The Moth and the Flame (When Rivals Play #2) - B.B. Reid Page 0,10
before I never saw him again.
“Friends fuck.”
Between my thighs, I felt those words fall from his tongue as if he’d purposely placed them there. “Not us.”
He slowly smiled. It was seductive and full of promise. “You might regret those words later.”
There won’t be a later. “Not before you do,” I said and blew him a kiss.
His eyes fell to my lips and held steady even as he said, “Care to make it interesting?”
“How so?”
“Whoever begs for it first can never have it with anyone else.” I was ready to laugh, to agree, to decline—I didn’t know—when he added, “For as long as they live.”
“That’s a pretty big promise. What if you’re bad in bed?”
“What if I’m not?” he countered.
Our gazes connected and held for so long my body felt hot enough to combust at any moment. I knew then that I was willing to take that risk for one night with him. “Deal.”
He nodded unceremoniously, blinked until the lust I knew I hadn’t imagined was gone, and said, “Good. Let’s go,” as if we hadn’t just finished discussing fucking one day.
“That’s it?”
He paused on the threshold of the door. “I’d go down on you to seal the deal, but I’m not touching you until you have a shower.” He looked me over and said, “Maybe two or three.”
“Fuck you.”
“Oh, you’re gonna.” My stomach fluttered, and he must have seen something in my eyes because he suddenly frowned and said, “There will never be more between us than a fuck. I’m not someone you want to get too close to.” At my dumbfounded look, he added, “Do you understand?”
Hell no. I didn’t understand.
Why care if I ever fucked anyone else if he didn’t want more? Why offer friendship and then tell me to stay away?
I felt like I had whiplash. I also wasn’t buying it.
Before I could lash out, however, I stopped and wondered if I even wanted more.
“I understand,” I agreed. We both heard the doubt in my voice, but thankfully, he didn’t speak on it. Suddenly, I felt out of my depth. I was too young to be having this conversation. I didn’t know the first thing about sex, and until Wren, I hadn’t considered finding out anytime sooner.
Although a boy himself, I had the feeling Wren would be a patient albeit demanding teacher. Maybe we’d even learn together?
Wren said he’d meet me outside before disappearing. I listened to his thundering footsteps until they faded before I grabbed my backpack and ducked into the bathroom. Even though I was out of clean laundry, the shower beckoned. Hearing Wren’s comments echoing around in my head, I blushed as I shed my clothes and hopped inside. I scrubbed my skin as hard as I dared under the hot water and even took longer than usual brushing my teeth and detangling my hair. When I finally made it downstairs, I found Wren standing by the door, catching a key ring that Shane threw to him with one hand while holding his cell phone to his ear with the other.
Noticing me, he sharply ordered “Just get here” into the phone before hanging up.
I offered a hesitant good morning to Shane, who didn’t bother returning the greeting and, instead, stared at me as if I were already on a witness stand. Clattering was coming from the kitchen along with the sound of a little boy and girl screaming for French toast.
“I better get in there and help Beth,” Shane grumbled. He then pointed a thick finger at Wren and added, “I want a full report of what the fuck happened last night. Thanks to that prude he keeps around, the boss is already in a crabby mood. You hear me, boy?”
Wren nodded halfheartedly before focusing on me. He jerked his head toward the door, telling me that it was time to go, but I couldn’t make my feet move. What if he’d been lying about shopping—although I still didn’t know for what—and he was actually taking me somewhere to kill me? Would they ever find my body?
Of course not, Valentine. He’s Exiled.
Growing impatient, he crossed the room, took my hand, and led me out into the cold morning. To my credit, I didn’t kick and scream although I really should have. The houses on the block were close together, which meant someone would hear me. Unless they were too afraid…
There were about six inches of snow on the ground, and it seemed the entire neighborhood was out shoveling snow from their walkway or scraping