Why won’t you kiss me?
Swallowing the words I want to say, I settle on something else.
“I thought maybe I ruined your plans last night.”
My breath catches as his warm, calloused palms wrap around the backs of my thighs, gripping just below where his borrowed T-shirt ends.
“No, Ser. I’m glad you called. And when you’re ready to tell me what happened before you went out last night, I’m here to listen.”
“Thank you,” I murmur, placing my hands on his broad shoulders. “For everything.”
Electricity thrums between us as the energy in the room shifts.
His gaze darkens, blazing a heated path down my body before lifting to meet mine, and his lips tug. “I like you in my shirt.”
Taking the hem in his hands, he gently tugs me closer. It’s subtle, more of a question than a demand, but I don’t need much encouragement.
Suddenly, we’re face to face and I’m straddling him with my bare legs bracketing his. He’s solid beneath me, a frame of firm muscle and taut skin. I could spend all day mapping every single inch, committing each ridge and indentation to memory.
When our eyes lock, I feel high all over again.
“Guess I’m the one who owes you now, huh?” My words are breathy.
“We don’t need to keep track,” Tyler murmurs, tucking a lock of hair behind my ear. He scans my face, and I lean into his touch as he caresses my cheek. “You’re so fucking pretty.”
At that, my heart stutters. “Even first thing in the morning?”
“Especially first thing in the morning.”
Almost as if it’s subconscious, his fingertips slip under the hem of my shirt and his rough palm claims my hip. My pulse races as his thumb dips beneath the waistband of my panties, stroking my lower stomach. There’s an insistent throb between my thighs that only he can satisfy, and I’m so wet I’m sure he can feel it through the fabric separating us.
Our lips hover mere inches apart, warm breath and mint toothpaste mingling. Nothing else exists in this moment. The house could burn down around us, and I wouldn’t even care.
His nose brushes mine, and his eyelids hood. “This is dangerous, Tink.”
“Why?” I whisper.
“I don’t know if I can keep myself in check.”
“So don’t.”
One hand slides up to the back of my neck, and his mouth captures mine, soft and firm and perfect. Sparks shoot down my spine, a whimper escaping the back of my throat. His hold on me tightens and he lets out a low, impatient growl as his tongue glides along the seam of my lips, demanding entrance. Whatever was holding him back before has vanished; this is the same strong, dominant guy who fucked me senseless in a nightclub bathroom.
My lips part, yielding to him as he threads his fingers in my hair and angles my face. When his tongue brushes mine, we both groan, needily grasping at one another. Now I remember how we ended up with me on the counter and his cock buried inside of me. One kiss, and I’m completely under his spell. I’d let him do anything he wanted right now.
Heat floods my body as he nips at my neck. It’s followed by a trail of searing open-mouthed kisses before his teeth sink into my skin again, hard enough to leave a mark this time. Between the friction between our bodies and the skill of his lips, it’s pleasure overload. I whimper, my nails clawing at his back. He’s going to make me come, and he hasn’t even taken my clothes off.
“Ser,” he rasps against my throat. “I’ve waited months to hear you make those sounds.”
And I’ve waited months for him to touch me again.
Strong hands dig into my waist with a crushing grip. I rock against him again, hungry and frantic with need, reveling in the way he hardens even more.
An appreciative sound rumbles in his chest. “Are you going to come for me like a good girl?”
“Uh-huh,” I cry into his mouth.
Our kiss grows wetter, sloppier as I reach the point of no return. I swivel my hips, chasing the release I desperately crave. When he thrusts up to meet me, euphoria sparks in my core, and my vision tunnels.
My head tips back, my lips parting on a gasp. “Oh, god. Tyler, I—”
Suddenly, the doorbell rings upstairs and we startle, jolting apart. Every part of my body protests at the abrupt loss of stimulation. I’m breathless and fevered, literally aching to come.
Is it possible to die from being edged? It feels like a legitimate possibility at the moment.
Tyler glances up at the ceiling, his brows drawn together. “Who the fuck would be here this early?”
“I think I might have an idea.” But I sincerely hope I’m wrong.
He releases me and I scramble off his lap to open his bedroom door, poking my head out to hear what’s happening upstairs. Blood roars in my ears as I listen, trying to catch my breath. Footfalls sound, followed by hinges creaking open.
“Hi!” Abby’s muffled voice travels through the floor above. “Is Sera awake yet?”
“Fuuuuck.” Tyler falls back on the bed, throwing an arm over his eyes. His position draws attention to the very large, very angry erection straining to break free from his black boxer briefs. Desire pulses like a heartbeat between my thighs. The temptation to finish what we started is almost too much to resist.
“You tell me. I thought she was with you.” Chase says to Abby, his voice flat.
“Oh. Um, can you check her room, maybe?”
Shit. She’s going to blow my cover.
He pulls himself upright onto one elbow. “It’ll be okay, Ser. Just stick to the plan like we discussed. Go upstairs and act like everything is normal.”
“Plan,” I repeat. “Normal. Right.”
Except under our original plan, I wasn’t interrupted in the middle of an orgasm and completely discombobulated.
I run to his nightstand and grab my cell, frantically composing a message.
Sera: Just got out of the shower. Give me a sec and I’ll be right up.
Abby: No prob.
Bolting for the bathroom, I strip out of Tyler’s shirt and quickly tug on my white terrycloth robe, tying it at the waist. What I really need is a pair of clean underwear because mine are drenched, but beggars can’t be choosers. At this point I’ll settle for not getting caught.
Then I put my hair up, splash some water on my face to emulate a freshly showered look, and pray as I climb the stairs.
They’re both standing in the entry waiting for me as I step upstairs.
“Sorry,” I tell Chase. “I was getting out of the shower when I heard the doorbell, and I couldn’t dry off in time.”
“No worries, Sera.” His attention swivels to Abby, and irritation flashes across his face. “Just text her next time instead, Abby. Don’t ring the fucking doorbell. I know you might not relate, but some of us have actual lives and responsibilities and need our sleep.”
It’s a little harsh, but I can’t fault him for being annoyed. Sometimes, it seems like her thought process is either focused solely on herself or entirely non-existent.
“Sorry,” she says, but it rings insincere.
I jerk my thumb at the hall leading to my room, then gesture to myself. “I’m not decent. Let’s go into my room so I can finish getting dressed.”