The Neighbor Favor(82)

His hands were still fisted at the hem of her shirt. He tugged in question. In answer, Lily peeled her blouse over her head and let it drop to the ground beside them. She was mentally kicking herself for wearing her old, plain nude bra. She would have worn something sexier if she’d known she’d end up here with Nick. But that didn’t matter. Because he was looking at her like both she and her bra were made of pure gold.

He placed a soft kiss in between her breasts, causing goose bumps to spread across her skin. Then he turned his head, kissing the top of her right breast, then her left, his fingers circling her nipples through her bra.

“Your turn,” she breathed.

Nick pulled off his T-shirt, and Lily stared at his bare chest and shoulders, his built arms and smooth stomach. She reached forward, faintly touching his hot skin.

“They must have made you in a lab,” she murmured.

Nick laughed softly. “The same one where they made you?”

She shook her head. Because she couldn’t make him understand. He was better than she’d imagined. He was real. He was everything.

He pulled her flush against him, covering her mouth with his. She pressed her chest into his and grasped his shoulders. She felt his hands pause as they smoothly roamed across her back. His fingers hovered at the hooks of her bra. “Is this okay?” he asked.

She nodded, and he unclasped her bra. She eased out of it and tossed it aside. His mouth was on her immediately, carefully caressing her nipple with his tongue. She tipped her head back, gasping. She rocked her hips against him again and Nick gripped her waist.

“Fuck,” he whispered, exciting Lily. She bent down and kissed his neck, sucking on his skin. “Wait, hold on.”

Lily froze, bolting upright. “Do you want to stop?”

“What? No. No,” he said, reaching up and holding her in place. “This chair is uncomfortable. It’s hurting my back.”

“Oh.” She laughed, relieved.

He smiled a little, then his gaze turned heated as he continued to stare at her. He looped her arms around his neck, and in one quick motion, he stood, lifting her against him. Surprised, Lily wrapped her legs around his waist as he carried her down the hall to his bedroom. Only then did she notice the small black bookshelf by the window in his living room.

Nick’s bedroom was as bare as the rest of his apartment, but she recognized the bed frame she’d picked out at IKEA, which supported his neatly made mattress. And she learned how soft his mattress was when he laid her down on top of it. He began kissing her mouth and neck, lowering to kiss her breasts, down her stomach to her navel. He glanced up as he tugged at the hem of her skirt, and Lily lifted her hips, making it easier for Nick to pull the skirt off. He kissed her over top of her underwear, then he slowly slid off her panties, and he pressed his mouth between her legs.

“Nick,” she moaned, waves of pleasure washing over her. His name was the only coherent thought she had. Nick, Nick, Nick.

He clutched her ass and she arched into him, gasping. She peered down at the top of his head, his hot mouth on her, and the sight almost sent her over the edge. Then he slowly crawled up the length of her. He eased away, and she watched as he unbuckled his pants and shrugged them off, followed by his boxers. She reached down, touching him, and he closed his eyes, moaning softly.

“Do you want to?” he managed to ask, his voice uneven and low.

“Yes,” she said.

Nick kissed her, then briefly turned, reaching for the top drawer of the dresser beside his bed to grab a condom. He faced Lily again, and she inched closer, helping him slide the condom on, her fingers closed over the length of him. He groaned, biting his lip.

He moved on top of her, propping himself up on his elbows. His hands cradled either side of her face. He stared into her eyes as he slowly eased inside of her. She gasped, feeling a moment of slight discomfort, but that melted away, leaving only pleasure. They found their rhythm, and she wrapped her legs around him. He continued to thrust into her with deep strokes, unraveling her. She couldn’t believe that this was finally happening after all this time. She’d been waiting for this. Waiting for Nick. Just Nick.

She whispered his name. She wanted to tell him how she felt. What this meant. But she couldn’t say it. Her brain was mush. She was too stimulated. “I . . . we . . .”

“You and me,” he said into her ear. Because he understood what she wasn’t able to say. Of course he did. He knew her.

“You and me,” she said back.

Then he kissed her, sliding his tongue in her mouth, moaning as he thrust harder. He said her name once, and then repeated it, his body going taut above hers as his breaths became shorter. She didn’t stand a chance, and neither did he. They came undone together, their arms wrapped around each other.

Nick was careful not to collapse against her completely. He placed a gentle kiss on her shoulder, then stood. She lay there, watching as he went to the bathroom. When he came back, he lay down beside her and pulled the covers over them. He draped his arm across her, wrapping her in a cocoon.

She was exhausted suddenly. She didn’t want to fall asleep, though. She wanted to be awake for every moment of this. But being wrapped up in Nick felt too good.

“You bought a bookshelf,” she mumbled drowsily. She felt his body lightly shake as he laughed.

“Because you told me to.”

She smiled and yawned, her eyes closing against her will.