Page 56 of One Hot Rumor

She removes her hand.

And I keep my mouth shut.

"You need to tell Richard about all of that," she says. "Tell your dad too. You've been carrying this around for way too long."

"Honestly, it never bothered me until this whole 'special' massage business. Being the center of a scandal is a surefire way to flush your self-esteem down the toilet."

"You are confident. That's one of the sexiest things about you." She loops her arms around my neck and presses her lips to my ear. "You never doubt yourself when you're flirting with me or when we're having sex. Apply some of that confidence to the rest of your life. No more running away."

"Are you telling me to quit school?"

"No, I'm telling you to make sure you're in school for the right reasons, not because you think you need to prove something to your family or that silly girl Gina."

"I haven't seen or spoken to her since I left university."

"You know what I mean."

Oh yes, I know what she means. And she's right, of course. I should tell Rick and my father. I've kept this to myself for far too long, so it's time to act like a mature adult.

"Do you like your job?" she asks. "Or is that your second-choice career?"

"Maybe it started out that way, but I've come to love it." I lay a hand on her thigh. "You know how I love to make women feel good."

"You're incorrigible."

"I also make blokes feel good, but strictly in a professional capacity. The entire Cockshire cricket team relies on my massages. Those chaps play like their matches will determine the fate of the world."

"Do you play sports?"

I slide my hand up her thigh. "You're well acquainted with my particular brand of sport."

"Mm, yes. It's highly energetic and thoroughly satisfying."

"Want that massage now?"

"Maybe later. It's lunchtime now, and I'm hungry."

I get up and kiss the top of her head. "We'll call the food our first course. The second course of our meal will take place in bed."

She grabs my shirt and drags me in for a kiss.

Who cares about school? I've learned everything I need to know from Siobhan and her insatiable appetites.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Siobhan

Nick doesn't give me a "special" massage, not that afternoon. We don't have sex either. Instead, after lunch, he takes me on a tour of Essex, which is the name of the county he lives in. Though we drive through Colchester, he makes excuses for why he doesn't want to stop by his parents' house, and I decide to let him procrastinate a little longer before I lovingly push him to tell his family the real reason he left school.

I think he hasn't given me a sexy massage because he's worried by doing that, he'll somehow validate the rumor about him. Nobody will know what we do together in the privacy of his home, but I still get the feeling he worries about it. That's Nick. He's a confident, sexy, smart man who sometimes forgets that's his true nature. I hadn't known he could be vulnerable until we decided to become a couple. Knowing he has a sensitive side makes me like him even more.

In the evening, after we've enjoyed a satisfying meal, Nick leads me upstairs. He stops along the way to adjust the thermostat, seeming to turn up the temperature.

"Expecting a cold spell tonight?" I ask.

"No. But I can't have you getting a chill."

"Cold doesn't bother me. Besides, it's quite comfortable in here."