I thought about it for a minute. He was right. I had this irrational fear of darkness.
Except if I was being truthful, Cade having a girlfriend wasn’t solely the reason for not wanting to crash at their apartment. It was the fact he lived with Adrian now too. It was different when they still lived at home with their parents. It felt as if I was sleeping in my brother’s room.
If I slept in their home, I’d be making a conscious decision of not only staying the night at my best friend’s house, but also…
Adrian Drake’s place.
And that, I wasn’t prepared for.
Three
Paige
Breaking my overly active thoughts, my eyes shifted to Cade’s nightstand. “Can I go through your drawers? Or will I find man things in there?”
“What exactly are man things?”
“You know…”
“Obviously, I don’t.”
“Cade, you know what I’m talking about. Don’t make me say it.”
“Oh… I get it now, but I’m a guy, Paige. We don’t have vibrators like you girls do.”
“What about condoms and lube?”
“Condoms and lube bother you?”
“Your condoms and lube would bother me.”
He nodded in understanding. “Fair.”
“Adrian Drake!” Ashley screamed, causing us both to jump. “You’re an asshole!”
In a flash, the sound of their front door opening and then slamming shut echoed off the walls.
“Ugh!” Cade open his bedroom door. “What the hell did you do now?”
Adrian strode in, unbothered by her outburst. We were all used to it.
“Michelle wasn’t a fan of the fact that I fucked her roommate.”
“Her name is Ashley,” I corrected.
“It doesn’t matter.”
I shook my head, staring at him in disbelief. “It never does to you.”
“Don’t look at me like that. She knew what she was getting herself into.” He flung himself onto Cade’s bed. “What’d I miss?”
Did he send her away to hang out with us?
“Condoms and lube,” Cade revealed, causing me to turn three shades of red.
“Two of my favorite things.” Adrian asked me, “What about them?”
“I was telling your brother I didn’t want to go in his drawer and find man things.”
Cade opened his mouth to say something, but his phone pinged with a text message.
“Hayley’s here,” he announced, throwing his phone on the bed. “She could only find parking around the building. I’m going to go help her bring in the groceries she picked up for us. I’ll be right back, Paige.”
I nodded, suddenly feeling nervous I was going to be left alone with Adrian after talking about lube and condoms.
Right when we heard the front door shut, he teased, “Man things, huh?”
Unable to resist, I baited, “I bet if I looked through your drawers, I’d find an arsenal of man things.”
“And I bet if I looked through yours, I’d find your smutty books and a vibrator. Because let’s face it, Paige, the only way you’re getting wet is by fucking yourself.”
I jerked back. Completely caught off guard by his statement.
He grinned, placing his arms behind his head. The move only emphasizing his toned arms and abs.
“There’s no doubt in my mind you’re still a virgin.”
My gaze widened. “I’ve been with guys!”
“Yeah, the make-believe ones from your books.”
Still in shock, I asked, “How do you know about my books?”
“My window was near yours, remember?”
“How could I forget? You were constantly bringing girls into your bedroom.”
He ignored my comment. “Let me give you a piece of advice, Paige. Toys are nothing like the real thing.”
“For your information, I don’t use toys.”
“Bullshit. Every girl uses one. There’s nothing to be ashamed of. It just comes down to how often you use it.” Cocking his head to the side, he questioned with no hesitation, “How often do you fuck yourself?”
Silence.
I couldn’t bring myself to admit that to him.
“Paige,” he rasped in a sexy voice, sitting up. “I’ll even go as far as saying you’ve never seen a dick before.”
“That’s where you’re wrong.” I proudly smiled. “I’m staring at one right now.”
“Cute,” he mocked in an amused tone. “Come on, Paige. Humor me, how often do you use your vibrator to make yourself come?”
I could feel my face burning. “Adrian…”
“The flush on your face answers my question.” I didn’t expect him to add, “Toys can be fun.”
“What?”
“You heard me.”
“I don’t understand.”
Sliding down the bed, he slowly made his way toward me.
“You use them with girls?”
“I have.”
“It doesn’t bother you?”
“You mean am I intimidated by a toy?”
“Yeah. I thought all guys did—”
“Those guys are pussies. I’m confident in my cock getting the job done, but toys can be of great assistance.”
Our eyes connected.
Feeling bold, I asserted, “I’ll make sure to pass that information onto the next guy I’m with.”
In a confident demeanor, he emphasized, “That’s never going to happen.”
“Oh, really, Mr. Know It All? Why is that?”
Once he was standing inches away from my face, he eyed me up and down with a predatory regard.
“Haven’t you ever wondered why you’ve never had a boyfriend?”
“How do you know I’ve never had one?”