Page 45 of Bad At Love

He rubbed her lower lip with a thick finger. “Will you swallow it all next time? And not spill all over your chin?”

“Yes.” Eagerness tinged the word. “Try me once more.”

“On your knees next time.”

Fuck, but if it didn’t make her panties wet.

How he could seamlessly go from the easygoing, understanding friend to dirty-talking, confident, make-all-her-wet-dreams-come-true lover…she would never get over it.

All her life, she hadn’t had one thing that she hadn’t broken her back for, and now, she’d hit the jackpot. Found one-in-a-million-man, custom made just for her.

A hard clapping sound broke their eye-fuck this time. Breaking away from him felt like gasping for air. She heard his rough exhale as she settled into his arms.

A short, petite woman dressed in a rainbow-colored sheer robe was standing on the small dais, champagne glass in one hand. Her curly hair framed her face, dark brown skin glinting like the facets of an opal under the moonlight.

“Is that the renowned Minty?” DP said at her shoulder.

“Yep. Mona’s cousin, ex-congresswoman and now, a network exec. Flew in late last night.”

“Where are her partners?”

“See that man in the black suit and a bow tie—he’s a Math professor at Stanford, Dr. McLeod. And the bodyguard in all black that looks like he belongs in Matrix is Dev Shetty. Kash said they’ve been inseparable for a while now.”

DP whistled. “Good for Minty.”

“Right?” Chaaru drawled. “I can’t get one man to think I’m enough and Minty’s got two studs on their knees for her.”

His fingers around her throat tightened in a gentle hold and DP dragged his teeth against her jaw. “You’re more than enough for me.” Each word enunciated clearly sounded like a binding vow.

Chaaru reached for his mouth, but he held her off. His brown eyes glittered as they held hers. Breath ballooning out of her, she nodded.

“Time for some fun games, folks,” Minty announced, right on cue.

A few groans erupted around the tables, mostly from men. Two loungers over, Dom sat up straight with Mona’s feet in his lap and got out his tiny notepad and pencil, competitive as ever.

Chaaru straightened too. “Don’t distract me,” she said, putting away the empty tray, and guzzling down her champagne. “We have to win this.”

DP’s laughter shook her along with him. Being with this gorgeous, patient, filthy-mouthed man, this powerful feeling of being part of something more than just herself was a novel experience. Needing him and being needed by him. This…showing and sharing of vulnerability and weakness and pain and joy, as if anything could be withstood if only they were together.

This was how love should be, she thought, marveling at the taste and texture of it.

No, this was love. And she was in love with him…body, heart and soul.

This was the love she’d dreamed of as a naïve twenty-year-old, the love she’d turned her back on, the love she’d wrongly assumed she wasn’t worthy of.

This man who held her as if she was precious, who made her feel seen and known and understood, he was her resting place.

And yet, could she sustain this when this dream vacation was over? Could she trust herself to not ruin it with her own fears?

She trembled violently because there was no turning back from this.

Instantly, DP rubbed her bare arms and legs, squeezing her closer. If she could burrow under his skin, she would have. “Come back to me, Char.” His arms tightened around her, sensing her tension. “I’ve got you, sweetheart.”

She clasped his fingers in a death grip, and brought them to her mouth. “I’m…fine,” she whispered. With a long breath in, she forced herself to come back to the present. No point in ruining her friend’s wonderful evening by withdrawing to examine the whispers of her stuttering heart.

Because being in love with DP was one thing and telling him that she was…she wasn’t sure if she would ever be ready for that.

“So there are six letters here written by the six partners present,” Minty’s voice boomed, bringing Chaaru to the present. “Dev wrote ours,” she said, winking at the man in black. “We’ll pick a letter and read it out. The rest of us guess who wrote it. Also, remember that they had like fifteen minutes to come up with these, so go easy on them.”

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