Page 83 of Practice Makes Perfect
I force my eyes open, meeting his gaze. The connection is electric and intimate. And, in this moment, it feels like he can see straight through me, past all my defenses to the heart of who I am.
The pleasure crests suddenly, washing over me in waves that leave me breathless and trembling. I cry out, my body arching off the bed, my hands clutching at the sheets.
Linc watches me with an expression of awe and satisfaction, his fingers continuing their gentle movements until the aftershocks subside. And as I come back to myself, I find him watching me with a smile that makes my heart ache.
“That was beautiful,” he says, brushing a strand of hair from my face with tender fingers.
I struggle to find words, my brain still fuzzy with the pleasure. “That was… wow.”
He chuckles, a low, warm sound that wraps around me like a blanket. “Glad you enjoyed it.”
In the aftermath, my defenses are completely down. My body feels like melted butter—warm, soft, a little salty from exertion.The confession sits right in my throat, almost painful in its need to be spoken.
I think I’m falling for you.
The words form in my mind with startling clarity, ready to leap from my tongue before I can apply any sort of filter. Thankfully, a moment before I blurt it out, I think of something else that needs saying first.
“Should I… um, make you come too?” I ask, gesturing toward his still very evident arousal.
Something shifts in his expression—a subtle tightening around his eyes, a slight dimming of that brilliant smile. It’s gone so quickly I almost think I imagined it.
“We can work on that next time,” he says, his voice oddly formal as he swings his legs over the side of the bed. “Tonight was about you learning what you like.”
“Oh.” The single syllable hangs awkwardly between us. “Are you sure? Because I’d really like to?—”
“I’m sure.” He cuts me off with a finality that makes my stomach drop. “Besides, I’ve got an early practice tomorrow.”
I watch, bewildered, as he gathers his clothes and dresses with efficiency—no lingering, no teasing, none of the playfulness that usually characterizes our time together. His movements are precise, almost mechanical.
“Is everything OK?” I venture, pulling my sheet up to cover myself.
He nods, but doesn’t quite meet my eyes. “Yeah, just tired.”
I don’t believe him, but I also can’t call bullshit without sounding like I caretoomuch. Which I do, but that’s not supposed to be part of our deal, and despite me being honest with myself, I’m not ready to be honest with him.
Especially now he’s about to walk out on me.
Linc is already fully dressed, keys in hand. “I’ll text you about our next lesson, OK?”
“OK.” I manage to smile, though it feels brittle on my face. “Thanks for tonight. It was… educational.”
He pauses at my door, hesitating like he might say something more. For a heart-stopping moment, I think he’s going to come back, to explain whatever just happened. Instead, he just nods, and then he’s gone.
What the hell just happened?
Ten minutes ago, he was looking at me like I was the eighth wonder of the world. Now he’s practically sprinting away like I’ve suddenly developed a contagious disease.
Rolling onto my side and huddling up as small as I can, I replay the entire evening, searching for the moment where things went sideways. Was it something I said? Something I did? Was I not responsive enough? Too responsive?
Maybe the reality of me—naked, vulnerable, open to him and completely unguarded—was disappointing compared to whatever he’d built up in his head. Or maybe…
Ohgod.
What if he could tell? What if he saw in my face exactly what I was feeling? What if my eyes gave away every complicated emotion swirling inside me—not just desire, but affection, attachment,feelings?
Clearly he’s a guy who’s playing by the rules.
And rule number three is ‘no feelings’.
