll just torture us both until she does. I told you I’m not a nice guy.

“Look at you,pretty girl,” I tease before licking the tear sliding down her temple. “Tell me what you want.”

“You!” she cries.

“I’m all yours.” I pull back to look at her. “Tell me what you need.”

She looks me in the eye with determination. “I need you tofuckme before I die of spontaneous combustion.”

I chuckle darkly. “You know that’s not going to happen yet,pretty girl.”

She writhes beneath me, pulling on the cords binding her arms and legs hard enough to leave bruises. The darkness inside of me revels in the knowledge that she’ll be marked by this. The other part of me—the part that belongs only to her—flinches at the thought of anything hurting her.

“Shh.” I lean down to nuzzle her cheek. “You’re going to hurt yourself, baby. Tell me what you need.”

“I just need you…” She takes a shaky breath. “I need you to make me come. But I want to do it with you inside me…somewhere.Please,” she begs.

I drop my hand to spread her arousal down to her asshole. “How about here?” I let out a pained groan when she moans wantonly.

“Oh, God,” she says as I push the tip of my middle finger into her. “Not…”

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