Hardwood - K.M. Neuhold Page 0,43

idea. I pinch my thumb and two forefingers close together and ease them inside. “Bear down for me.”

I find the vibrator again, and this time, I’m able to get a grip on the base. “Got it,” I say, pulling it out slowly so I won’t hurt him. When it pops free, he sighs with relief, collapsing forward. I turn the toy off and toss it aside, wiping my fingers, now slick with the remnants of lube inside him, on the comforter.

“Well, that was an adventure,” I say lightly, looking away from Ev’s prone, naked body, his glorious ass still fully on display.

He gives a rusty, weak laugh, keeping his face buried in a pillow.

“This was officially the most mortifying experience of my life. But thank you for helping. I owe you one,” he says, his voice muffled by the pillow.

“Tell you what, I’ll skip getting anything stuck up my ass, but you can totally repay the fingering sometime,” I joke to lighten the mood. He finally pulls his face out of the pillow to gape at me.

“Come on, after this, there’s no way you want to revisit what we started last weekend.”

Leaning my back against his headboard, sitting on the bed with my legs outstretched, and I give him a you have to be joking look. “Please, you think this is all it takes to scare me off?” I joke. But, fuck, he’s giving me the perfect opening to tell him what I already resolved to say. We should stay friends. I’ve been rehearsing it all week. I need to tell him, just let him down gently so we can go back to being friends only.

“But you said you weren’t sure,” he reminds me.

I’m sure it’s a bad idea, just fucking say it, I scold myself.

But…

If things are going to go down in flames eventually, I can at least get another shot with that perfect ass of his, right? It’s such a bad idea, but I want it so much. Not just his ass. I want another taste of his lips. I like that I’m the person he wanted to call to help him out of such a humiliating situation. I really fucking like him, and maybe a little heartbreak will be worth it?

“I’m not sure, but let’s see what happens anyway.” If I didn’t feel the words forming on my own lips, I wouldn’t think they were mine.

“Yeah?” he asks, a smile creeping over his lips.

It’s my chance to back out, but I don’t want to. I really don’t want to. “Yeah,” I say, returning his smile.

“So, just to be clear, you’re going to let me take you on a date?” he checks again as if he’s afraid I’m going to change my mind at any second.

“Yes, we’re going to go on a date,” I agree, barely able to contain my smile.

“Good. Now, I should probably shower and mend my bruised ego tonight, and I’ll text you to work out the details tomorrow?”

“You got it.” I agree, leaning forward and pressing a quick kiss to his cheek. “And new rule, nothing up your ass that doesn’t have a wide base on it, got it?”

“Got it,” he agrees with a chuckle.

I drive home with a huge grin on my lips and a strange combination of lust and amusement dancing through me. Weirdest night of my life.

Chapter 13

Everett

I open the oven to peek at the roast. A mouthwatering smell wafts out, and I send up a silent prayer that Watson will be impressed with my culinary abilities. Hordes of hyperactive butterflies assault my insides as I close the oven and check the time again.

I wipe my sweaty hands on my jeans and stride over to the table to obsessively straighten the place settings for the dozenth time. I’m sure it’s normal to be this nervous before a first date, not that I have any frame of reference. I’m not even sure I could pin down what my official first date with Val was. The transition from friends to more was so seamless, all that really happened was that we added kissing to our regular hangouts. Everything was so simple and relaxed. Maybe that should’ve been a clue all on its own. There’s something to be said about being comfortable around someone, but maybe a little bit of nerves means I’m truly feeling something. I’m excited and terrified all at once, and there’s something absolutely thrilling about that.

I run a hand over my smooth face. I wasn’t sure what the protocol was