Page 23 of Carnal Games

“You are, but you make an adorable weirdo.”

“And annoying.”

“Not even a little.”

“I see why you’ve earned your reputation.”

“Iris,” his voice deepens, causing my breath to hitch, “if I were flirting, you’d know.”

Before I can react, his touch disappears and he leans back against the seat. I gaze out the window behind him for a second as I shake myself out of the stupor. I trace back to our conversation before I zoned out. I open my mouth to speak, but he beats me to it.

“I don’t have many real friends, Iris. Just one. Nova. You’re a breath of fresh air in a sea of two-faced people I’m forced to surround myself with. I don’t even know you completely, yet I trust you implicitly. My life is a mess right now and the only time I haven’t been floundering is when I’ve talked to you. It may be selfish to make you part of my world, but I want you to be because I haven’t put myself first in a very long time.”

Raw honesty bleeds from his voice and the drowning wave of guilt slams into me with a vengeance.

My guilty conscience is screaming to confess to my sin and yell that I’m an imposter. That the last thing I deserve is his implicit trust.

But then I think about Kian.

His otherworldly looks. His intoxicating presence. The inexplicable tether that’s pulling me toward him, even while he’s not around and I haven’t seen him since yesterday.

And my good intentions fade into dust.

The words slip of their own volition. “It’s okay to be selfish sometimes, Nathan.”

Like me right now.

A small smile lifts the corner of his mouth, his hand brushing mine as he nods gratefully, and then says, “My turn to ask questions.”

“What do you wanna to know?”

“I know you’re an only child. Who else is in your family?”

“I live with my parents and my gramps.”

“Where are you studying?”

“I start journalism school this summer,” I answer proudly.

“Interesting,” he muses. Then he asks curiously, “Has being a journalist always been your dream?”

“All my life.”

“You’re lucky.”

A tinge of longing in his tone makes me probe, “Why do you say that?”

“Because not everyone knows what they want to be when they grow up. I didn’t either and before I could, my path was already set for me.”

“You’re still young, Nathan,” I softly encourage. “I’m sure you can still choose your own path.”

“I wish it were that simple.” He smiles sadly and then quickly brushes it off. “Hmm, so what else should I know about you to convincingly act like we’ve been dating for a while?”

His lack of relationship skills makes me want to laugh.

“What about how we met?” I suggest. “Or what about me made you give up your Casanova ways?”

He squints his eyes and tilts his head. “Have you done this before?”

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