Page 44 of Summer Kisses

"Don't worry. I didn't act on it. You fell asleep after that."

"Of course I did." I finally got the confidence to proposition him, and I promptly fell asleep. "How embarrassing."

"You mentioned something else, about wanting an orgasm that's not you giving yourself one with a vibrator."

I squeezed the pillow tighter. "It just gets worse. Stop talking."

"You don't have anything to be embarrassed by. We're friends. We tell each other things."

"Not about this!" I exclaimed, refusing to open my eyes and look at him. What did he think of me? That I was some kind of hussy when I had a few drinks in me? "You didn't have to tell me about it. You could have pretended nothing happened."

"I'll always be honest with you."

"That's something at least." I could trust Brady with my deepest, darkest secrets. He wouldn't tell anyone else or think less of me.

"I'm going to jump in the shower. Unless you want to go first." I felt the sheets shift, and I threw the covers over my head. "I'm going to stay here until I forget about everything you just said."

He chuckled as he padded across the wood floor to the bathroom. "Hazel, you don't have anything to be embarrassed about. If a man didn't please you, that says more about him than you. And I'm confident the right guy will bring out the passionate side of you. The one that doesn't worry about what she looks like or if she's doing it right. That side of you will know she's sexy as fuck."

I don't think I was breathing as he finished that little speech and then closed the door. The water turned on, and I was still reeling from his carefully worded statement.

The ache in my core had returned, and it was worse than ever. How was I going to survive living with a man who said things like that? And he'd offered to take care of my needs? It was a dream come true, especially since I'd been attracted to him forever.

But it would mess up everything: our friendship, our arrangement. I couldn't take him up on his offer, could I? That would be reckless.

Still buried under the blankets, I imagined Brady coming back out of the bathroom and pulling down the blankets so he could look at me. Then he'd cover my body with his, his hard dick rubbing against the neediest part of mine.

My body was on fire. And he was naked in the shower. I groaned and turned over, throwing off the blankets to avoid the stifling heat. I needed to get out of his bed that smelled like himand away from the sound of the shower where I knew he was naked.

I got up too quickly, then had to wait for the room to stop spinning. I grabbed clothes and rushed into the hallway bathroom, determined to put some distance between me and Brady.

His offer was intriguing but impossible. I couldn't let myself fall into the fantasy of being with Brady. It wasn't real, and we had an expiration date.

I resisted the urge to take care of the ache. I scrubbed the sand from the bar last night off my body and washed my hair. I was determined to feel like a new person when I got out of the shower. I would no longer be the person who was considering Brady's crazy idea.

We couldn't get physical to ease each other's needs. That would be reckless and stupid. And I was neither of those things. I was smart and responsible. I was a rule follower. I wouldn't give in to temptation.

By the time I was dressed and downstairs, Brady had filled the house with the smell of eggs and bacon. There was a glass of ice water on the island with two pain pills next to it.

"You're spoiling me," I told him.

He grinned at me. "That's the idea."

I sighed. "You know I can't take you up on your offer."

"I'm here for you, Hazel. Whatever you need." His gaze was steady on me.

The idea that my best friend should take care of my sexual desire was intriguing, but I would be the responsible one and pretend he hadn't said anything.

Brady turned away from the stove, a spatula in his hand. "My family invited us over to swim this afternoon. We usually grill out afterward."

"That sounds nice," I said before downing the pills and the water.

His voice tentative, he asked, "I thought we could film more shows this morning. If you're still interested in helping me."

"Of course I am." I wanted to support him. That was part of our deal, but he was also my friend. I never wanted to leave him hanging.

He grinned. "It's the start of the perfect day."

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