34. Chapter 34 #2
Don’t go traipsing all over the South. Don’t put her in situations you can’t control.
“A road trip?” I repeated evenly.
“Number fourteen on the list,” she said. “I’m ninety-nine percent ready to pencil it in.”
There was trepidation in her every move. She reached for her glass but didn’t drink. Just held it. Her thumb tapped once against the stem.
“Going to share it with me?” I asked.
She was stalling. How fucking cute. But I already suspected where this could lead. And truthfully, I wasn’t sure I was ready to say no to her after she’d just shared with me something so sacred.
“Of course. You’re my accountability partner after all.” She offered a small smile that didn’t quite land. “But I think I should tell you I’ve talked it over with Marcel. At length, actually.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. The first day you went to the intensive.” She swallowed. “I’d have to put it to the family for a vote, though. I guess I’m wondering if you’d back me.”
There it was. This wasn’t spontaneous. My pretty little princess had been planning this.
“Depends on what it is, princess.”
“That tracks. I guess.” A flicker of something crossed her face—disappointment? Or calculation? “But I feel like I should tell you, I asked Marcel not to tell everyone else about the wedding fiasco.”
“Why?”
“Truth?”
“Always.”
“I’m not ready to go home.”
Our eyes locked. And something shifted. In that moment, clarity hit me so hard it almost stole my breath. I would follow her anywhere. Even if it meant driving through places her brother had explicitly warned me about. Even if it meant stepping into something I didn’t fully understand.
“I’ll vote yay,” I breathed. “For you.”
I reached out a hand, unable to not touch her in this moment. I tucked one of the loose strands of hair behind her ear and felt her whole body sigh in relief.
Her eyes lifted. “You don’t even know what it is.”
“I don’t care.” The words surprised even me in how certain they felt. “If there’s any chance it brings a smile to your face, I’ll do it.”
She let out a laugh. But there wasn’t any amusement in it. It was sharp and cut through the room. It left me unsettled.
“Bella,” I said slowly, studying her. “Is there something you want to tell me?”
She pushed her plate away—half the food untouched—and drained the rest of her champagne in one steady swallow. The nerves were back. Bigger than ever.
“I need another night,” she said. “Maybe. I want to be solid in my presentation. I’ll be testing it on you first. Before I have to share it with the rest of the family.”
A presentation? So this needed to be structured and strategic. She was smart, knowing the best way to get anything approved by the family was to be prepared. I held her gaze for a long second. It was abundantly clear that she needed time. And whatever this was—it mattered.
“Okay.” Snagging the bottle of champagne from the middle of the table, I rose. “Grab our glasses and meet me on the patio. Although I should tell you to limit me. I get sleepy when I drink this stuff.” I titled the bottle.
The look of relief that passed told me I’d made the right move. There would be time enough to talk things out. Tonight, was just the two of us connecting on a deeper level, solidifying our own bond of sorts.
I stopped on my way, noticing the deck of cards I’d given Lisa, that she had handed back to me earlier.
I pocketed them and went outside. She joined me on the patio, sighing contentedly as she looked out at the ocean.
She’d kicked her heels off and drawn her legs up in the patio chair. I shuffled the cards lazily.
“Are those…”
“They are. I thought we could pull one or two and get you acquainted with them. Kinsley informed me that you agreed to a MingleMe profile. I guess our next big game night you might be in attendance, huh?”
“Not likely. Sebastian thinks I’m still twelve. I guess I could ask Kinsley to organize it on a night he’s not home.” She laughed. “How spicy are these ones?”
“Surprisingly, they are mixed. There are quite a few that are how best to describe it…informative. Yeah, I’ll go with that.”
“Well then, Dancer, how are we playing?”
“Pick the top one and we both answer it,” I offered.
She nodded and waited. I pulled the side-table between our chairs and laid them face down. She held out her glass, and I filled it for her.
“Bottoms up,” she said before draining it.
“Someone is nervous. You know you don’t need to be. If you don’t want to answer, I will respect your decision.”
“Where’s the fun in that? Plus, Kinsley is a stickler for the rules.”
“True. Would you like me to pick first?”
She gave a small nod, and I poured us both another glass full. I cleared my throat. “Starting out strong. Answer as authentically as you can here. No pressure, though. How important do you think sexual compatibility is in a relationship?”
She thought for a minute before asking. “Are we talking about a serious, committed relationship?” I nodded as she pushed a loose piece of hair back. “I would say it is crucial, then.”
“Why?”
“Because, in my opinion, you can’t outsource sex. You can absolutely share certain things with friends—hobbies and what-nots, but sex, no. What about you?”
“Compatibility is everything. I’ve learned that there is no reason to settle. There are far too many potential mates in the world to put yourself through that.”
“Interesting. I’m curious. What about you and Hannah was incompatible?”
“Just about everything. I honestly think her cheating with Chase wasn’t even about sex.
Or maybe I sucked so much in bed she wasn’t satisfied.
I don’t know. I was always willing to listen, and I can’t tell you how many times I tried asking her what she liked or to try new things, only to get shut down. ”
“Do you think you changed when you started going to the club and learning…with…with the guys? And so you know, the same goes for you. If you don’t want to answer, you don’t have to. I probably shouldn’t ask questions about your sex life, honestly.”
I loved watching her shift in nervousness.
It was so cute. “I don’t mind. I’m an open book.
If you’re too afraid to ask, then you’ll never learn.
Nik told me that, I can’t tell you how many times.
I wouldn’t say I changed as much as I came into my own.
There was always an adventurous side to me in the bedroom.
I just wasn’t given freedom to explore it. ”
“I see. So you were a hidden freak, then?” she teased.
“Possibly. I will say Kinsley opened my eyes to a lot of things, too. It was the freedom and abandon that literally poured from her in that area. Eye opening, for sure.”
“The other night before we got interrupted…forget it,” she said, draining her glass once more.
“Ask me, Bella.” I frowned. Making her nervous was one thing, but I didn’t want to make her uncomfortable. When she remained quiet, I added, “No worries. I’m not going to pressure you. Tonight is us hanging out and having a good time.”
“You said it was your favorite thing,” she blurted out.
I chuckled as understanding dawned on me. “I didn’t lie, if that’s what you wanted to know. I do love to eat pussy.”
“I officially hate my brother and I need a refill,” she said, holding her glass out.
The liquid filled the glass, and her eyes were glued to the bubbles.
“Kinsley and Tori love it. It’s the one thing from my…our past that wasn’t horrifying to watch. In fact, the first time we saw a woman pleasured, it was that way. Does that make me twisted that I want to experience it?”
“I don’t think so. I suppose that would be a good question to put to Marcel, though.”
“Sorry. Didn’t mean to make things weird,” she said, exhaling loudly and shaking her head.
“You didn’t, not for me anyway. I will tell you though, the next girl I commit to and actually live with—”
“You mean that passes inspection from all of us and is granted a trial period to live under our roof?”
I shook my head as laughter erupted from my chest. “Careful, you sound jealous.” She crossed her arms and blinked. “I was going to say the next woman that I’m that close with will be woken up with my face between her legs every morning and put to bed every night the same way.”
“No cock?”
“She can have whatever she wants from me. I aim to please. It’s my goal in life. To find a woman and please the hell out of her every chance I can. But my tongue between her legs has to be on the table.”
“Well, here’s to the lucky bitch then, whomever she may be.” She toasted.