I snatch her hand out of the water immediately and put it to my lips. Her lips twitch into a little smile. “If I’m hesitating, it’s not because of the reason you’re thinking. But this is complicated.” I drop her hand and step backward. “You’re asking me to take advantage of you while you’re at your lowest. And I don’t know how to represent the entire male population. Every man likes something different. I mean, what if I’m into really kinky stuff?”
Her brows quirk up. “Are you?”
I shrug. “Nothing…degrading, just sometimes I like—ah! No. Avery, I’m sorry. I can’t do this. I couldn’t even ask you out because I’m still not over my ex.”
“Oh.” Her entire face falls and I can tell it’s taking every ounce of restraint for her not to flee from this hot tub. “Okay, that’s okay. I know this was out of left field. Let’s forget it…”
I let out a heavy sigh. “I mean, I’m not over the way my ex treated me. I don’t love her anymore, but I’m still angry. I’m not ready to get involved with anyone right now.”
“I get it,” Avery says with a nod. “Me neither. I think I got a little in my head last night in front of the mirror and all. If I’m being honest, it was kind of exhilarating to be that brave. I think I’m chasing a high. Sorry. Can we forget I brought it up?”
No. I’m never going to forget how stupid I’m being right now. I should just pony up and fuck her properly. I’d make her forget her ex’s name. I’d ruin her for every single man on this planet. But that’s not what a good guy would do. This is a deal my dad would jump at.
“Sure.”
“I’m still going to help you, though, with your business.” Avery’s smile is sincere. Her eyes look even lighter, almost full gray…ghost-like. I notice they lighten when she’s about to cry. “And we’ve got a lot of work to do, buddy, so strap in.”
“What?”
“Oh, come on, Finn. Don’t be offended. It’s no secret you’ve been neglecting your marketing. You’re in a hole. We have to pull you out one step at a—”
“No, I mean, you still want to help me for free? Even though I told you I wouldn’t…”
“Yeah. Of course. I have one big project for the summer, but the rest of my contracts are on maintenance. I have the time, so why not? I’ll help a friend, no strings attached.”
No strings attached. Is that possible? Can we honestly do this with no strings attached?
“How would this go?”
“Well, we’d start with rebranding the boudoir website. Darker colors, clean transitions—”
“Not that part, Avery. Sex. You and me. If I were to teach you, how would that go?”
She reaches for her beer and tips it to her mouth to no avail. It’s empty, so she sets it behind her. She could stall by opening another bottle, but instead, she decides to be brave. “It’s simple. We’d have sex the way you like. You’d tell me what to do and how to do it. You’d just be patient with me and help me try new things and get better at them.” She rolls her wrist in the air. “I think confidence is key. Like you said in the closet. But I have to practice confidence in the bedroom. It’s not natural for me.”
“Okay… New things such as?” I’m going to pass out if she says anal.
“Do I really have to say it right now?”
I lock my gaze on hers. “Explicitly.”
She grumbles and rolls her eyes as she sinks lower into the hot tub so the water is coming up to her neck. “Have you heard of that app called Rumble?”
Fuck. “I could lie…”
“Okay, so then you know it’s for like dirty talk.”
“I’m aware.”
“I thought I’d try my hand at dirty talk. I downloaded it.” She smacks her lips. “May I just say it’s kind of terrifying that it took me less than ten minutes to purchase the app, download it, create a username, get into a chat room, and read a message from a man who said he wanted to watch cum drip down my chin as I choked on his mammoth rock-hard cock.”
I snicker at her incredulous expression. “And what did you say to that?”
She tents her hands over her face, hiding. “I said ‘Cool. Sounds good,’” she mumbles through her fingers. “He left the chat room immediately.”
I burst out into laughter. “That’s the best you could come up with?”
“See? It’s why I need your help. I don’t get it. Why do men think that’s sexy? It’s hot for a girl to be gagging and choking and crying? I don’t understand this. Is it just crude talk, or is that really want men want?”
I sigh and set my drink aside. Advancing closer, I use my body as a wall to lock her into the corner of the hot tub. I hover over her, purposely puffing up my chest. “Hold out your hands,” I command.
She does as I ask and I lock both of her wrists in one hand. Squeezing hard, I raise her hands above her head and put my lips an inch from hers. Her chest pulses up and down, and I can almost feel the nerves.
“When you get down to it,” I say in a low grumble, “we’re just animals and it’s about domination. It gets our testosterone flowing when we feel powerful. Our cocks are harder and bigger, and we have more endurance. When a woman gets on her knees or is pinned down and agrees to do whatever we ask when we ask for it, we feel like the masters of our own universe. It’s a fleeting moment in time when we have control in this chaotic world. It’s not about seeing you suffer. It’s just about us feeling powerful. It’s a turn-on.”
She’s stunned, her eyes fixated on my lips. “Yeah,” she barely whispers, “okay, that makes sense I guess—”
“But a really powerful man knows the secret,” I continue, purposely making my voice low and grisly, trying to test whether this brooding attitude works on her.
“What secret?” Her voice cracks.
Oh, it definitely works. Avery doesn’t need lessons. She needs a man who’s willing to give it to her rough and dirty. She just wants to feel wild…and wanted.
“That you come harder when your girl comes first. That’s real power.” I release her wrists and plant a quick kiss on her forehead, retreating back to my side of the hot tub. “So,” I say lightening my tone, “how’d you find out about Rumble?”
She blinks at me. “Does that also make you feel powerful? Teasing me?” Her narrowed eyes and low tone lead me to believe she’s a little pissed.
“You asked me a question.” I shrug innocently. “I answered.”
She rolls her eyes with a huff. “Mason was using it. I thought he was cheating on me, but he wasn’t. He was role-playing with some girl from that app.”
My jaw clenches when I understand where this is headed. “That’s still cheating, Avery. Phone sex is still sex.”
“It’s not cheating if we were broken up,” she mutters.
“Technicality. Why does it even matter?”
“Because,” she says coolly as her eyes narrow further, “I can’t forgive a cheater. But I could forgive an idiot.”