Page 31 of Finding You
She almost spat out her coffee. “Bullshit. Declan Quinn is walking sex. The man sheds pheromones like skin cells. I have seen grown women walk into walls staring at his broody hotness. So what’s really the deal?”
I didn’t know what to say, since she wasn’t wrong. I shrugged.
“Astrid, I’m your friend. Do not lie to me. Either you guys are sleeping together and it’s so terrible you can’t bear to tell me about it, or you aren’t really dating. Or, you don’t realize that you have a certified sex god as your boyfriend, and you need me to slap the shit out of you until you see sense.”
I was fairly certain Nora would actually do that too. She didn’t seem like the type of person who made idle threats. I didn’t want to lie to her, but I couldn’t betray Declan’s confidence. I knew how sensitive he was about his family.
“I had a bad experience.” It wasn’t a lie. “And I need to go slow right now.”
She put her hand over my hand. “If someone hurt you we can take care of him. My Nonna, she knows people.”
I smiled. “Thank you. And remind me not to piss off your Nonna.”
Nora snorted. “Good luck. Everything pisses her off.”
“So we haven’t had sex yet.”
“I respect that. I don’t understand it, but I respect your self-control. Your vibrator must be working overtime right now.”
It was both inspiring and a little bit appalling how open Nora was about sex, especially in a busy coffee shop. I lowered my voice. “I don’t have a vibrator.”
She slammed her hand on the table, making the coffee cups wobble. “What? Why? How? Are you okay?”
I hadn’t expected this response. It’s not like I told her I dabble with street drugs or collect my own fingernail clippings or something. It was hardly weird to be vibratorless. Was it?
I shrugged.
“Shut the fuck up. How old are you?”
“Thirty-two.”
“You made it to thirty-two years old and have never known the beautiful joy of a vibrator. We are fixing this right now.”
Nora pulled out her phone and started furiously scrolling.
“What are you doing?” I whispered, fearing her response.
She raised one finger and I sat quietly.
“Hmmm,” she said, not looking up from her phone. “What’s your mailing address?”
I frowned at her.
“Either give it to me or I’m sending your present to Declan’s house.”
I looked around, trying to see if anyone had overheard our conversation. With my luck, Declan’s mom would be standing there listening.
“Don’t you dare.” I whispered the address of the cottage and prayed she wasn’t sending me sex toys.
She put her phone down, looking satisfied. “All set. You are my friend, and I will not allow you to have subpar orgasms any longer.”
I stared at her. Did this woman just send me a vibrator?
“Trust me. Give this a try. Plus, a little battery-operated relief will keep you in control around Declan. You won’t prematurely jump his bones if you are feeling satisfied. If you want to wait, you should be able to wait until you’re ready.”
I hated to admit it but she had a point. I respected a well-crafted argument and rock-solid logic. She also clearly cared about me, and that was a new feeling.
“Thanks,” I said tentatively. “But I’m not a very sexual person.”
