Hold Me Close - Talia Hibbert Page 0,250

were. Hadn’t she done those things? And hadn’t it gone pretty fucking well? Yes and yes. She was Ravenswood Rae and she chased whatever made her feel good—so what was one more reckless risk?

The alcohol in her blood whispered, Nothing. Its persuasive hum was low and languid, like rolling hips or limbs tangled together beneath warm sheets. She raised a hand toward Zach, tentative but determined, and traced a finger over his jaw. It was harshly defined, a sharp contrast to his smiling mouth which always curved like a fine, sickle moon. Only, he wasn’t smiling now. He’d gone utterly still, as if she’d frozen him in time. That wouldn’t do. She wanted his sarcasm and his laughter and his flirting, so she swung a leg over his thighs and straddled his lap. The action seemed to bring him back to life.

“Rae…” His hands settled at her hips, disappeared. Closed around her wrists, disappeared. Finally, he curled them into fists, as if he couldn’t figure out where to touch her. “What—uh, what are you doing?”

She shrugged. “Seducing you, maybe?”

He choked a little bit. Was that a good sign? She didn’t know, since she’d never seduced anyone before. She needed the practice and Zach was a close friend with boundless bedroom experience and a smile she could almost trust. He laughed like the first day of spring after a long, cold winter. He made her feel soft and pure and right inside. He’d be… he’d be her training wheels.

She tried to share that well-reasoned speech with him, but all that came out was, “Pretty sure you’re great in the sack.”

This was the part where he laughed, or teased, or offered to make her absolutely sure.

He didn’t.

How the hell had this happened?

Zach was caught between outright panic and sheer disbelief. He’d brought Rae to the park to interrogate her about emotional shit, yet somehow, she’d ended up in his lap. Did he produce I’m up for it pheromones or something?

She fidgeted impatiently, staring down at him while he quietly lost his mind. What was the polite thing to do in a situation like this? In the past, he’d solved these sorts of problems with his dick, but these days he was giving the poor guy a break. Which meant he’d actually have to be diplomatic or something. Shit.

Rae smoothed curious hands over his chest as the silence stretched between them. Her eyes widened as if a thought had just occurred to her. “Is it weird being so built? Are muscles heavy?”

Ah—he’d forgotten she was absolutely smashed. His panic faded a little. He laughed, grabbing her by the waist and lifting her off him. “You’re so fucking wasted.” That was the problem, right? She didn’t actually want to sleep with him. She was just drunk and horny, so her boundaries had dissolved.

Or maybe not, because she didn’t take the hint. She reached for him again, beautiful and breathless in the dimly-lit shadows. “Come home with me.”

He didn’t want to say yes, but he would hate to tell her no—to see her wince or shrink away from him, to watch as injured pride and hurt rose like a wall between them. Maybe he should just go along with it. One last time. He’d done it before, after all, and for people he liked a hell of a lot less. For a moment, he teetered on the precipice. Even raised a hand to touch her. But then, through the haze of old habits, purifying anger shone bright.

Zach stiffened. Scowled. Asked himself one question.

Why the fuck should he?

Rae was a grown woman; she wasn’t going to die if he turned her down. And Zach deserved better than forcing himself into sex just to save a friend’s ego. Jesus, what was he, a participation trophy? He didn’t want to do this, so he wouldn’t. The world would have to keep on turning without his fucking dick.

He scrambled to his feet, shaking his head. “No.” He should say more to soften the rejection, but anger still pulsed at the back of his mind. It wasn’t directed at Rae, or even at himself—it was directed at a world that had made him think saying Yes was a gentlemanly obligation. That performing hetero-masculine, always-available bullshit mattered more than he did. Because who ever heard of a man saying no?

Fuck that.

Rae stood too—slowly, and without any ominous wobbles. “Because I’m drunk?”

Please don’t make me explain this. His jaw tight, Zach strode to the park gate, opening it for her and Duke.

She