Page 34 of Hard Wired

“It’s nothing to be embarrassed about. You could’ve told me earlier.”

“I was hoping…” She shook her head. “Hoping it wouldn’t be an issue. With you.”

“Oh.” He pulled up the chair next to hers. “Then maybe it’s better I didn’t know. That’s a lot of pressure.” He smiled tentatively.

“Exactly.”

In Sylvie’s experience, most men didn’t care if she came. They didn’t seem to notice. But a couple of times, she’d admitted to boyfriends that she didn’t climax with them. The guys always got self-conscious about it. Just like Dominic was doing right now.

“But you were enjoying yourself with me? And at some point, you stopped?”

She really didn’t feel like petting his ego. “Don’t ask me to explain. I don’t understand why I’m like this, either.”

“Have you experienced…trauma?”

“Nothing like that.”

“Have you seen doctors? Could it be physical?”

“I’ve seen plenty. They tell me the problem is in my head.”

“Sex therapists?”

“Seen those, too.” They’d told her to try different devices and masturbation techniques. No luck. “It didn’t work for me. But I really—” She was going to say she didn’t want to discuss this. But he was being pretty low key about it. Maybe talking it through wasn’t the worst thing. The more they discussed the problem, the more her immediate mortification was fading.

He rested his arms on the table, humming as he thought. “You said you’re from a small town. Were they really conservative about sex? Could it be a guilt thing?”

“Don’t psychoanalyze me. It’s rude.”

“I don’t mean to be. But if it’s not a physical barrier, there must be a mental solution. That’s a good thing, right?”

That was the same hope she’d been clinging to, despite all the evidence to the contrary.

She raised her eyes to meet his. She didn’t see any judgment there. His smirk hadn’t made a reappearance.

“I want there to be a solution. But I don’t know how to find it.”

“Then you need more data. I could help with that.”

“More data is usually good. But you don’t strike me as a scientifically minded person. No offense.”

He clutched a hand over his heart. “Ouch. That’s harsh. Maybe I’m not usually into science stuff, but I do like to experiment.”

Now the smirk was back, but he was looking at her like he was already dreaming up ways they could gather this “data.”

“I might not have any impressive degrees, but I like to think I’m a student of pleasure. I’ll try anything once.”

How did he do that? Keep his voice so even and soothing. Hypnotic. She was getting turned on again. Desire had rushed back to all her sensitive parts.

Dominic’s legs nudged hers beneath the table. He reached for her arm and dragged his fingertips across her skin. “So you’ve tried touching yourself, and it hasn’t worked?”

She nodded. He kept stroking her arm.

“Have you been with women?”

“I don’t have any sort of issue with my sexuality.”

“Have you tried porn?”

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