Kalilah nodded, and something clicked. She knew there was an issue with his confidence, and this was beyond something he would have told himself. Someone else was involved in the equation somehow. She was still lost in her thoughts when he spoke.
“What are you thinking about?”
She looked at him. “I was thinking about you.”
Nick smiled cautiously. “Well, here I am.”
“Only because you forgot your phone.” He looked at the floor then back at her.
“That’s not true. I needed a moment. I just didn’t handle it correctly.” His eyes searched her face for any sign of understanding.
“Who was she, Nick?”
Kalilah knew he knew exactly who she was talking about, but he didn’t appear to want to relive anything at that moment.
“Who?”
She stepped closer to him and put her hand on his cheek. “Who is the person who zapped your confidence?”
“Well…”
He closed his eyes and rubbed his cheek into her palm; the hair on his face tickled. She remembered how it felt on her breasts last night. She mentally slapped herself to focus. He opened his eyes and looked at her with a mixture of desire and defeat. She had an idea.
“Come with me.”
She grabbed his hand and led him to her bedroom. He interlocked his fingers with hers. She took it as an unspoken promise that he wasn’t going to bolt again. She pulled him into the room.
“Lie down.” He looked around and at the door. She turned his face, forcing him to look her in the eyes. “You chose me for a reason. Now, trust me.”
He acquiesced and climbed under her blanket, putting his glasses on the nightstand. She closed the door making it completely dark. She was grateful she’d purchased her blackout curtains yesterday and made her nosy sister help her hang them. She climbed in on the other side of him and snuggled against him. He wrapped his arm around her, and she laid her head on his chest. His heart was beating rapidly.
“Take in a deep breath and let it out.” He did as he was instructed, and his heart slowed down a little. “Now. Talk.”
He told her about the girls that would use him to get to Dex. Because Dex was the “attractive” brother. Then he talked about the girls that tried to be with him just to be in the Sinclair circle. He explained that he used to intentionally avoid sex because he didn’t want any fake pregnancies. Then he talked about Meg and how she was verbally abusive. Meg pissed Kalilah off more than she expected. She hated that Nick was treated badly by the one person with whom he had tried to build a relationship.
“That’s not normal, Nick. She was a manipulative bitch.” Kalilah fumed in the dark. “There’s nothing wrong with you. You are kind, thoughtful, and smart. She’s full of shit.”
She felt his chest rumble with laughter. His heart rate was steady, and he was relaxed. Well, most of him was relaxed. He turned so he was facing her. He rubbed her arm as he spoke.
“Thank you for listening and not hating me because I left.”
Nick’s voice was soft and sexy. His erection was sticking her in the hip. He was still rubbing her arm while grazing it with his nails, setting her nerves on fire. She didn’t have to see his face to know that he was doing it on purpose. He ran his hand from her thigh, up her gown, and rested it on her naked hip. His face was closer now. She could feel his breath on her check when he spoke.
“Can you tell me why you never seem to have on panties?” His lips were a whisper away from hers.
“Easy access and less laundry,” Kalilah said against his lips. She waited to see if he would close the distance between them.
His soft lips nipped hers. “I’m not ready now, but I will be soon.” He tasted like mint. Their kiss was soft and leisurely. Nick explored her mouth like he’d never kissed her before. He slid his hand down to the back of her thigh and pulled her leg over his. He pulled her closer. His erection pressed against her belly. He broke the kiss and laughed.
“My little friend has been under so much pressure lately.”
Kalilah reached between them and found her target. He was big, hard, smooth, and wet. Nick moaned against her lips.
“Let’s relieve some of the pressure.” Kalilah offered as she started to stroke him. She felt him tense and pull at his shirt. Then she remembered that he didn’t panic until she asked him to strip.
“It’s dark in here, Nick. I can’t see you.”
She felt him relax. She bit back a moan when he started to nip at her neck and shoulder.