I'd freeze, or panic, or something. I'd get so nervous about it that I'd puke, so I'd tell myself that tomorrow would be soon enough, and then tomorrow rolled around and I'd do it all over again."
"Yes!" she said. "But around here, everyone knows everyone else. That's why I was so scared of being outed in Columbus. I don't want my dad and brother to find out like that. I don't even know if I'd be able to go home if they did."
"I have a spare room," Braden offered, lifting a hand. "I'm also not the only one. Pretty sure PsychoCut does as well. I think Riley's house is about to split from the number of people in it, but Adam Degrass? I'm willing to bet that man would put you up in a hotel. All I'm saying is that you do have a place to go. You do have a fallback plan if things get too bad."
"I'm just not ready," she breathed.
"And that's fine too," he promised. "I just look at you and I can see fear in your eyes, Rhaven. I'm not going to out you. I'm not about to make your life harder. I wanted to come see you because I can't stop thinking about you. I want you to figure out that I'm not joking when I say you're beautiful, and I really am willing to take this as slowly as you want."
"But why?" she asked.
He just shrugged. "I have no idea, babe. None. All I can tell you is that from the first moment I saw you, I had a crush. Not a little one. Not a passing one. I'm also putting myself out there and I can fucking feel my balls crawling up to hide." He laughed weakly. "I'm kinda waiting for you to tell me that I don't have a chance, or that you're a lesbian, or something like that."
She hugged her legs a little closer. "I'm not."
"Not which, Rhave?"
"Not going to say either one." Damn, but her face was getting warmer. "I, uh..." Embarrassed, she ducked her head. "I've just never had anyone, you know, be serious before."
Braden shifted, leaning forward. He braced one arm on the edge of her chair and kept coming. She could see him from the corner of her eye, but she couldn't convince herself to look up, too aware of the heat on her cheeks. Rhaven wasn't used to blushing. She was supposed to be the mean bitch. The one who was good at telling people to fuck off. But that was all an act.
The truth was that she had never done any of this before. She was more used to being ignored than doing anything special. It had always been safer that way. When QQ had called her out in chat, that had been fine - because it had been chat. But when the best gamers began to notice her, she'd fallen back on bravado, thinking she'd just fake it until she made it.
And that had worked until now. Here, alone in a room with the hottest man she'd ever met, one who made it clear that he was honestly interested in her? She had no clue what came next, even as he leaned over her, hooked a finger under her chin, and made her look up at him.
"I'm very serious," he promised. "I also want to kiss you so badly, but I'm scared that would convince you to leave."
Her tongue darted out to moisten her lips, but she wasn't running. "I've never..."
"Been kissed?" he asked.
She shook her head. "No, I mean... I'm a virgin."
"I'm patient," he countered.
She dropped her knees, giving him room. "I'm not."
His mouth curled into a soft smile just before he leaned in. The first brush of his lips was soft, almost tentative, but she didn't pull away. So he kissed a little harder. Then she felt the tip of his tongue flick across the seam of her lips. Rhaven's breath rushed out and her mouth parted. Braden took the invitation. His big, strong hand cupped the side of her face the way she'd always wanted, and his tongue tangled with hers, sampling, teasing, and seducing her.
She leaned in, pressing one hand to his chest, but not to push him away. No, her fingers closed on the fabric, holding him there. For the first time in her life, someone kissed her like she was a woman, and it felt so right. So good! She never wanted to stop.
But he pulled his mouth