Bet Me Something (Something Series Book 3) (19 page)

Once in his
room, he set me on my feet at the side of the bed, trailing kisses down my
neck. “Turn around,” he commanded gruffly.

I obliged,
feeling him unzip my dress from the back, peeling it from my shoulders. His
mouth left a trail where the straps had been as the material pooled at my feet.
Once my bra was off, I stood there completely naked anticipating his touch. A
hand splayed my waist from behind while his fingers from the other one dipped
down to my sex. I could feel his erection behind me and then was suddenly spun
around. His lips took mine greedily, while he urged me back onto the bed. Then
he was kneeling down, gently taking off my boot and shoe. “You tell me if
anything hurts your ankle.”

I nodded,
watching him walk to the bathroom and return with a box of condoms, setting it
on the nightstand.

He took a single
foil packet, ripping into it with his teeth and then holding it out for me.

Oh, crap. My
mind frantically tried to recall high school health class with the condom and
the cucumber. A flash of panic hit me about whether to disclose it being my
first time? If I did though, what would it mean?

But the moment
all of his clothes came off, every thought, doubt, and brain cell exited. Holy shit.
Colby Singer was naked, and he was spectacular. Then he was on me, scorching
and firm everywhere to the touch, kissing me fervently.

“Put it on me,
sweetheart,” he urged, with both of us now on our sides, wrapped up in one
another with him kissing behind my ear, down my neck.

With shaking
hands, I managed to slip the condom down his hard length as his fingers found
me wet and wanting.

“One more orgasm
for your tight pussy to get it ready.”

I threw my head
back while he strummed my clit with practiced skill and embarrassingly quick
results—I went off like a cannon only a couple minutes later. He added another
finger inside of me, then one more, stretching me exquisitely. Moving me onto
my back, he spread my knees apart to make room for him between them.

He aligned his
erection between the lips of my sex, causing me to gasp at the sensation of the
imminent penetration. Bracing myself for the initial pain, I was thankful when
his mouth took mine, and he thrust in quickly. “Oh, God,” I whimpered, feeling
the sting and then the delicious burn from the unfamiliar intrusion.

Inching out, he
pushed back in, deeper this time. When he buried his face in my neck, I could
feel his labored breaths. “Christ, you’re snug.”

“That’s a good
thing, right?” His hand gripped one side of my ass, lifting me up to meet his
strokes. My initial discomfort was finally giving way to unbelievable pleasure.

He chuckled.
“Hell, yes, although I may not last very long with the vice grip you have on
me.”

Good grief, the
man sure knew how to move his hips. “I think that makes two of us.” I arched my
back, feeling him hit a particularly sensitive spot over and over, building my
orgasm up steadily. When his mouth clamped down on my nipple, biting it gently,
I cried out with my climax as I clutched his backside, pulling him deeper into
me.

“Fuck,” he
groaned on a final thrust, seating himself fully and pinning my hips down to
the mattress as he grinded out his own climax.

We lay there,
letting our breathing settle until he rolled off of me slowly. “You okay?”

I was better
than okay. I felt fantastic after three orgasms, despite the soreness from my
first time. “Uh-huh. Clearly you weren’t exaggerating your capabilities beyond
the kiss.”

He grinned, leaning
in to nibble my bottom lip before getting up. “I’ll be right back. Don’t you
dare get dressed.” He disappeared into the bathroom, I assumed to dispose of
the condom.

Pulling up the
comforter, I waited for him to return and snuggle into me. Naked cuddling was
on the table for the first time, and I, for one, couldn’t wait.

Instead, the
light flipped on suddenly with his raised voice startling me. “Why is there
blood?” He was looming over the bed, still naked.

“What?” My brain
slowly caught up with his words. Shit, he must’ve seen it on the condom.

“Why was there
blood, Kenz?” He looked completely panic-stricken.

“It’s not a big
deal.” My voice was small.

His eyes
narrowed. “Tell me you weren’t a fucking virgin.”

My face heated,
and when he pulled back the comforter, I cringed at where his gaze rested. On
the unmistakable blood spots showing on the sheet.

I sat up in bed.
“I, uh, technically yes.”

“Technically?”
He was breathing heavily, looking more upset by the second. “That’s a nice
word. How about another one starting with
T
:
Truthfully
.”

