My body fills with pleasure. It starts inside me and radiates through my core—to my stomach, hips, chest, thighs, lips. The fire inside me is so intense nothing could ever put it out.
I groan. Almost. Almost. I squeeze the couch as an orgasm rocks through me. Pleasure spreads all the way to my fingers and toes.
He holds me close for a while. Until my breath returns to normal. Until I almost believe I could walk.
His lips press against my neck. "Did that help you decide on a movie?"
"Shut up."
"That's no way to thank the man who made you scream so loudly you almost broke the glass."
"Don't be cocky," I murmur.
"If you promise to stay that loud. I like it." He helps me off the couch and takes my hand. "Come on. I have something to show you."
I follow him upstairs. He opens a bedroom door flips on the lights.
It occurs to me that, once again, I'm naked and he's fully dressed. Somehow, I'm not bothered. I love the way he looks at me like he wants to consume me. It makes me feel powerful and desirable.
He points to a bookshelf. "Notice anything?"
Holy shit. There are three or four dozen Star Wars novels here.
"You're a nerd," I say.
"Our secret." He slides his arm around my waist. "I have a reputation to maintain."
I nod. Miles told me a secret. We have a secret. Besides the whole friends-with-benefits thing. It's not a big secret, but it feels personal.
My lips curl into a smile. "You care what other people think of you."
"Everyone does."
"But you act like you don't. You act like nothing could ever hurt you."
"You know that isn't true."
I slide my hand around his waist and look into his eyes. "Tell me another secret."
"Damn, it's hard to turn down a naked woman."
"You did last night."
"You know why I did." He runs his fingers through my hair. "How secret?"
"Very secret."
He chuckles. "I went as Harry Potter for Halloween all throughout middle school."
"You did not."
He nods. "I was shorter, smaller. My mom loved making my costume. She loved that kind of thing, the magic, the justice." His eyes go to the floor. "I was twelve or thirteen. Older kid took my fake glasses, threw them on the ground, and stepped on them."
"What did you do?"
"I flipped. Tried to hit him but I couldn't. He was bigger, stronger. The rest of the year, I never heard the end of it. Taught me the value of not reacting to things. Then I got bigger, learned how to hit. That was that."
"You stopped showing your emotions and started beating people up because a bully picked on your Harry Potter costume?"