He pressed a light kiss to the tip of my nose, my forehead, then my mouth again. A series of small touches that made my heart clench.
“Come home with me,” he murmured against my lips. “Let me take care of you tonight.”
The rules I’d built my life around screamed in protest. The sensible answer perched on the tip of my tongue, but it slipped away.
“Okay,” I breathed, throwing caution to the wind.
For a second, he just stared at me, like he wasn’t sure he’d heard right. Then his exhale shuddered out of him. His hands dropped to my waist, his fingers flexing around my hips, and he kissed me as if the earth had just shifted under our feet.
“Thank you,” he finally murmured against my lips. “I’ll take good care of you, baby. I swear it.”
He didn’t give me time to overthink. After one more lingering kiss, he straightened, laced our fingers together, and grabbed my tote bag from my locker. Then he led me out the back door to his SUV and helped me climb in. I watched him walk around the front and somehow felt safer than I had in a long time.
The drive to his place was a blur of city lights and the low murmur of the radio. Micah kept one hand on the wheel and the other resting on my thigh, his thumb tracing idle patterns against my jeans. Every stroke sent sparks of awareness straight to my belly.
“You okay?” he asked at a red light, glancing over like he already knew I was spinning out.
“I don’t know.” I huffed out a nervous laugh. “Maybe? Kind of?”
His mouth tipped up. “You don’t ever need to be afraid of me, Rylin. No pressure. No hard feelings if you end up wanting me to take you to your apartment instead.”
“Pretty sure there’d be at least something that’s still hard,” I muttered before my brain could stop my mouth.
He choked on a laugh. “You keep talking like that, and I’m gonna forget my promise to go slow.”
“You started it,” I mumbled, my face going up in flames.
He gave my thigh a gentle squeeze and turned his attention back to the road. When we finally pulled into the underground garage of his building, my heart started racing again. It didn’t slow down as we rode the elevator up, his hand wrapped around mine. Or when the doors opened onto a quiet hallway that was probably bigger than the entire studio I shared with Jennifer.
Micah unlocked his apartment door and stepped aside to let me walk in first. I hesitated on the threshold, suddenly hyperaware of how out of place I felt. Of the scuffed, taped-up sneakers on my feet and the cheap tote on my shoulder.
He must’ve seen the doubt on my face because he slid an arm around my waist and pulled me gently inside, closing the door with his other hand.
“Hey,” he murmured, dipping his head so our eyes were level. “I’m lucky to make a fuck ton of money to play the sport I love. But I’m no more talented at football than you are at baking.”
A startled laugh spilled past my lips. “I cannot believe you just said that. The best baker in the world doesn’t come close to earning what a professional football player does.”
“I don’t make the rules, baby.” His fingers brushed my cheek, tucking a stray curl behind my ear. “If I did, you’d be paid a fuck of a lot because you’re worth it.”
I rose on my toes, my hands curling into his shirt again. “Kiss me, Micah.”
He didn’t need to be told twice.
His mouth descended on mine in a kiss that stole any lingering shred of hesitation. He walked me backward slowly, his hands firm on my hips, guiding me deeper into the apartment. I barely took in the big, comfortable couch, gleam of kitchen countertops, or soft glow of recessed lighting. He was all I could see.
“Last chance to change your mind.”
I answered by tugging him closer and pressing my lips back to his, and his growl vibrated through his chest and straight into me.
Strong arms swept me up like I weighed nothing. I let out a startled squeak and grabbed his shoulders, laughing breathlessly as he carried me down the hall. Then he nudged a door open with his foot, carried me across the threshold, and the rest of the world fell away as he kicked it shut behind us.
His tongue stroked against mine like he had all the time in the world, and I melted, a helpless little sigh slipping out. That sound lit the match.
In three long strides, he was lowering me onto the massive bed. He followed me down, his knees sinking into the mattress between my thighs, never breaking the kiss.
“Been dying to have you here like this for weeks,” he rasped against my lips.
His hands shoved my shirt over my head, and he yanked the cups of my bra down. Cool air hit my nipples a second before his hot mouth closed over one. I arched with a cry, my fingers spearing into his hair as he sucked hard, his teeth scraping just enough to make me tremble. I’d never felt anything like it before.
