Tempting (Inked Hearts 1)

And she's still around.

She fucking wants it.

Kay, the sweet girl who can't cook anything but almond butter and jelly sandwiches, who chooses vanilla ice cream, who owns a fucking rainbow of cardigans—

She wants it rough.

"Earth to Brendon?" Walker asks.

"Yeah?"

"You okay?"

I don't say anything.

"You don't look okay," he mumbles.

"I'm not." It's all I can get out. This is such a fucking head trip. I can't sew my thoughts together. I can't reconcile the two versions of her in my head—the virgin who blushes at the mere mention of sex and the dirty girl who wants to be tied to my bed.

"Fuck." He laughs. "That must be bad."

Yeah. It must. I've known the guy for ten years, and I've never admitted I'm not okay.

"Go." He motions to the couch. "Sit. I don't want to watch you mope while standing." He tries to play it off as a joke, but concern seeps into his voice.

I plant on the couch. Tap my fingers against the armrest. This is a nice apartment. Leather furniture. Sleek appliances. Framed posters all over the walls. A bookshelf overflowing with DVDs. Mostly sci-fi.

I motion to the box set of Star Trek. The Matrix trilogy. Japanese films I've never heard of. A whole row of action movies. "How come we never watch this shit together?"

The coffee maker drips. Walker moves forward. Rests his ass against the kitchen island. "You know you can just ask for help."

I say nothing.

"You can just invite me to do shit."

"I know."

"Do you?"

In theory, yeah. In practice... I motion to the closed bedroom door. "How was it?"

Walker chuckles. "You're so bad at this."

I arch a brow.

He mocks my tone. "How was it?" He laughs. Shakes his head. "Fuck. You know, I always thought you had your shit together. But I guess you're even denser than the rest of us."

"Been telling you that."

"Guess I should have listened." He brings the mugs to the coffee table then takes a seat. "I'm gonna put on something. If you beg, I might have mercy on you and make it an action movie."

"You really want me begging?"

"Yeah. I don't get off on that shit like you." He chuckles. "Not even gonna deny it?"

"Why would I?"

He shrugs. "You never talk about it either."