Chapter 193 Beautiful, Reckless Trouble Reese I’ve met bold girls. Forward girls. Girls who say what they want and don’t waste time circling around it. But nothing—absolutely nothing—comes close to Elizabeth walking into the kitchen, planting herself in front of me with all the audacity of a woman who has never known what it means to be told no, and saying: “I want to have sex with you because you're extremely attractive and I think it'll look good on my list that I fucked Reese Blackwood. Is that reason enough?” She said it like she was asking for a glass of water. Like she was placing an order. Like she was doing me a favor by telling me ahead of time. I just stared at her for a second, cereal halfway to my mouth, trying to decide if I’d misheard her or if she was genuinely that unfiltered. Turns out she was genuinely that unfiltered. “Just that?” I asked, lowering the spoon. “So you go around propositioning every attractive guy you see?”She didn’t blink. She didn’t fidget. She didn’t even pretend to be embarrassed. “If they look half as good as you, yes.” She shrugged. “I don’t see anything wrong with it. Unless you’re a misogynist.” I laughed under my breath. “Interesting.” “So?” she pressed. I arched a brow. “So, Elizabeth…?” She huffed, impatient. “Are we doing this or not? I’m literally offering myself to you. Isn’t that every guy’s dream?” There it was—that little edge of frustration. Like I was inconveniencing her by not immediately pinning her to the counter and ripping her panties off. Like she expected me to fall at her feet because she’d lowered herself enough to ask. “I’m not every other guy, Elizabeth,” I said, pushing away from the table and taking my bowl to the sink. “Besides, there’s a lot more to go over before we get to that point.” I kept my voice casual, purely to watch how irritated she’d get. I like seeing a pretty woman lose a little composure. And she did. Right on cue.“Like what?” she snapped, sounding almost offended. “Medical records,” I said simply, forcing myself not to laugh. Behind me, she sputtered. “Medical records? Isn’t it a little late for that?” “No. It’s not.” I rinsed the bowl slowly, letting the water run a beat longer just to tease her. “I’ve been around the block, darling. I admit that freely. Which is why I get checked regularly. Can't trust these rubbers.” I set the bowl down and glanced at her over my shoulder. “What about you? Confidence like that doesn’t just come without history.” I was curious. I won’t deny it. Not because I judge—believe me, I’m the last person on this earth who has any right to judge anyone’s history—but because I like knowing what I’m working with. I want to know how many men she's going to be comparing me to? I'm sure that's what this is all about. She's probably trying to get back at an ex. Virgins do nothing for me. The idea of being the only one who knows what they’re doing is exhausting. There’s no challenge. No tension. No edge. It’s like being handed a puzzle with half the pieces missing. But someone experienced and bold—someone like Elizabeth—that’s the real thrill. Someone who’s lived a little. Someone who knows what they like. Someone who isn’t afraid to push boundaries. That’s the kind of heat that burns in all the right ways. And Elizabeth? From the moment she erotically moved those hips over my cock, I knew sex with her would be explosive. Mind-blowing. Phenomenal. Of course I’m going to take her up on her offer. Only a fool wouldn’t want to tap that. She’s gorgeous, fierce, sexy, reckless in a way that promises unforgettable nights, and clearly freakier than she lets on. And I’ve been needing a distraction. Needing something that isn’t responsibility or tension or deceit or watching everyone crumble around me. Something that demands my attention in a different way. And she turned out to be exactly that. I wiped my hands on a towel and turned around slowly. She was still standing there with her arms folded tightly across her chest, jaw clenched, annoyance radiating off her in waves. “And your point is?” she said sharply.I slid my hands into my pockets. “I can show you my medical records. I just want to be sure you aren’t going to be giving me anything I didn’t ask for.” Her eyes widened, heat flashing through them. “What? I don’t have anything. I’m always safe. I’ll just get a report to prove that. Is that all?” There it was again—determination. Not feminine coyness. Not bashful hesitation. She was ready to march into a clinic right now and bring me a file just to get the show started. I stepped closer, leaning against the counter beside her. “With that out of the way,” I said, “let’s talk about boundaries.” She leaned forward ever so slightly, her expression sharpening. “Boundaries?” “I’m into… some things that might terrify you.” My voice dropped lower. “But then, we can’t shame anyone for their preferences and kinks now, can we?” She shook her head slowly, captivated. “I don’t have any boundaries.” That knocked the breath clean out of my lungs. “Oh really?” I murmured. “I’m intrigued. Keep going, Elizabeth. Tell me more.”She hesitated for a fraction of a second. A flicker of something—uncertainty or anticipation—passed over her face, but then she straightened, resolve hardening. “I don’t have any boundaries,” she said again. “I want to try everything. For the experience. So teach me. Show me. Introduce me to your world.” She lifted her chin. “Don’t hold back.” My cock hardened so fast it was