If I knew better, I’d run from that smirk, but for some stupid reason, I don’t. Maybe I can’t.
I’m fidgeting, my leg bouncing up and down as we pull up at his place, the same place I was at a week ago when I first met him. We haven’t even been out on a date, and yet here I am at his place for a second time. I can’t be a whore, because I never fucked him the first time around or got paid for it.
So what does this make me? Naive, probably.
“Are you nervous, Everly?” I turn to face him as the car comes to a stop. “Don’t go all shy on me now.”
“Yes.” There’s absolutely no point in denying it. This is all very new to me.
“All the better,” he says with such happiness that it confuses me.
He’s hard to read. Decipher. But above all, he is so very blunt. I’ve never met a man like him before, and with the company my father keeps, that’s an incredible statement.
Gunner slides out of the car and comes around to open my door. He offers me his hand, and something inside me knows this is my chance.
My chance to tell him no and leave.
I should go.
And not look back.
But as I glance at his hand and up to his cold, dark eyes, I want to take that leap with him. I want to see where he’s taking me. So, I place my hand in his, and a smile touches his lips like he knows he’s got me exactly where he wants me. And I do nothing to say otherwise.
I’m fucked.
I will fall for this man, and I will fall hard.
That idea scares me the most.
Because he clearly doesn’t know how to function in a relationship, and I’ve never been in a relationship to know better.
Not that this is a relationship anyway. This is only sex. Right?
Or, so I will keep telling myself.
My hands don’t shake like they did last time as we make our way inside. We don’t go immediately upstairs to where I know his kitchen is located. Instead, we head under the stairs to an open door. He turns on the light, and a king-size bed comes into view.
Gunner drops my hand, shutting the door behind me, and I track his movements, watching everything he does. His hand comes into contact with my back, grazing it slowly as he walks past me to his bed. He kicks his shoes off then his fingers go directly to his buttons.
Dark eyes look at me, watching me watch him.
Each button feels like it takes forever to undo, and then his chest is revealed. My eyes avert from his to stare at his tanned, dark skin and perfect body. I wonder what he does to stay in shape. To look this good. One word comes into my mind, ‘fucking,’ but I brush that away as fast as it appeared.
“Everly.” My name coming from his lips snaps me back to reality. I glance up only to watch him remove his shirt. Now he’s standing in front of me wearing only his pants, and his hand goes to the belt above his zipper.
My pulse quickens.
My body shivers.
The belt slides out of the loops with one quick flick of his wrist. He doesn’t discard it, though, as he did with his shirt. No, the belt goes on the bed next to him.
“Remove your dress, Everly. Now.”
It’s like I’m programmed to act on command, and I do as he says without questioning him.
My hand reaches around to find the zipper he did up for me, and I slide it down. Then pull the shoestring straps away from my shoulders, so the dress floats to the floor, pooling at my feet. All I have on now is a pair of heels.
His eyes roam me and stop at my sex. “You were bare the whole time.” He says it more as a statement, not a question, but I nod anyway. “In the future, you will tell me, Everly.”
I nod my head again as if on autopilot.
Gunner steps closer, his pants undone and hanging just barely on his hips. His hand reaches out and his fingers brush along my collarbone, making everything inside of me tingle.
From a simple touch. A soft touch.
How does he do that?
“Tell me, Everly, do you want me to touch you?” He stops speaking as his hand glides downward and he cups my sex. “Here?”
I nod again, having lost all my words. It seems I’m mute, or perhaps a fool. A crazy person, willing to do anything that’s commanded of me.
“I need to hear you say it, Everly. I must hear your words. Do you want me… here?” He presses his palm to my clit and the slight movement has me wet and ready.
“I want you,” I whisper breathlessly.