She winced, and I couldn’t help but breathe out a little laugh. Thank goodness I hadn’t had the same misfortune. I’d probably be tempted to bite anything stuck in my mouth that wasn’t pleasant to be there.

She drifted across the hall, peering through the crack in the door there.

“But Will?” she whispered, the light from inside the room making her eyes sparkle. “He’s really good. He knows how to use just the right amount that you can feel it like his tongue is right between your legs instead. He touches every nerve.”

I followed her, spying Will inside the room with a girl pinned to the wall. His mouth covered hers, her lids fluttering as his hand trailed all over the dark skin of her thigh before lifting it up and pressing himself deeper between her legs, their clothes the only thing between them now.

I caught her little moan.

“Gentle at first,” Alex goes on, watching him as though she’s narrating. “He savors and teases, and then goes in stronger and harder, and you’ve never been fucked so good and his dick’s not even inside you yet.”

I could see his tongue moving in her mouth, not too deep, but then he licked her upper lip before quickly snatching up her bottom one between his teeth. Then he dove back in, capturing her lips again.

My teeth tingled, and I clenched them, closing my eyes for a moment.

“He does the work, you know?” Alex said, and I could hear her breathlessness. “No part of a woman’s body should be left un-kissed. Will truly makes the most of what he’s good at.”

The beat of the music downstairs vibrated up through my legs, but I couldn’t hear it. All I could hear was her. The girl in the room, her gasps and moans, and not really wondering what he was doing, because I could already see it in my head.

Part of me knew everything my brain told me was true. Men would hurt me, use me, and throw me away, blah, blah, blah.

But no matter what my head said, I still couldn’t help the longing that always seeped in, more and more lately.

I wanted to grow up.

“I’d really like to do that to you right now,” a voice said in my ear, and I popped my eyes open, noticing Alex had come to stand at my back. “I’d like to strip you down and bury my tongue between your legs.”

My eyes rounded, and I dropped the towels. Shit!

“Alex.” A deep voice suddenly pierced the silence, and I froze.

Alex stopped, too, and I felt her shift behind me.

“Not that one,” Kai told her.

“You took the threesome I wanted with Michael and Rika, and now her?” she retorted. “I’m beginning to think you’re my competition, Kai.”

Threesome. I swallowed the lump in my throat. I’d known about it, but I didn’t need reminders of it.

There was a silence, and then I finally saw Alex leave out of the corner of my eye, walking back down the hallway. I clenched my thighs, feeling the wetness between my legs as I turned around.

Kai leaned against the opposite wall, staring at me with his arms crossed over his chest. But there was nothing cold in his eyes. They had me rooted.

The sounds from the room where Will and the girl were started to get louder, and an unbidden image of Kai on top of me six years ago popped in my head.

My breathing shook as my stomach flipped, and I felt dizzy. “I’m…I’m going to be sick.”

“You’re not sick.” He remained on the wall, looking me up and down. “You’re turned on.”

Heat rose to my cheeks, and I shook my head, trying to control my breathing.

“Spread your thighs,” I heard Will order through the cracked door. “Open ’em up for me, baby.”

Amusement touched Kai’s eyes as we both stayed rooted, our gazes locked.

“Yeah,” the girl panted. “Hurry. I’m about to come.”

“Oh, that’s so hot,” Will told her, adding, “Keep rubbing that pussy. Make it nice and wet.”

My chest caved, and I immediately pictured her on the bed in there and what she was doing for him.

“Mm- hmm,” she moaned, begging, “Come on, let’s do it.”

“Turn over.”

A cool sweat broke out all over my body, and I stared at Kai, letting my eyes fall down his body. Even under his clothes, I could tell how beautiful he was. I closed my eyes for a split second, trying to push away the need building between my legs. I wanted to be touched. I wanted these clothes off. I wanted his full attention on a bed somewhere. I didn’t care where. He felt so good, and I remembered. Everything was still so clear.

The headboard in the room started hitting the wall and grunts and small cries drifted into the hallway.

I trailed my eyes down Kai’s narrow waist and long legs, wishing for a moment that it was me in that room.

Entertaining for a moment that I would ever let it happen.

“Keep looking at me like that,” Kai spoke up, “and we’re going to have problems.”

I turned my eyes away. I needed to get out of here.

“Can I leave now?” I shot out.

But he didn’t answer. Instead, he moved, dropping his arms and walking straight for me.

“You know what I’ve thought about so many times over the years? More times than I care to admit?” he asked, planting a hand on the wall behind my head. “You and me in that tower, my hands on you, just feeling you. Remember that?”

I said nothing, and he leaned in. “I liked having control of you,” he continued, his words coming out softly. Thoughtful. “It was different than it was with other girls. Control is an illusion. It usually only lasts a few minutes.” He raised his eyes, meeting mine. “But with you, I felt like I’d have control of you for good. It felt like I could hold everything you are in the palm of my hand. You had to do and say so little to make me want you.”

I inched back, hitting the wall. What did he want from me? Did he get off on slumming or something? Not that I thought I was disgusting or ugly, but Jesus. I purposely dressed in clothes too big in order to deter attention, and Kai acted like he didn’t even see the clothes, the tangled hair, and the dirty fingernails.

He acted like he did six years ago. Like I was just a girl.

But not average, either. I was special. Wanted. Desired.

He leaned into my ear, sending a flutter through my stomach as he whispered, “Take off your jacket and open your shirt for me.”

The urge to push him away hit me, but I remained still, because I really wanted to do what he asked me. I wanted his hands again.

I just shook my head instead.

He reached up, pulling the hat off my head, and my hair came free, spilling out around me. He took a tendril of my hair, curling it around his fingers. The small sensation made my eyelids flutter.

But then he shot up, grabbing a fistful of my hair at the back of my head, and I gasped, wincing at the pain.

“Fair’s fair,” he growled low, forcing me to hold his eyes. “You watched me. You followed me. Counted how many times a day I showered. Did you watch that, too? Huh?”

I clenched my teeth, the heat of his breath hitting my lips.

“Did you watch me fuck?” His eyes fell to my mouth. “Open your shirt for me, little one. Let’s see if I like what I’m getting for my trouble.”

His lips hovered over mine, and the longing in my body raged.

“No,” I whispered and planted my hands on his chest. “You take off your shirt.”

He paused, staring at me curiously as he held my head an inch from his. My skin was burning, and my clothes chafed. It was almost painful. I wanted them off. I wanted to feel him against my body.

Reaching up, I touched his face, running my hand across his jaw and down behind his neck. Warm and smooth, but I wanted more.

He watched me warily, his eyes briefly dropping to my mouth again as his own lips parted. But he didn’t stop me. His hold relaxed.

I dragged my fingers down to his shirt and held his eyes as I started undoing the buttons, but my fingers were shaking so badly I grabbed the shirt in both hands and ripped it open, the buttons flying in both directions.

He let out a heavy breath, sounding almost like a growl as he tightened his hold and lowered his forehead to mine.

But I pushed him away, sending him stumbling back. “Don’t touch me.” And I advanced on him, pushing him again until he slammed back into the opposite wall.