I swallowed
hard. “I didn’t lie, technically—” Oh, boy, the anger on his face showed how
much he appreciated that word a second time.

“You withheld
information, which is the same damn thing as lying. You, of all people who I
could’ve bet my life would never do that to me, and yet you did.”

“It wasn’t
intentional, but I knew—”

“Yeah, you
fucking knew I wouldn’t have taken your virginity. You knew it, so you lied. I can’t
believe it. I thought I felt something when I—Shit—As if sleeping with Brian’s
baby sister didn’t already make me an asshole, taking your virginity puts me
down a whole other level of a piece of shit. There’s a reason why a guy like me
is not with someone innocent, ever. Not even in high school. I’m not that guy.”
He scrubbed a hand over his face. “Why the hell haven’t you had sex before?”

My eyes stung
with unshed tears. “No one ever made it to the fifth date.” I knew it was lame
the minute it left my lips.

His laugh was
dry and void of humor. “And why was that? Is this some sort of setup? All
along, this was the plan? Pretend you had more experience than you did, hoping
I wouldn’t notice?”

“I didn’t mean—”

He was angrily
taking clothes out of his dresser drawers and throwing them on. “You didn’t
mean to what?”

“I didn’t mean
for it to be a big deal.”

Wrong thing to
say. He turned now, fully dressed. “It was a big fucking deal to me, and the
fact you didn’t tell me means you knew that it would be.” He slipped on his
shoes while refusing to meet my eyes. “I need to get out of here. You can use
the car service to get you to and from any appointments you might have over the
next few days.”

The tears
started while I watched him walk out of the bedroom. Then the sound of the
garage door opening with the car starting up seconds later initiated a full-on,
ugly cry. Putting my head in my hands, I felt the weight of the world that I’d
majorly fucked up.

Colby hadn’t
come home the night before, and I knew, without looking at myself in the mirror
the next morning, that my eyes were puffy from crying myself to sleep. I discovered
that guilt was a bitter pill to swallow. However, a healthy dose of frustration
and annoyance began infusing itself into my misery.

Yes, I hadn’t
admitted that I was a virgin, but if it freaked him out that much, shouldn’t he
have brought that up beforehand? And why was that the hard line after
everything else we’d done up to that point? Furthermore, since he was a guy who
didn’t want to talk numbers, how unfair was it to be hung up on mine?

Rather than
wasting any more energy on my warring emotions, I decided to get out of bed and
make my first priority washing the sheets. After laundry then taking a shower,
I contemplated packing my things and going to my apartment because it bothered
me he’d felt the need to leave his own home. Hopefully he’d only need a few
more hours to clear his head, and he’d be back later.

It was tempting
to call or go see him. But if I did that, then I made it sound like I was the
only one that should be apologizing, when I thought his over-reaction warranted
one as well. As hard as it was, I knew it was better to wait until we could
both be rational about last night.

Although Colby
had a housekeeper who came twice a week, cleaning the entire house helped keep
me busy until after noon. With still no communication from him, I finally broke
down, deciding to reach out by texting him.

“Can we talk?”

Two hours later
I was discouraged that he hadn’t at least answered. I understood he was angry,
but we’d always been friends and if one of his biggest worries was ruining that
bond, then the least he could do was answer with a: ‘will do,’ ‘maybe later,’
or even an ‘I’m not ready.’

Feeling my phone
buzz in my pocket, I took it out, hopeful the unknown number was him calling
from the office.

“Hello.”

“Hi, Kenzie.
It’s Jordan.”

“Who?” Although
my mind had already made the connection to the party and the bet, my heart
couldn’t believe that after I’d had sex with Colby, he’d given my number to
another man.

“Uh, Jordan
Pratt, from the party last night.”

I swallowed down
the pain. “Right, Jordan. Sorry, I remember. You managed to get my number,
huh?”

He laughed. “It
pays to have mutual friends. So I’m in town only for a couple more days and
wondered if you’d like to get dinner tonight?”

There wasn’t one
part of me that desired to go. Instead, I wanted to curl into a little ball and
cry my eyes out, but I was also insulted enough that I forced myself not to. “I
have something I need to take care of first. But then I can let you know if it
frees me up for dinner. Would that be okay?”

“Sure. Call me
later.”

