With a one-shouldered shrug, an uncomfortable Nora swallows the lump of fruit. “Just that she owes me for making us go through that mess.”
“I’m actually kind of glad we got conned into that,” I admit, surprising both of us.
Her eyes widen before she sets the banana peel on the nightstand. “Really?”
“Yeah.” I replay a few of the highlights in my head before her warm touch on my forearm brings me back to the present. “Although I’m a little offended you felt the need to run in the opposite direction as soon as it was over.”
“I’m sorry. My emotions were pretty much overflowing, and I didn’t want you to get the wrong idea or anything. Like I said, I know what you signed up for, and I don’t want you to think I was trying to do a bait and switch.”
“I know you wouldn’t do that, Nora.”
She scans my face before nodding in relief. “Okay, good. I would hate for you to think that I’d try to trick a guy into dating me for real or anything.”
“I trust you. Besides, Cancers aren’t known for being sneaky,” I quip.
“Is that right?”
Shrugging, I admit, “I actually have no idea. Are they?”
She laughs. “I have no idea, either. I’m still reeling from the fact that you just admitted you were glad Gem conned us into participating in the workshop. You were a great sport for opening up and everything, but….”
She doesn’t finish her sentence, so I do it for her. “But it’s not like I want anything other than brownie batter, so why waste my time looking into my past in hopes of creating a real relationship in my future?”
Her button nose scrunches up in shame, but she doesn’t deny the truth. That’s exactly what she’s wondering. Then again, I’ve been asking myself the same question ever since last night, and I haven’t been able to pinpoint an answer, so I don’t blame her for being curious.
“I think it was good to analyze my history from a different perspective,” I admit. “It also made me really think about what I want in life, and then with you winding up sick…. I dunno. I think it might be nice to have someone to rely on. That being said, I still think brownie batter is pretty satisfying, and sometimes, you have to sneak a taste before cracking some eggs with a stranger.”
She laughs. “Cracking some eggs?”
“I meant the emotional stuff,” I clarify with a grin.
“I know what you meant. And I agree. I’m always drowning in my emotions. I wish I could turn them off every once in a while instead of worrying about what comes next or how it makes me feel. I wish I could just…live in the moment for once, ya know?”
“Having emotions isn’t a bad thing.”
“It can be if you think you’ve signed up for no strings attached, but your emotions seem to sneak past your defenses, anyway,” she challenges. “Dr. Lorringer was right. I’m such an emotional person that I can’t disconnect and go for the lust alone, ya know? So instead, I inadvertently toss a whole egg into the batter without cracking it during the big ‘o’, which ruins the brownie batter experience because a bunch of shells get thrown into the mix no matter how hard I try to keep them out of it. Then I’m left wondering why it tasted like crap.” My heart is pounding, but I don’t interrupt her, so she continues. “Just like how she helped you look at your own experience from a different perspective, she helped me realize that I can’t not be all in. But I’m also terrified to open up to someone which leaves me”––she laughs, and the sound is enough to lighten the mood––“very sexually frustrated.”
Reaching forward, I brush aside a few stray hairs that were clinging to her forehead.
“Want to know a secret?” I whisper.
“What’s that?”
“I think you’ve poked a few holes in my shell too. I would give anything to scratch that itch for you, but I think you’re right. It’s not just watered-down batter with us. I think a little egg white has slipped in too. Don’t get me wrong,” I add after a soft gasp escapes her. “I’m not saying we should add the yolk or bake the brownies or anything. I’m just saying that I like you, Nora. And if we decided to sneak a little batter, I think it would taste pretty good.”
“You think?”
I sit down beside her. “I know. Also, don’t ever tell a guy you’re sexually frustrated unless you feel like torturing him.”
With a coy smile, she tosses one of her toned legs over my waist. “So if I did this, would that be considered torture as well?”
My fingers dig into her bare thighs before she rolls her hips against me.
“Careful,” I warn her, looking into her heated expression.
She doesn’t listen. Her hair falls over one shoulder as she leans a little closer, then runs her hands across my lower abs. Flexing them, I hold my breath and wait to see what her next move is. There’s something sexy about a girl taking control. Of her life. Of her emotions. Of her lust. All of it.
And right now, I’m just along for the ride.
Her palm is warm as she finally gains the courage to dive under my shirt and feel my heated skin. Slowly, she trails her manicured nails up my abs before scraping them along my chest. Her mouth hovers less than an inch above mine, but her shallow breathing fans across my face, tempting me even further. My restraint is barely intact as my fingers dig into her thighs again. Sliding them up a few more inches, I cup her toned ass and realize she isn’t wearing any sleep shorts.
“Are you in your underwear?” I grit out.
Her mouth quirks in the corner. “Is that a problem?”
“Tell me I can kiss you.”
The heat from her gaze burns me as it drops down to my mouth. “You can––”
My lips are on
