I can’t give in to him.
I just can’t.
His voice rumbles over me as he asks, “Do you need one of my shirts to change into?”
Yes.
“No,” I say on a heavy breath. Wearing one of his shirts would be like waving a white flag, and even though I’ve had a momentary setback today, I’m still going to continue the plan of scaring Pike away.
Angrily, he releases me, and I retreat to the bathroom, where I attempt to gather myself, to remind myself exactly what the goal is.
It’s not to stare at the beautiful body of Pike Greyson.
It’s not to cup his cock, palm his length, and dream about what it would feel like between my legs.
And it sure as hell is not to think about him while I finger myself to completion.
The goal is to scare this man. To get him to run.
Chapter Eleven
PIKE
Pike: I can still taste you on my tongue.
I pocket my mobile, happy with myself, and walk into the science lab. I find Keiko sitting at her desk, staring into nothing, hands folded on her desk.
“Good morning, Keiko,” I say with a gentle wave.
Her eyes slowly glance in my direction before returning to her stare. In a monotone voice, she says, “Pike, it is morning, that is true. As far as it being good, I can’t muster the strength to acknowledge the good in anything.”
When Cora told me Keiko had broken up with Kelvin, I was surprised. I thought Keiko and Kelvin would end up getting married, and while I haven’t known them that long, I have hung out with them quite a bit during our lunch breaks, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen a better match. They were truly made for each other.
But I didn’t want to get into it with Cora because I didn’t want her to think she needed to share with me.
Not wanting to clue Keiko in that I know about her and Kelvin, I approach her desk and ask, “Everything okay, Keiko? You seem sad.”
“A melancholy cloud has descended over me, Pike.” Her eyes flash to mine. “I’m not sure if word has spread, but I’ve reached the conclusion of my courtship with Kelvin.”
“Oh, wow, I had no idea,” I say as I take a seat on her desk. “I’m really sorry to hear that.”
She nods. “There comes a time in a woman’s life when she realizes she needs to part ways. It was a perplexing decision to make, but after thoughtful insight on my end, I mustered the fortitude to conduct the equitable decision for all parties involved. In fact, I took a page out of Cora’s book.”
What does she mean by that?
“Cora’s book?” I ask.
She nods. “Cora exhibited that, intermittently, we must implement what’s most suitable for self-sustaining processes. As she illustrated in her divorce with Keenan, I discovered the prowess to sever amorous ties with Kelvin.”
Divorce?
Keenan?
What the hell is Keiko talking about? Cora was married before me?
This is all new information. Information that’s quite vital to know, because if Cora has been married and divorced, that could explain her reluctance to be open to our marriage.
But I need to put that aside. Keiko needs a friend.
“If breaking up with Kelvin is what you feel was the right thing to do, then—”
“I just hope this fetus understands the sacrifice I made, based off conveyed desires. Kelvin didn’t want kids and I wasn’t going to force him to raise one with me.”
“You’re pregnant?” I ask, shocked. Jesus, what else do I not know?
“Indeed.”
“Wow, Keiko. That’s a lot to deal with.”
“I’m glad you recognize the staggering emotional complexities I’m working through at the moment. It seems as though no one quite understands my turmoil.”
“Well, if you ever need someone to talk to, I’m here for you . . .”
Note to self—Keiko likes to talk.
And talk.
And talk.
Not only did we talk all morning, but we ate lunch together, shared a box of cookies she brought into school today, and then after school, as I was about to leave, I found her standing in my doorway, a two-foot-long Red Vine in hand and a look of devastation on her face.
We spent another two hours talking.
She told me about how she and Kelvin first started dating.
Their first night “sharing coitus.”
The scientific research they conducted on how to produce the best male orgasm—I can’t unsee the image of a vibrator attached to Kelvin’s scrotum as he’s strapped down to the bed. Keiko told me it was the most cum she’d gathered from him in three weeks of experiments.