Page 17 of The Air I Breathe

"I can't imagine someone just automatically think I can’t do something because we broke up and they want to make my life miserable. I'm sorry you have to go through that."

I shrug. "It's what being a woman in business is like. I'm honestly damned if I do, damned if I don't. I've stopped trying to be everything that everyone wants me to be, and just started trying to make myself happy. It's hard when you're taught that you need to be a good girl, and good girls don't question things or make waves."

He leans forward, cupping my cheek in his palm. His eyes drop to my lips. "Rest assured, the only place you need to be a good girl for me is in the bedroom. And that's only if you want to be. Sound good, Willa?"

I'm mesmerized by the clear blue of his pupils. "Yeah. Sounds amazing."

"Would you want to be?"

I've never wanted to be before. But with this hulk of a football player basically telling me he'd enjoy it? Fucking sign me up. "For you? I think I'd love it."

A slow smile spreads across his face. "Good girl," he praises me.

The hair on my arms and the back of my neck stands at attention. I'm in so deep with this man, that I'm not sure I'll ever be able to dig myself out. But the truth is—I don't even want to try.

Chapter Thirteen

Blake

There's no mistaking the interest in her eyes as I tell her she's been a good girl. I wouldn't call praise a kink for me, but I'm willing to do whatever my partner needs me to. Advancing toward her, I move my palm from her cheek to her jaw, thumbing her chin, slightly opening her lips. "Can I take this kiss?" I whisper.

She nods, her eyes impossibly big. "Yeah..."

Tilting my head to the side, I maneuver slightly closer to her. Our lips meet, not in a frenzied mashing, but a slow exploration. So much of my life is go, go, go; I like to take time with the things that mean the most. Right now, it's the woman in front of me. She's been vulnerable with me, and that touches a part of my heart that's never been touched before.

In previous relationships, I've held back a part of myself because those women weren't such forces of nature. I didn't think they would be able to handle me, but Willa? She doesn't need me to be the big, strong man holding her up. She needs me to be a strong man standing beside her, allowing her to be who she is and allowing me to be who I am. That's extremely attractive and a huge turn-on.

This kiss is everything I've never had, and all the things I've wanted. It's slow, it's exploring—a melding of two strong people into one soft moment of defenselessness where our guards are down, and we're willing to accept whatever the other person is okay to give.

Willa's hands rest on my thighs, her nails digging into the sweatpants I'm wearing as she melts farther into me. I take her weight, closing my arms around her neck, lying back on the couch, bringing her on top of me. I can't even remember the last time I actually made out with someone. Probably high school. I also can't remember the last time I was turned on this much. My cock punches against my sweatpants, the thin material doing absolutely nothing to hide my arousal. Sure hands tangle in her hair, palming the back of her head to hold her mouth closer to mine. She squirms against me, and the way she moans when her core grazes my length just about does me in.

Her lips pull away from mine. "Blake..." She whines.

"I know." I blow out a breath. "This between us is a lot."

"That it is, and it's been a year since I've been with anyone. To say I'm horny is an understatement. To say you've got me hot is the understatement of the fucking year. So if you don't plan on this going any further tonight, we should stop."

My eyebrows go to my hairline. "This is all up to you, babe. You set the pace here."

Her hair falls in blonde waves over her shoulder, her blue eyes shining bright. "I'm a little rusty. I never even had a late-night make-out with someone in high school. After I started singing, I was home-schooled so as a teenager not only was I awkward as fuck, but I was on TV, but socially isolated. Do you know how embarrassing that was? It took me a long time to be comfortable in my sexuality, which I am, but at the same time? Fuckin' rusty. So how about we start and see where it goes?"

"Whatever you want, but please don’t think bad of me if I come without you even touching me. It's been a while for me too, and legit, I've had a crush on you for years." I give her a lopsided grin. "Don't wanna make too poor a showing."

She swallows before licking her lips. "I many not have known about you earlier, but I’ve made up for that with a lot of social stalking over the past week or so. You’re a favorite of mine now. There's only so long you can be on IG or TikTok and not see one of you doing something extra hot. You're a favorite with a lot of ladies. I might have looked at your ass a time or two, whether it was appropriate or not."

I chuckle, tilting my head back against the couch. "That makes me feel good, considering I've definitely looked at your ass a time or two. Might've wondered what you were wearing underneath those sparkly pantyhose."

"It's a thong." Her smirk is smug.

"Jesus Christ, Willa. You amaze the shit out of me. I think you're going to be one way and you’re completely different." I shake my head, licking my lips.

"Good. I want you to always be on your toes with me."

After pulling her mouth back to mine, I kiss her again, tilting my head to deepen it as she opens her lips and lets me in. Her fingers run up and down my chest as she widens her thighs, allowing my cock to nestle against her pussy. She groans deep in her throat. I give an answering one.

Turning over so that we're laying on our sides, I trail my fingers down the front of her t-shirt, lifting it up little by little. Inch by inch, her stomach is revealed. We separate. She fans her face with her fingers. "Your touch could make me burn up."

"Yours could do the same to me." With the back of my hand, I stroke her flesh, loving the way she shivers as I get closer to the edge of her bra. "Tell me if you don't want any of this."