Page 57 of The Purest Fake

“You may think you are?—”

I jump in, interrupting her. “Scarlett, I’ve been attracted to you since the first time I saw you. How could I not want this?”

“I’m not saying you don’t want to have sex. I’m saying?—”

I silence her arguments by pressing my lips to hers. This time there’s no hesitancy or tentativeness. This kiss is only for us. Her mouth parts and my tongue slips inside, tangling with hers, and the world around us seems to fall away.

She tastes like a combination of cake and desire, and she feels like perfection in my arms.

One of her hands slides up my chest, her fingers curling into my t-shirt as she pulls me closer. The kiss deepens, a mix of tender exploration and unrestrained passion. This is long overdue. Her other hand threads into my hair, her nails repeatedly grazing my scalp.

My heart pounds like a drumbeat in my ears. It’s so loud, I’m convinced she can hear it. Every nerve in my body is lit up like I’ve touched a live wire, and my dick is harder than it’s ever been in my life.

When we finally pull apart, we’re both breathless. Her eyes are wide, and there’s a flush creeping up her neck that has nothing to do with embarrassment.

“Cooper,” she whispers, her voice trembling slightly.

I cup the side of her face, my thumb brushing lightly across her cheek. “I’m sure. I’ve never felt more sure about anything except football.”

Her lips curve into a smile. “Yeah, that kiss proved your point pretty well.”

I exhale with a quiet laugh. “You’re the only one I want to share this experience with.”

She searches my face for a moment before nodding. “I’m honored you trust me so much.”

I tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “You make it easy.”

She leans into my touch, her eyes fluttering closed for a moment. When she opens them, there’s a determined glint in the blue depths. “If we’re going to do this, we need to lay out some ground rules first.”

“Okay.”

“First, we need to be clear about what this is and isn’t. This doesn’t change our arrangement or our friendship. It’s just two friends helping each other out.”

I nod. “No strings attached. This is just an extension of our friendship.”

She looks relieved at my agreement. “Second, we need to be safe. I’ve had bloodwork run since the last guy I was with, and my results were all good. I’m also on birth control. But if you want to use condoms, I’m fine with that. I’ve never had unprotected sex before, but since you’re a virgin…”

Christ. The thought of burying my dick inside her has me ready to come right now.

“Why don’t we see how we feel in the moment?”

“That works.” She smiles. “And lastly, we need to be honest with each other. If either of us is uncomfortable or wants to stop at any point, we say so immediately. No judgment, no hard feelings.”

“Absolutely. Open communication is key.” I reach out and take her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “I promise to be honest with you, Scarlett. And I want you to do the same with me.”

She squeezes my hand back. “I will. I promise. So… are we really doing this?”

Her question hangs in the air. Caught between anticipating all the fun we’re going to have and uncertainty due to my lack of experience, all I can do is nod. But one thing I know for sure—this is what I want. More than anything.

“You need to answer me,” she says, wrinkling her brow.

“Yes,” I say firmly. “We’re doing this.”

She bites on her bottom lip in a gesture that’s both nervous and undeniably sexy. “I guess we... should talk about when.”

Relaxing back on the couch, I push my hair away from my eyes. “I don’t think we need to schedule it like a dentistappointment.” A teasing grin tugs at the corner of my mouth. “Unless you want to pencil me in for next Thursday night at seven.”

She smacks my arm, rolling her eyes. “Oh my God, stop. This is serious.”

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