***

I was absolutely
going to fucking kill Colby. I’d gone from feeling somewhat guilty about last
night to being absolutely livid he’d given my phone number to someone he’d
labeled a player—the day after we’d had sex for the first time. I’d never been
to his office, but I wasn’t waiting another minute before confronting him about
this.

Refusing to use
his car service on principle, I waited on Uber and arrived at his production
company office close to five o’clock. The stunning receptionist, who could’ve
been an actress with her flawless face, greeted me in the lobby. She lifted a
brow when I requested to see the man in charge by name.

“Do you have an
appointment with Mr. Singer?”

“I don’t, however
if you could tell his assistant, Rhonda, that Kenzie Lane is here to see him,
I’d appreciate it.”

She gave me the
condescending once-over but did manage to pick up the phone and call while I
stood over in the posh reception area. Thankfully, I’d chosen to wear a long
skirt paired with a cute top, so I didn’t feel completely out of place. When
his assistant came out to get me, I let out a breath. At least he hadn’t told
her to block me out.

“Kenzie, it’s
nice to finally meet you after all these years. Colby has always spoken fondly
of you.”

“He’s spoken warmly
of you, too.” Rhonda was in her late fifties and smiled at me warmly. I knew
she’d been with him since he’d started this venture years ago, and he had a
sweet spot for the woman he often called his second mom.

“How have you
been feeling since the accident?” she inquired, leading me towards what I
deduced was his office.

“I’m healing. Had
the casts removed yesterday, and now I only have to contend with this boot for
a few more weeks.”

 “Glad to hear
it. Mr. Singer is finishing up a meeting, but it’s the last one of the day, so
I’ll send you in after honey.”

“Great. Thanks.”
I took a seat in the small sitting area, attempting to control my anger, which
was now spiked with a big dose of nerves. When I saw his office door open a few
minutes later with two men coming out, the anxiety slammed with full force into
me.

“Go on in, dear,”
Rhonda offered.

My stomach
churned, and I started to have doubts this was the best idea. Maybe I should’ve
waited to do this later at his house. But it was too late to back down now. The
moment I crossed the threshold, my eyes greedily drank in the vision of him in
a suit and tie behind his massive desk. Damn. Having him look this good wasn’t
making this any easier. I shut the door behind me as I took a deep breath.

“Since I don’t
have any more meetings today, Rhonda, I’m heading out.”

“Are you going
home?”

I watched his
head whip up, surprise registering on his handsome face. Other than slight
shadows under his eyes indicating that he might have had a sleepless night, he
didn’t look any the worse for wear.

“Actually, I was
planning to hit the gym.”

“I see.”

“I’m not ready
to talk.”

There was an undercurrent
of annoyance in his statement. Good. I was plenty pissed off myself. I crossed
towards his desk, hoping to keep my voice at an acceptable decibel level. “A
text back telling me that would’ve been a nice courtesy.”

He stood up, his
jaw clenched. “I had a busy day today.”

“That’s
bullshit. Simple words. I’m busy, will talk later. Not ready to talk yet.”

“Fine. Now you
can get it face to face: I’m not ready to talk yet.”

“And maybe I
would’ve respected that or your lack of a reply if you hadn’t gone and given
Jordan Pratt my fucking phone number. I understand you’re angry, Colby, but for
a guy who kept telling me I deserve better, this was complete slap in the face.
Or is this some sort of messed-up test to see if I’d say yes to Jordan?”

He walked around
his desk, stopping inches from me. “I didn’t give Jordan Pratt your number. When
he text me, I told him you were a good girl and not his type.”

“Oh.” This
certainly took the wind out of my sails. “Then how the hell did he get it?”

Anger showed in
his eyes. “I have no clue. What did you say when he asked you out?”

“What do you
think?”

“I think you’re
good at avoiding answers by asking questions of your own.”

I swallowed hard
at being called out. “If me being a virgin was such a huge deal, why didn’t you
ever say something?”

His brows both
shot up. “Are you being serious? I questioned how many guys had achieved fifth
date status.”

“And I asked if
you really wanted to talk about numbers. If anything, you’re being
hypocritical. You wouldn’t like me judging you for your numbers, so how the
hell could you judge me for mine?”

He shook his
head, giving a humorless chuckle. “Unbelievable. Now it’s my fault you weren’t
completely honest with me?”

My jaw ticked.

“What did you
tell Jordan when he asked you out?”

“I told him I’d
call him back later.”

