Page 36 of Coming Up Roses
“What’s complicated about a bit of fun between two consenting adults?” Abi calls after me as I trudge back to the bike and flick up the stand, hefting its weight and preparing to drag it back across the soft sand at the top of the beach.
“Your daughter, our jobs, your ex being my boss, me.” I point to the helmets sitting in the sand. “Can you bring those?”
Abi huffs out a frustrated breath, and I get it. I’m frustrated too. The ache in my balls still hasn’t gone away. I’m beginning to wonder if it ever will.
“None of that has to be complicated,” Abi says, grabbing the helmets and following me up the beach. “We keep what happens between us, well, between us. We keep it separate from work. We keep it away from Sadie.”
I waver. She makes it sound so simple. A bit of fun between friends. Mutual pleasure. Some shared orgasms.
My dick would appreciate it, I’m sure.
I don’t respond as I struggle to push the bike through the sand. Should have just ridden it, but apparently I felt like punishing myself.
By the time I reach my ute I’m breathing hard. I’m grateful that the task of getting across the sand without ending up squished under my bike kept my focus for a few minutes. It gave me a moment of space.
I load the bike onto the tray of my ute, and strap it down, then turn to face Abi who’s standing beside the vehicle, looking a little lost. “You missed explaining away one of the complications,” I say and my tone is bitter.
“Which one?” Abi asks.
“Me.”
She narrows her eyes. “You don’t want to?”
I groan and rub a hand through my hair. “Of course I want to. Isn’t that much obvious?” I snap. I don’t mean to, but I need this whole thing to be over. I need to go back to yesterday when we were friendly workmates and I just had a pointless crush on Abi. I never expected she’d reciprocate my attraction. Somehowwe’re going to have to go back to how things were before, but now I know the feel of her body under my hands, the taste of her skin and the breathy little sounds she makes when she’s turned on … I don’t know how I’m ever going to do it.
“I don’t know,” Abi says, her tone cutting. “You seem to be throwing everything in as an excuse. If you don’t want me, just tell me.”
“That’s not it. Fuck.” I slam the tailgate closed, then take the helmets from Abi and toss them into the backseat. “I don’t know how to do this.” I gesture between us.
“It’s just sex.” Abi shrugs. “There’s only one thing that should be hard.” She smirks andfuuuck. It might kill me. Always in control Abi making dick jokes.
“I’ve never done it,” I blurt out.
“The friends with benefits thing?” She looks thoughtful. “Huh. More a one and done type of guy?” Her eyes widen. “I’m not judging. You can have sex with whoever you choose, as often as you choose.”
Oh great, I’m going to have to spell it out for her. My neck heats and I know I’m going to be blushing hard in about three seconds flat.
“No, Abigail.” I nearly growl her name. “I’ve never done the friends with benefits thing. I’ve never done the one night stand thing. I’ve never done the sex thing at all.”
18
ABI
The rideback to Wildflower Ridge is a quiet one.
After Flynn dropped the bombshell that he’s a virgin—which is the only thing I can assume he meant by his “I’ve never done the sex thing at all” statement—he didn’t explain further, just pushed past me and slid into the driver’s seat. He turned on the ignition, then waited for me to climb in beside him.
As we pull into the driveway to Wildflower Ridge, I try to broach the silence. “Flynn,” I say, even though I’m not sure what I’m going to follow it up with.
“Just don’t. Please.” He grips the steering wheel so tight his knuckles go white. He’s completely rigid in his seat, shoulders tense, jaw tight. “I need to not talk right now, and later I might go fall in a hole. A really fucking big hole.”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have pushed. You don’t want to and that’s enough of an answer.”
I’m intensely disappointed, but that’s my own issue.
I’ve been disappointed since he broke off our make out session, the ache between my thighs still present.
I was so desperate for him I felt like begging him to get me off. I wanted to promise him anything in the world if he’d let us finish what we started.
