Page 137 of Lost & Found

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.

There was an entire mattress, and somehow we were sharing six inches of it. Hyper-aware didn’t even come close to describing how I was coping. The front of his knees were tucked into the back of mine. The heat of his chest against my body and the faint scrape of stubble when he shifted only heightened everything.

I stared into the dark and counted the spaces between his inhales. Maybe if I synced mine to his, my thoughts might finally shut up. Once more I went back over the parameters of our relationship in my head.

Fake dating. Temporary. For show.

His thumb moved against my side in his sleep, and my pulse tripped over itself in response. For show didn’t feel at all temporary in this game of fake dating anymore. I let out a soft exhale. Our time was at an end. The thought was depressing.