I’d finally found my happy place in this godforsaken city. In the arms—and limbs—of a woman, a very young woman. Not the happy place I’d expected, but I wanted it and took it anyway.
Emerson grumbled into her pillow. I knew she was awake because she’d been pushing her ass back into me for ten minutes.
“I like having you here.”
“You’ve said,” she said, turning in my arms.
“Can’t help it. For some reason, when it comes to you, all my moves go out the fucking window. I’m helplessly smitten ...” My lips lightly brushed hers. “With these,” I mumbled against her mouth.
“Morning breath,” she warned.
“Don’t care.”
Her hair a tangled mess, both her tiny-ass camisole and sleep shorts riding up and twisted, she looked like she belonged here in this fortress apartment. I wished she’d stay forever ...
What am I thinking?
“And these,” I said, my hand ghosting under her sleep shorts, lingering over her heat.
“Mmm.” She pushed into me, and I gave her a little more pressure.
My tongue found her neck and ran a path to her ear. I stopped there and sucked on her earlobe, my hand doing its top-of-the-clothing work below. Ignoring her earlier warning about bad breath—she was so full of shit, nothing was bad about Emerson—I found her mouth again. As I sucked on her lip, she opened for my tongue, and it was on.
It didn’t take long for her to go off in my arms. Her core grinding into my palm, her mouth making love to mine, her chest expanding and falling with quick breaths. It was a glorious sight, and I wanted to wake up to it every day.
“This is so crazy. I can’t believe I live here, that I just woke up to that, that this is my reality. My daily,” she said, falling back into her pillow.
“You’ve been here for days. You should be used to it by now, don’t you think?”
“Are you counting? Looking for a way to get me out?” Her hand slid down my chest, tickling along the way, her smooth palm finding my hardness.
“Never,” I said on a groan.
Her hand didn’t still. She grazed me gently, teasing. I waited for her to pick up speed on her own.
“I still want to look for a different place. After classes really get under way, I’m going to chat with my dad about moving to my own apartment, one that’s more me. Maybe with an outdoor spot for Tuck. Taking him out in the morning is a pain in the ass. On the farm, we’d just open the door and let them out while the coffee was brewing. But there’s some cool spots here ... warehouses. I’ve seen them on my runs.”
“Mr. New York.”
She teased me, her hand on my dick, but I didn’t mind. Although her words socked me in the gut.
“Nah, farm boy at heart. But both women in my life think I should get my degree, so I’m embracing that.”
“Is that so? Both women?” She squeezed me tighter, her hand working me faster.
“You and my mom, but I’m not in the mood to talk about her now.”
I lifted Emerson’s top leg over my hip, creating a delicious friction between us. I moved her hand out of the way and teased myself with her heat.
“Mmm, uh-huh.” She moaned into my ear, leaning in, kissing along my neck, leaving goose bumps in her wake. “Though, I know you’re distracting me. It may be my first time living with a guy, sleeping with a guy ... crap, doing everything for the first time with a guy, but I’m smart. Despite the fact I’m rambling. I know what you’re doing.”
Her soft lips still grazed my skin, sending a chill down my spine.
My heart pounded furiously at her words. Emerson was giving me all her major firsts, and here I was saying that the city wasn’t enough for me. I wanted to go back to my farm, live the life I’d set out to live, maybe not be the best version of myself.
At that thought, my body stilled.
“Hey, what’s going on inside that head?” She tapped my forehead with her finger and stared at me.
