Page 96 of What Hurts Us

I took one step and backed her up against the wall. It was the same posture as the moment I had kissed her for the first time. “What’s the first problem?” I asked gently.

Layla’s eyes darted left and right, doing anything and everything to avoid my stare. “My … my apartment. It’s done, and I—”

“Do you want to live here or there?”

“Well, I—”

“It’s one or the other, honey,” I clipped. “Simple as that.”

Layla hesitated, then looked up at me. “Here.”

“Then get out of your lease or sublet it to some poor unfortunate soul. All your stuff is here anyway.”

A faint smile drew up on her lips, and I rewarded her for her honesty with a kiss.

“What are you worried about?” I asked as I tucked a stray hair behind her ear.

She sighed and returned to staring at her feet. “How much it’ll hurt your Gran when she finds out we faked it all.”

I chuckled. “We didn’t fake itall.” Scraping my finger down the middle seam of her jeans, I teased her center. “Pretty sure all those orgasms were real.”

“Cal!” She swatted my hand away. “Not what I meant!”

I laughed as I kissed up her neck. “I know. But you don’t have to worry. Gran will just be happy if we’re happy.”

“And if we’re not?” she asked in a church mouse tone.

“Is that what you’re afraid of, honey?”

Layla nodded. “What if it doesn’t work?”

“Nothing in life is a guarantee, Lay. At some point, you have to decide if the reward is worth the risk.”

It was a big step for both of us. Hell, it was a bigger step than I ever thought I would take—letting another person into the deepest parts of my heart. Layla seemed overwhelmed by the ring pinched between her fingers, so I took it from her.

“How about this? Let’s tell one more lie.”

Her brow furrowed. “What?”

“You don’t wear it to work anyway, so why don’t we put it back in the box for a little while? If someone asks, just say it’s getting sized.” I stroked her cheek. “See what it’s like when the scores are settled, and the slate is clean. We can start over. Start fresh.”

Layla smiled, her nose brushing mine as she nodded.

“We can even go on another first date,” I suggested.

“I’d like that,” she whispered.

I pecked her lips. “How about we have another first?”

She cocked her head, curious.

My hands roamed her body. “How about we redo our first time?”

Layla’s thighs clenched. “You mean…”

“Get undressed, and lay down.”

Her eyes searched me for any hint of what I had up my sleeve, but I wasn’t giving anything away. Not when I had seen what made her tick.And I was going to make her explode.

---