Was she losing herself? She’d lost so much in the last two weeks. Her home and parents. Her way of life. She’d never imagined falling in love at this stage of her life. How could she? She’d intended to live with her parents for as long as they could avoid detection. Apparently, that day came too soon.
She’d known intellectually what was happening in the world. She’d understood why her parents had gone into hiding in the first place. To protect their daughters in a world where there were no longer enough women.
She knew from news reports and later word of mouth when people stopped by that things were growing increasingly more desperate. No one could be trusted. There were too many groups out there who would exploit her and Ariel—the government included.
Women had been rounded up and forced into arranged marriages with rich men or multiple men. They’d been forced to bear children against their will. They’d been used for scientific experimentation and tortured and raped and beaten and treated like animals.
That was the world they lived in. Except here. Except with The Wanderers.
Layla and Ariel had been warned time and again to find Julie if anything ever happened to their parents. Julie was one of the few people alive her parents fully trusted. Layla had yet to meet Julie. She wasn’t even sure Julie lived in this particular compound or was currently underground at all.
There would be time to find her mother’s best friend. Right now, Layla needed to focus on the more pressing issues.
Nile was kissing her mouth again, as if he had all the time in the world. In a way he did. He was obviously the sort of man who took his time.
A giggle bubbled up out of her, making him pull back and grin at her, his brow furrowed at the same time. “I get kind of self-conscious when women start laughing while I’m kissing them,” he teased.
She rolled her eyes. “You do not. You’re the definition of confidence. All four of you are.”
He chuckled. “Okay, what made you giggle though?”
A flush rushed up her cheeks.
He drew back another inch, eyes narrowing further. “Now I’m even more curious.”
She pulled in a breath. “Can I ask you some questions?”
“Of course. Always.”
“About sex.”
His eyelids lifted. “Yes. Go for it.”
She licked her lips. Nile seemed like the best one of the four to ask the tough questions, and she wanted the hard answers. “When you make love…”
“Yeah?”
“How long does it take?”
He chuckled. “Me? Are you asking how long I personally like to take?”
“Well, I guess.” She felt kind of silly, but she also wanted to know.
He sobered, obviously taking her seriously. He stroked her back while he considered his response, all thoughtful and careful, clearly wanting to choose his words cautiously.
He licked his lips finally. “When I’m alone with a woman, I like to take my time. I get more satisfaction out of ensuring she’s pleased than worrying about myself. If there were no other people around, I would take an hour, slowly peeling your clothes off and tasting every inch of your body until you couldn’t see straight.”
She swallowed, a part of her wishing he would do all of that right now. Damn the consequences. “How long does it take to, uh, reach orgasm, after you’re inside someone?” She stared at his chest, needing to ask the questions her mother never quite told her.
He drew in a deep breath, seemingly also losing his control. At least she wasn’t the only one. “Depends. If it’s been a long time since I’ve had sex, I can’t last very long. Less than a minute if I’m lucky. Which is a shame and embarrassing.”
She opened her lips again, hesitating. “What if you have sex every day?”
He chuckled. “I’ve never had sex every day, but if I did, I suppose I could last longer. Probably ten minutes? If I’m really into a woman, I can’t hold back as well though.”
“Are you really into me?” She had no idea where the bold side was coming from. The only thing she could think was that Nile made it easy to talk to him.
“God, Layla. More than anyone I’ve ever set eyes on.” His hand slid up her back to thread in her hair. “Look at me, sweetheart.”