Settle the Score by Kris Ripper

Author:Kris Ripper [Ripper, Kris]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Montlake
Published: 2024-08-13T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eighteen

For some time we just . . . coexisted. In Orion’s bed. With Scraps curled up against me. We hadn’t had sex (though that prospect now seemed more than likely). We’d kissed a lot, and slowly, like we had all the time we’d ever need, like this was the only communication required.

We’d left the light on. For long stretches of time we just looked at each other, our fingertips tracing facial features, our lips mapping a geography of skin and muscle and bone. I’d never experienced anything quite like this elongated period of . . . it wasn’t foreplay. It was its own thing entirely. The kissing would intensify, our bodies pressed together, still clothed, and then Scraps would make a ridiculous sound in her sleep, or one of us would fall back a little to the looking, or we’d just slow down again.

Time changed, flowed, bent, rose up, then melted back down again into something that carried us along without weighing us down.

Maybe this was making out, which I’d always just assumed referred to the kissing you did when you were about to fuck. Or maybe this was making love, which I’d always just assumed was an outdated euphemism for fucking that was mostly used by the type of people who ascribed way too much bullshit to sex.

This felt like a thing we were inventing that was neither and both and a lot more besides.

“I do have all the necessary supplies,” Orion said as we lay on our sides, sharing one pillow, our fingers touching between us. “In the event we want to do something that requires condoms or lube.” He paused. “Or sex toys.”

“I’m in favor of all of those things.” And I was. “I’m also in favor of doing this some more. I mean, if you don’t mind.”

He exhaled. “Oh. Good. I mean, I am also theoretically in favor of doing other things. But this is nice.”

“Nice” seemed inadequate, and I thought he was reconsidering the word, so I drummed my fingers against his. “I’m not even sure what this is, to be honest.”

Orion’s eyelashes fluttered. “I’ve decided not to overthink it.”

“Oh, is that an option? I had no idea. I’m learning so much right now.”

He smiled. “My old therapist would not be thrilled with this as a thing I am role modeling.”

“I always thought therapy was overrated,” I said.

“If you find the right therapist and you’re in the right frame of mind, it’s life changing. If you don’t meet those conditions, it can be anything from damaging to ambivalent.”

I shook my head. “Sounds terrible.”

“What? Deciding you want to change the way you deal with things and consulting a professional for help doing that?”

“See, that makes it sound very rational.”

“It is rational.”

“Nope. I’ve decided it isn’t. The last thing I want to do is relive all the stupid shit I’ve done in my life.”

This time he drummed my fingers. “Even if talking to someone might help you understand it better?”

“Understand what?”

“Yourself. Who you are. What you want.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.