painful. Blood shot south like it had been waiting for this exact moment. It was ridiculous how easy it was for her to drag this kind of reaction out of me. That was the most erotic thing a woman had ever said to me. Not because of the words, but because she meant them. I pushed off the sink, and with two steps I was in front of her, towering over her, looking down into eyes that burned with reckless invitation. She didn’t flinch. Didn’t turn shy. Didn’t pretend to be intimidated. If anything, she looked like she was challenging me to prove myself worthy of her boldness. “Do you know what you’re asking, Elizabeth?” I whispered. “Yes.” Her voice didn’t waver. “I’m very tempted,” I breathed, leaning in until my lips almost brushed the shell of her ear. “My dick’s fucking hard right now, Elizabeth. And it’s all your fault.” She tilted her head slightly, her lips curving. “Good thing I forgot my underwear.” Heat washed through me so violently I had to steady a hand on the counter. “Let’s find out, shall we?” I murmured. “Please.” Her eyes glittered. “Indulge yourself. I insist.” Her answer hit me low in the stomach, pulling another harsh breath from my chest. For a moment, I genuinely thought I might embarrass myself like a teenager who’d never touched a woman before. I hissed, cupping her neck gently but firmly. “Are you always this straightforward?” She smirked. “Are you always this slow?” A laugh escaped me. “You excite me, Elizabeth. You’re one fascinating girl.” I dragged the pad of my thumb along the side of her throat, feeling her pulse jump beneath my touch, then slid my hand downward, over the slope of her collarbone, along the delicious swell of her breast, over her stomach, until my hand disappeared beneath the oversized shirt she was wearing. Her breath hitched, but her gaze never left mine. Not for a second. She held my stare like she was daring me to keep going. Daring me to see how far she’d let me take this. When my fingers brushed the inside of her thigh, she parted her legs intentionally—wider, offering herself like she was born for it. Not shy. Not unsure. Not waiting for permission. Just wanting. Inviting. My fingers met her heat, slick and warm, and I froze in place. I looked up at her slowly. She didn’t look away. There was no blush on her cheeks. She didn’t pretend to be surprised by her own arousal. Her hands tightened on the counter behind her, knuckles whitening. “Don’t stop on my account,” she said, arching a brow. “Keep going.” There was something in her voice—something like hunger mixed with defiance—that slid under my skin and set every nerve ending alight. She wanted this. She wanted me. She wanted all the things I’d been careful not to mention yet. She wanted to taste danger and pleasure blended together. She wanted to step into a world that most people only fantasize about. I slid my thumb slowly along her, feeling her shiver. She sucked in a breath, lips parting, chest rising. I stepped in closer, closing the last remaining space between us, letting my body press lightly against her inner knee so she didn’t try to close her legs again—not that she seemed capable of that now. “Elizabeth,” I murmured, my voice rough. “You have no idea what you’re asking for.” “I do,” she whispered back. “I want everything.” Not a single doubt. Not a single hesitation. Just raw, eager certainty. I leaned in until our noses almost brushed. “Then you’re going to get everything,” I said softly. “But understand something.” Her breath trembled. “When I start… I don’t stop until I’m finished.” Her pupils widened instantly. She swallowed hard, but the rest of her stayed still, eyes never leaving mine.“Good,” she whispered. “I hate half measures.” I had to close my eyes for half a second, grounding myself. If I didn’t, I was going to take her right there against the kitchen counter like an animal—which I knew she'd like. I opened my eyes again and found her watching me with a mix of curiosity and satisfaction, like she’d found exactly what she’d been hunting. “You’re trouble,” I said quietly. Her lips curved. “And you like that.” I did. More than I should. I slid my hand back up, letting my fingers trail back along the inside of her thigh, teasing her one last time before withdrawing completely. She exhaled shakily, her gaze flickering down to my hand and then back to my face. I didn’t kiss her. Not yet. Not here. Not before I made sure she understood exactly what she was getting herself into. But I leaned in close enough that she felt the heat of my breath. “We’re not starting anything today,” I murmured. She stiffened. “Why not?”“Because when I finally touch you for real,” I whispered, brushing a strand of her hair behind her ear, “I’m not stopping. And I’m not rushing it. You want everything? Then you’re going to get everything. Which means we’re doing this right.” She looked like she wanted to argue. Like she wanted to drag me down onto the floor and make me break that promise. But she didn’t. Instead, she lifted her chin and said, voice low: “Fine. But don’t make me wait long.” I smiled—slow, wicked, promising. “I won’t.” She stepped back, breath unsteady, cheeks faintly flushed despite her controlled posture. Then she turned on her heel and walked out, closing the kitchen door behind her. I leaned back against the counter, exhaling the breath I’d been holding in my chest. Trouble. Beautiful, reckless trouble. And I was already in deeper than I intended. But hell if it didn’t feel good.