“Victor’s a good friend, yeah, but he’s not my boyfriend,” Andrew explained. He salted his eggs, then took a neat bite on his fork. “We have sex, that’s it. We’re not in a relationship.”
My jaw dropped and my eyebrows shot up.
“Are you serious?” I narrowed my eyes. “But you seem…so…I don’t know…at home with each other.”
“We’ve been friends for a long time,” Andrew said. “But trust me – that’s all it is. It’s like a way to relieve stress, you know? We’re both into the same stuff, and we both understand exactly what it is that we’re doing.”
I frowned, taking a tentative bite of my lobster eggs benedict. I wasn’t sure that I understood. I’d never heard of relationships where people just had sex – I’d always thought that was some myth that showed up in movies.
“I’ve never really known anyone like that before,” I said slowly, picking apart my food with my fork. “I mean, I know that I’m sheltered. But I didn’t think I was that sheltered!”
Andrew laughed heartily, throwing his head back. When he saw my cross expression, he narrowed his eyes.
“I’m sorry,” Andrew said sincerely. “I’m not trying to make you feel bad. It’s just wow, yeah, you are that sheltered. Trust me, I know my dad. He wasn’t always like that, but together with your mom…” Andrew trailed off. “I know exactly what kind of rule they’ve been keeping you under.”
I frowned. I didn’t like to listen to anyone criticize my parents, even if I secretly agreed with them. It was unsettling – like hearing that everything I’d ever learned had been a lie.
“I know you probably aren’t ready to admit it,” Andrew said. “But trust me, Kristin. You’ll get there.” He narrowed his eyes and took a long sip of his mimosa. “I mean, how old are you, nineteen?”
I flushed scarlet. “Twenty-two.”
Andrew nodded. “Then it’s about time for you to start learning what it’s like to be on your own. I don’t know why Dad and Carissa treat you like you’re still a kid, but you can’t keep letting them. You have to act like an adult and demand the respect you deserve.”
I slunk low in my feet, feeling awkward. I knew that Andrew wasn’t trying to make me feel bad, but I couldn’t help the sense that I was in trouble again – except it felt worse than it did with my parents, because it was Andrew.
“I don’t know how you do it,” I said slowly. “I mean, you broke away at an early age.”
Andrew shrugged. “I’ve always been like that, but I knew Dad wouldn’t listen to me unless I took steps to earn his respect. And he doesn’t respect me now, but he does know that I’m my own man.”
I frowned. “He thinks you’re gay,” I said slowly. “He’s upset about it.”
Andrew snickered. “I think you know for yourself that I’m not,” he said archly. “Or have you not been paying attention for the past twelve hours?”
I bit my lip as the image of Andrew between my legs flashed to the front of my mind. Inside my jeans, my pussy started twitching and gushing arousal. It was impossible to be with Andrew and not be turned on – he elicited the same kind of reaction inside me every single time.
“But seriously, Kristin,” Andrew said. “You’re welcome to stay here for as long as you want.”
I shook my head. “What about school?”
Andrew shrugged. “In case you didn’t know, Boston is home to a lot of great universities,” he said. “And the job market here is pretty good. You could always finish up at a local school and then find a job.”
I stared at him. Being with Andrew was one constant surprise after another. I’d never expected someone as deviant and sexual as him to have such a good grasp of local knowledge.
But I was starting to discover that there were a lot of things I didn’t yet understand.
After brunch, Andrew handed me a credit card. “Why don’t you go shopping,” he offered. “Get yourself some new clothes.”
I stared blankly. “By myself?” I looked around – the streets of Boston suddenly looked intimidating and busy. “What if I get mugged? Or kidnapped?”
Andrew laughed. “Sorry,” he said, seeing my expression. “It’s just, this is a really safe part of the city. You don’t have to worry about anything bad happening…just don’t do anything dumb,” he said. He rolled his eyes. “Wow, the parents really did a number on you, didn’t they?”
I frowned. I wasn’t sure if he was making fun of me or not, but something about the way he’d talked to me didn’t exactly feel good.
Andrew leaned down and wrapped his arms around my shoulders, pulling me close. He tilted my face up for a kiss and I melted as his warm lips pressed against mine. When his tongue slipped into my mouth, I moaned softly and wriggled my body against his.
Andrew nipped at my lower lip. “You’re great, Kristin,” he said softly. “You know that, right?”
I blushed. I was sure he was putting me on, but part of me didn’t care. Getting compliments like that from the sexiest man I’d ever met still made me feel good.