He didn’t look
happy with my answer. “So you lose your virginity one night, then what? Keep
your options open for dating another man? Was this something you needed to
scratch off your list?”

The air left my
lungs. “I thought you gave him my number after having sex with me. How do you
think that made me feel?”

“How do you
think it makes me feel to know you’d think that of me?”

 We were at a
stalemate. “I couldn’t believe you’d done it, either, which is why I’m here. But
based on the facts, what would you think? You were so angry last night, and you
clearly didn’t want to talk to me today, either.”

His temple
throbbed. “You should’ve told me, Kenz.”

I took a deep
breath, willing to meet him half way. “If I’d known you’d be that upset by it,
then I would have. I’m sorry. I didn’t want it to be a big deal and honestly, I
was kind of hoping you wouldn’t notice.”

He merely stood
there without saying a word making my unease grow with the minute that
stretched out between us.

“Obviously, you
need more time, but I don’t want you to feel like you can’t go home. I’ll move
back into my apartment. I’m only a couple weeks away from being able to drive
again, so it’s probably time.”

“You’re not
moving out.”

If ever
exasperation could hit a tipping point, this was it. “That’s your response to
my apology? To demand I stay?”

“I don’t need
your brother calling, only to find out you moved out of my house. It’s bad
enough that I’ve deflowered his baby sister.”

My eyes got big.
“Tell me you didn’t use the word deflower?”

His lips
twitched, fighting the urge to smile. “Would you rather I say I breached your
maidenhead?”

I cringed.
“Jesus. What are we—in medieval times? We had sex, that’s it. Just because you
happened to be my first doesn’t mean you’ll be the last, nor does it carry any
extra burden with it.”

Annoyance
immediately clouded his features. “The hell it doesn’t. You saved yourself for
a reason.”

“Says who? Maybe
I simply didn’t get around to it until last night.” Even if I believed that for
a minute, I could tell he wasn’t buying it.

He put his arms
on either side of me, caging me against his desk. “You’re doing it again. You’re
deflecting.”

Shit. I had no
response.

“I have an
important question to ask you. And if ever there’s a time for you to be
completely honest, this is it.”

I swallowed hard
as he was more serious than I’d ever seen him.

“Did you turn
down other guys because you wanted your first time with me?”

Oh, boy. I
licked my lips as the flush spread over my face. If we stood a chance at fixing
this, I had to put it all on the line. “I didn’t consciously do it, but I’d be
lying if I said that I didn’t compare them to you in some respect. I figured if
I looked forward more to Sunday nights eating dinner and watching cable TV with
you than any date, that maybe I hadn’t met the right guy yet. It wasn’t as
though I didn’t try. I’ve gone out on more first dates than any other girl I
know, but most didn’t get past that.”

“How can you be
so picky when you’re the coolest chick I know?”

“College guys,
for the most part, are looking to get laid, period. They’re lazy about it, as
if getting a meal with a girl and getting to know her is too much trouble. Most
don’t find my brain, my five-date rule, or my smart mouth all that amusing.”

He sighed. “I
can’t say I would’ve been any different back then, although in a few years’
time they’ll wish they would’ve put in the effort for a girl like you.”

I blushed with
the compliment.

“What’s the
furthest a guy did make?”

“Date number
four.”

“The bad experience?”

I nodded and
then blurted it out. “He came in his jeans before I could unzip him and then
blamed me for getting him too excited.”

“So you never
gave an actual blow job before me?” His eyes were wide with disbelief.

“No, I hadn’t,”
I whispered, hating that the fact most likely made me appear more deceptive in
his eyes.

He put distance
between us, scrubbing a hand over his face. “Do you know what pisses me off the
most about this situation?”

I shook my head,
not sure I was ready to hear it.

“That you’ll
demand a guy call you if he wants to talk to you. If they want a kiss, then
they take you out on a date first. That you would have a five-date rule before
you’d even think about sleeping with someone—but you settled for me doing none
of those things. Hell, if I’d had a condom in the car, I could’ve fucked you up
against it in the garage, and you wouldn’t have stopped me. You can say it
wasn’t a big deal, but the fact that no guy had ever achieved fifth date status
disproves the very notion.”

The tears
started falling before I could stop them. He’d hit on something I hadn’t been
ready to admit to myself: when it came to him, I’d been willing to settle.