I keep walking until the back of my knees hit the bed.
“Promise me something.” He buries a hand in my hair and brings me close to his mouth. “If you need me, you’ll tell me. Whatever it is, no matter the time of day or night, if you need me, you’ll tell me.”
The word tumbles off my tongue. “Promise.”
Tension eases from his shoulders.
I thought he’d push me onto the bed next, but that’s not what Glitch does. He presses me flush against his chest, spins me around, and walks me back to the bare wall next to my dresser.
Our eyes deadlock.
My heart hammers in my chest.
“Ara, I’m about to say something that’s going to come out really, really fucked.”
I can’t wait. “Spill it.”
“I’m glad your computer’s broken.”
I don’t know how to respond, because honestly, me too.
“It got us here, and I’m glad it did. But I’m pissed I can’t fix it. I should have been able to fix it.”
He’s not talking about the computer. I know he’s not, because his tone is restrained and his hands tremble on my hips.
“I’m glad it broke too,” I say, swallowing my pride. I built that damn thing with some of the money I earned off my very first commission. It meant big things for me. It meant I was successful and could spoil myself a little. Since I’m in a dry spell now, with no new money in sight, a massive creative block, failed relationships that were total nightmares, and up until today I didn’t even have food in my pantry, I’d put more meaning on that stupid piece of equipment than I should have. “I’m glad you had that chat room open all the time for us.”
“Me too.” I wish you’d have used it and told me about Jason sooner. He didn’t say those words, but they were there, hanging in the air between us.
Glitch always kept the channel between us private. It was open for me anytime I wanted to pop in and say something. I just rarely did. Not nearly as often as I wanted to, at least. But knowing the option was there, that the door was open, had been a comfort. Weird, right?
“Glitch?” I snake my hand around his neck.
“Hmm?”
“Want to reboot?”
The air whooshes out of him, and he laughs. “Yeah. Let’s do that.”
A do over would be great, right about now. “Okay. How?”
He smashes his mouth to mine, erasing every coherent thought from my head. I swear I’m floating. Blood rushes to my ears and I’m a little dizzy. Holy fuck, this man can kiss.
“Hi,” I say once he lets me go.
Glitch radiates confidence. His eyes gleam with desire. To be the center of his attention is like I’m the sun he orbits around. And I’m burning. He leans into the side of my face and runs his nose up my cheek. His breath is hot against the shell of my ear when he growls, “Heyyy, Kitty.”
Swear to fuck, my eyes roll back in ecstasy. Two words. Two fucking words are all it takes for me to lose my composure. The butterflies in my belly are now a fireball of tight need coiling inside me. I keep my eyes closed and clutch my throat. Breathe. Breathe. Breathe.
Glitch brackets his hands on the wall by my head. His mouth rubs against the shell of my ear again, making my nipples harden into tight peaks. “Take your dress off for me and show me what I’ve been missing out on.”
I hesitate.
“Four,” he counts, nuzzling my neck. “Want to make it five?”
I don’t move.
“Five it is.” Glitch places a gentle kiss on my neck—the polar opposite of the spankings I’m earning by disobeying his commands.
“You want it off, do it yourself.”
“Six,” he counts, even as he gathers the fabric, bunching it inch by inch in his hands. He cocks a brow and focuses on rucking my dress higher and higher. Fuck counting, he can spank me till I can’t sit for all I care. I just don’t ever want this to stop. He tugs the dress over my head and now sees I don’t have on panties.
He bunches my dress into his hands and brings a specific—and suspiciously wet—spot up to his nose and inhales. “Fuuuuck, Ara.” He tosses the dress to the floor and steps back, appreciating the view.
I’m so glad I wore a good push-up bra today.
There’s a massive bulge in his jeans, which further spurs my confidence.
“You look good enough to eat.”
I feel hot everywhere his gaze lingers. “Well, you still haven’t had dinner.”
He runs his thumb across his bottom lip and keeps staring at me.