30. Chapter Thirty - Sexual Frustration #3
I paused, cheeks flushing with embarrassment. I already knew the answer. The truth had been sitting heavily in my chest for a while now. “Honestly, goths aren’t really my type.”
I wished I could’ve stopped there.
“...But… I do like you, Culver,” I finally admitted, heat spotting across my face.
He stood there silently for a moment, watching me while I continued squirming underneath his stare. I peeked up at him through my lashes, feeling the embarrassment seep straight into my bones.
He paused, swallowing once before speaking. “...I vow to always treasure you.”
The promise wrapped around my heart the same way his arms had earlier, stirring together deep, aching trust and raw desire until I couldn’t tell where one ended and the other began.
I didn’t know how to answer that without telling him the truth.
“What if I get bored of you afterwards?” I projected the fear right back onto him.
His eyes lowered to my lips.
“I suppose I will need to work hard to satisfy you, my little lamb.”
His mouth lowered until our lips met in a single kiss.
It was short but packed with intensity, the brief press of his mouth against mine sending a jolt straight through me. It left my lips tingling and my body humming with the promise of what could happen if I let it.
When he pulled back, he kissed the top of my forehead tenderly. “Do any paintings call out to you? Shall I just purchase all of them?”
“Where the hell would I put all these paintings?” I finally looked around at the hundreds lining the walls.
“I can put them in your own personal gallery,” he declared, as if that solved anything.
“How about you use that money to donate to… I dunno, good causes?” I exasperated, resting my hands against his arms.
He nodded in compliance. “I could if you want.”
“At least pretend to be a good guy,” I deadpanned before laughing at his ridiculousness.
He answered with a knowing smirk instead.
The rest of the date was great.
Simple, but somehow still the best date I had ever experienced.
Being rich must’ve been fun with all the doors it opened, but honestly, it wasn’t about how loaded he was or the fancy places he could take me to. It was about how I felt when he stood beside me, with that electric pull humming between us that went way deeper than surface-level attraction.
I couldn’t quite put it into words, but from the second I met Culver, deep down I knew he was it for me. The one who fit into all the messy spaces I didn’t even realize were empty.
I really hoped he felt that same pull tugging at him too, because the thought of him not seeing it kept me up at night.
When Culver dropped me off at home, my eyes fluttered toward the empty house.
Again, I was tempted to ask him inside, but I kept the thought buried, shoving the urge down before it spilled out and complicated things even more.
“Thanks for today,” I blinked up at him, rocking slightly back and forth on my feet.
I was a little antsy. I didn’t know what I’d say if he asked to come inside. Well, I did.
But I didn’t know if I could stop myself from jumping him. From dragging him through the door and letting all the built-up want take over until we were tangled up and breathless on whatever surface we crashed into first.
“It was… everything to me.” He slid his hand through my hair, and it sent a spark through me. “I cannot wait to spend the rest of our days together like this.”
He did that every time, weaving words that lit up a fragile hope in my chest, making me picture a future where we actually made it work without the crash waiting around the corner.
But I still held back from letting the warmth spread too deep, afraid it would scorch me later when things inevitably shifted.
I hummed out a response as his cool palm rested against my cheek. I nuzzled into it, grasping his wrist and closing the distance between us. “Until I get bored, right?”
His eyes dimmed slightly before he recovered smoothly.
“We can spice it up when that happens,” he replied. “I can assure you there are plenty of ways to keep a relationship alive.”
“Who said anything about being in a relationship?” I held my breath, waiting for his answer.
“I told you that titles are meaningless when it comes to us.” He hooked a finger beneath my chin, and my body responded to him. “Perhaps that is what you need, though, to understand how I feel for you. Would you do me the honor of dating me, Ira?”
I couldn’t help it.
I bit my lip, trying not to smirk as the little thrill bubbled up inside me, because hearing him say it out loud made my stomach flip in the best way.
“I guess we could try that, Culver,” I murmured, “but don’t expect an invitation inside.”
He laughed softly, the sound catching in his breath. “It never crossed my mind.”
“Well, I guess this is goodnight… for now.”
I shook my head at myself, warmth creeping into my cheeks even as I rolled my eyes at how ridiculously cheesy it sounded coming out of my mouth.
“Sweet dreams, Ira.” He slipped into the game effortlessly, indulging my antics with calm amusement.
He stepped back, and I slowly closed the door, biting my lip the entire time.
Culver Scarbrough. The man I was revolving around. And I didn’t want him to leave.