Page 95 of See Me

I choke on the swallow of beer halfway down my throat and sputter while wiping my mouth. “That’s your favorite movie? That sounds horribly heartbreaking.”

“Yep. Keeps shit in perspective. No matter what you sacrifice and change about yourself, if you do it for someone else, it’ll never work. You’ll lose everything.”

“Well, that’s depressing.” I drain my bottle and grab the spare. The far off look in his eyes tells me that last statement has a very personal meaning but we’ve already decided to skip over the deep stuff for now. “Moving on. Favorite date?”

“I don’t date.”

“You’ve never been on a date?”

“Not in a very long time.”

The thought of him alone saddens me but I can’t help the little flip my stomach does just knowing he hasn’t seen anyone in a long time. “Sooo, before me you… haven’t…”

He roars a laugh. “I didn’t say that. I said I don’t date.”

“Ahh.” I nod my understanding and my face flames with a rage-filled heat that spreads appendage-wide, as I think of him touching someone else.

That’s new.

I guess I have a jealous streak too. Of course a guy like him can get laid. All muscly and tattooed. With a side of broody and protective.Order up!I’m really out of my element here with this casual fling we have going on. It’s so not me. And the raging jealousy boiling under the surface setting my insides alight is a clear indication of that.

Does he deliver orgasms better than my toy chest? Yes, yes he does. Am I going to tell him that? Absolutely not. Am I willing to give that up because it’s a little out of my wheelhouse? With flashes of his mouth and fingers scorching down my body I know immediately the answer is no. So, I’ll take a little page out of his playbook and make sure I don’t lose any of myself, no sacrifices, and continue to bank orgasms for when this all falls apart.

I can totally be an aloof orgasm banker.

“What’s yours?”

My head snaps up at his voice. “Huh?”

“Your favorite date?”

“Oh, right. Um, There was this cafe on the boardwalk back home where we all hung out. This one guy set up a candle-lit sunset picnic. It was really cute. That’s probably my favorite.”

“That’s lame. Literally no effort went into that.”

“Sometimes those are the best kind. Nothing flashy, nothing extravagant. Just simple.”

He makes a weird scrunched face and nods. “Not the answer I was expecting, Princess.”

“I’ve had enoughflashyin my life and I’ve come to learn it’s always to impress someone else. The clothes, the cars, the parties, always to elevate someone’s opinion of you. Not really my thing.”

“So, the Range Rover?”

I laugh. “That was a parting gift per se. I knew what I was doing when I left home and wanted to squeeze as much out of my parents as I could. I guess I felt this ending coming and wanted to hit them where it hurt. Not that they don’t have money to burn but I went down swinging, ya know?”

“I wouldn’t say you’re down. Nice apartment, pretty little kitty in your lap, and a handsome as sin fiancé. You’rekinda killing it.”

I cover my mouth to laugh so the swallow of beer in my mouth doesn’t spray out. It drips anyway and I swipe my hand over it to mop it up. Luca crawls down the couch, grabs a handful of my shirt, and leans in to lick a drop of beer off the corner of my mouth.

He pulls back and releases my shirt. “On your knees.”

TWENTY-EIGHT

I’M THE CAPTAIN NOW

Ella’s eyesdarken and focus on my mouth. “What?”

“You want to get to know me… this is the real me. Get on your knees.” I point to the floor in front of the couch, and she only hesitates for a second before blindly scooting the cat off her lap, her eyes never leaving my face while kneeling between my legs. My already swelling cock instantly responds with a jerk at her compliance.

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