Page 75 of Blush Crush

I don’t think he was aroused, which made it that much more alarming how large it felt because that means it’s even bigger when it’s hard. Which I guess makes sense given the toy he had made for me, but I sort of assumed he was exaggerating the size of it. That maybe the real thing wouldn’t actually be that big but I was clearly mistaken.

Then when we were in the kitchen snacking on what Layla and her new boyfriend, cowboy doctor Owen, put out, his hand was resting on my hip, his thumb slipping beneath the hem of my top and brushing my skin. It felt…scandalous. He managed to make an innocent touch like that feel naughty.

I know it’s all part of the performance, but my body did not get the memo, and following the orgasm last night, it’s like I’m primed and ready for another one.

All of Cole’s touching is leaving me nothing but worked up and unsatisfied. We’re with my siblings, it’s not as if I’m going to beg him for my first in-person lesson for them all to hear.

Now we’re all about to be gathered in the game room, where there’s a well-stocked wet bar, a pool table, a dartboard, a big projector screen surrounded by a large sectional, and various other games and activities scattered throughout. According to Gavin, they were all left behind by the previous owners.

Scottie and Elyse decided we should all dress up to ring in the new year—that just because we’re staying in doesn’t mean we can’t all get pretty. And for once, I didn’t mind glamming up a little. Kind of excited about it, actually.

We girls got ready in the primary suite while the guys got ready in their rooms.

Luckily I managed to get out of the interrogation I thought would be waiting for me because Elyse got an alert that her blood test results were in. There’s a ninety-nine percent chance she’s having a girl. She won’t know for sure until the sixteen-week ultrasound, but we were all so excited for her I think everyone forgot I surprisingly showed up with Cole.

I’ve already decided I’m going to spoil my new niece with anything she could ever want for taking the heat off me.

I spot Cole first as I’m coming down the stairs. He’s wearing fitted black slacks and a black button-down, the sleeves rolled up and the top buttons undone.

He looks really good. Exceptionally good, which only frustrates me even more. How am I expected to sleep next to that and not have to keep my thighs pressed together the entire night.

I went with a bubblegum pink dress Layla insisted I buy last summer and that I’ve never had the nerve to wear until now. It’s fitted through the bodice, with delicate ruching gathering at the center and twisting into a small rosette that draws attention straight to my breasts. The straps are thick enough to actuallysupport me and the pressed lace fabric hugs my waist before loosening at the hips, the hem hitting mid-thigh. I thought I’d feel naked being this exposed, but I actually feel pretty.

Cole keeps his eyes trained on me as I make my way to him. They roam the length of my body, and it’s one hell of a performance. I might even be convinced he really does find me attractive. It’s the heat behind his stare, the way his tongue sweeps across his bottom lip before he rolls it back on a bite. There’s hunger and desire there, and just for a second I let myself believe it’s real because a man has never looked at me like this before, and I may never get this experience again.

“Shit, doll,” he mutters before whistling. “You look?—”

“Fancy?” I laugh.

“Sexy,” he drawls with a knowing grin. “Really sexy.” He swallows.

Tucking a strand of hair behind my ear, I clear my throat. “Thank you,” I utter, fidgeting with my hands. “You look…nice t-too.”

I don’t understand how I’ve interacted with Cole countless times, yet I’m all of a sudden nervous. I was nervous when we practiced kissing, but that was different. That was over the anticipation of an action I’m not very experienced in. This, right now, is different. I’m nervous to be around him, to say the wrong thing, to embarrass myself. I’m nervous the way I’m not ever supposed to be with Cole.

He’s just Cole, the guy who’s obsessed with my chocolate croissants and loves to annoy me. I don’t see him like that. I can’t.

I need to keep reminding myself of that because I think he’s a little too good at this whole acting like a boyfriend thing and I’m more gullible than I thought.

“Okay,” Scottie announces, holding up her phone. “We’re playing Heads Up. Everyone get a drink before we get started.”

I finally peel my eyes off Cole and grab a glass of Starlet, Gavin’s newest sparkling wine.

“Someone shuffle the categories,” Shane says, already reaching for the phone.

Scottie pulls it out of his reach. “You don’t get to touch the phone after last time.”

“What happened last time?” Owen asks from beside Layla.

“He kept tilting it to read the word before anyone gave him clues.”

“That’s called strategy,” Shane says.

“That’s called cheating,” Ethan says.

I smile into the flute before taking a sip. I’m significantly less competitive than my siblings, but it’s no secret we’re a cutthroat bunch when it comes to anything that pits us against each other. It’s all with love, of course, but it can get pretty intense for outsiders.

I briefly wonder what Cole’s family is like. While I know them individually, I’m not particularly close with any of them. I’m curious to know what their dynamic is like compared to my rowdy family.