“That’s averybad idea.” His gaze holds mine, voice dropping lethally low. “Because the second I’ve got you pinned against the tiles, I’m not stopping until Betty calls noise control.”
I don’t blink. “Sounds like a great entry for my Sexy Wishlist Jar.”
“Jesus Christ,” he mutters, but the corner of his mouth twitches.
I nudge his shoulder. “It’d besoefficient. And environmentally friendly.”
A hand comes up, cupping my jaw for a fleeting second, thumb brushing under my ear before he drops it again. “You really want this, Lu? Not just the questions, but… me helping you figure out what you like. For real?”
The air tightens around us. “Yeah. I want that for real.”
His gaze holds mine. “Then you need to hear this. I’m in charge of how and when, but you pull the plug whenever you want. You say stop, we stop. No questions, no pushback. I don’t touch you in a way you don’t want, ever.”
Heat rolls through me, and my pulse trips over itself, but my mouth tilts into a grin. “God, you haveno ideahow long I’ve wanted to—” I bite down on the word, laugh breaking out instead. “To fuck you, Miller. Since forever.”
His groan is half-pained, half-aroused. “Christ.”
“Lesson One was unforgettable,” I say breezily. “And dry humping you on your armchair was perfect for Lesson Two, so what do you say? Lesson Three in the shower?”
He huffs, shaking his head, but his eyes are molten when they find mine. “Lesson Three,” he mutters. “You talk too much.”
“And yet,” I shoot back, “you don’t seem to mind when I'm talking about the ways I want you to fuck me.”
“First time I fuck you, it’s not gonna be against a shower wall in a rush. I want—” He breaks off, jaw flexing, then finishes quieter. “Not on slippery tile, not with me half-crazed. You deserve more than that.”
Soft heat floods me, curling under my ribs. “That’s… a pretty good answer.”
“Write it down for your damn jar.”
I laugh, sliding off his lap, my legs still shaky. He stands too, already backing toward the hall, and points a finger atme. “Separate showers. Separate beds. Before I forget how to behave.”
I scoff and roll my eyes, but nod my head in agreement. We pad down the hallway, footsteps soft on the carpet. Halfway down, we pause in the doorways between the guest room and his.
“You’ve got some away games, right?” I ask, hugging my arms to my chest.
“Yeah. Stretch on the road. A week or so.” His gaze lingers, eyes darting over my shoulder to Dusty, already curled up on my bed. “You’ll look after Dusty?”
“Obviously. And I should be back in my own place by the time you get home.”
Something flashes across his face, quick and sharp, but he just nods. For a moment, it’s quiet.
Then I ruin it. “Why haven’t you kissed me yet?”
He stills, apart from a muscle working his jaw. “Because I don’t think I’ll ever be able to stop once I start.”
The words thrum through me, knocking the air right out of my chest. He hesitates, like he’s weighing a thousand consequences—Eli, the team, all of it. Then he takes a step closer and leans in, close enough that I swear it’s finally happening, and my breath catches.
But his lips brush my cheek instead. So soft. Devastating.
“Good night, Lulu.”
And then he’s gone, his door clicking shut, leaving me swaying in the hallway, heart in my throat, touched and ruined all at once.
Chapter sixteen
The difference between dirty and filthy
Logan
