“No, I just like looking at you.” He cracked a grin. “In my house, in my clothes. It’s a sweet kind of surreal, like when I saw you at the field the first day, only without the stomach-turning panic.”
“I can agree with all of that. I like looking at you too. Now that I don’t want to punch you—as much.”
“You don’t look like you want to punch me at all now.” He stood, cupping my cheek. “Or before.”
“I keep it hidden,” I said, a nervous laugh bubbling out of me as Jesse inched closer.
“I don’t know about that.” He grazed his thumb over my lips. “You came in pretty fired up.”
“When I finally decided to come here, I got pretty worked up on the drive. I still can’t believe you did that tonight.”
“Which part?” He framed my face, running his thumb back and forth over the seam of my lips. “Coming to stop your date, kissing you in the parking lot, or making you come next to my staircase?”
“You’ve had a busy night,” I croaked out, lolling my head to the side as he nuzzled my neck.
“I guess I have,” he muttered, running his tongue over the sensitive skin behind my ear. I felt his smile against my skin when I jerked in his arms.
“We need to talk,” I said, letting my head fall back as he ran his lips down my throat.
“I know,” he said, his voice dropping low as he fisted the bottom of his sweatshirt and dragged it up my torso. “And we will. I just can’t stop touching you.” He cupped my breasts, dipping his fingers inside the cups of my bra before yanking them down.
I should have been saying something like “No, we need to talk now” or “We need to slow down”. The only words falling from my lips were “Fuck yes” as he sucked a nipple into his mouth, dragging it between his teeth before licking a path across my chest.
“You still love this, huh?” he murmured with my other nipple in his mouth.
“Mmm-hmm,” I mumbled, grasping the back of his head as I tried to pull the rest of the hoodie off with my other hand.
“Need some help, baby?” Jesse straightened. His hooded eyes were full of a carnal heat I didn’t remember from our younger days. A smirk tilted his mouth as he pulled the shirt over my head and let it fall on the carpet with a soft thump.
“My God,” he said, his eyes wide as they roamed my body. “You’re so gorgeous. I can’t even look at you,” he growled, diving a hand into my hair and crushing his mouth against mine.
“That’s something every girl wants to hear.” I laughed as he kissed down my chest and across my stomach.
“I can barely look at you because you’re too damn beautiful. It’s too much.” Jesse skated his palms down my chest and hooked his thumbs into the waistband of my jeans. “It’s always been too much, but I’m not giving it back this time.”
My hands quivered as I delved them into Jesse’s hair. I wasn’t sure if it was from being so turned on that my vision was hazy or the promise of him not giving us up. He was right, it had always been too much, and I had no doubt that once he was inside me again, I’d be completely ruined.
But wasn’t I already?
This was too soon, and despite knowing that, I couldn’t stop it. Even though I had the urge to pay attention to every second in case I had nothing but the memories for the next twenty years.
He grabbed my wrist as I fisted the material at the bottom of his T-shirt.
“Upstairs. I want you in my bed—as nice as against the staircase was,” he said before lifting me by the waist and hoisting me over his shoulder.
“Jesse, stop. I can walk,” I said, trying to push out of his hold as I bounced against his back.
“I’m returning the favor,” he told me over his shoulder. “You helped me up the stairs to get me into bed. I’m just paying you back.”
“But I didn’t carry you. Stop.” I laughed as he set me down on the bed.
“Now, where were we?” He peeled off his shirt and hovered over me. “Right,” he said, holding my gaze as he popped the button open on my jeans. I lifted my hips for him to slide them down my legs, but he stopped, furrowing his brow as he peered down at me.
“What’s wrong?” I panted out. If we hesitated, I’d come to my senses, and the ache at my core was too in need of relief to entertain any of that.
“You’re sure?”
I dropped my head back in frustration.
