She seemed to hate that he was rich. She did not need werewolf babies; in fact, she actively wanted to prevent that from happening, he was sure. None of the status games mattered to her at all. He glanced at the four even pieces of crystal on her desk. She had totally different sources of status in this world, ones that he jeopardized, not enhanced.
“This is a terrible idea,” she said as if she were on the same train of thought.
“We can stop. I can walk away.” He didn’t move.
She didn’t pull away either. She took a deep breath and put her hands on his shoulders. “We’re like a snake and a fish. There’s nowhere we can both breathe.”
With him seated on the bed, he was at the perfect height and brought his lips to hers. “I will help you breathe.”
She tasted even better than before. How was it possible? Everywhere her hands touched lit his skin on fire, even innocently on his shoulders through a shirt. Carefully, he brought his legs together against her thighs and wrapped his arms around her until he could tip her closer.
She kissed him, and one arm snaked around to massage the base of his neck as he lay back and pulled her with him. Finally, she lost her footing and fell against him. He tried to make her fall as gently as possible, but the bed shrieked like they were hurting it, and he bumped his head against the wall. She tried to pull away, laughing.
“Don’t you dare,” he said and chased after her until their heads were on a pillow, and she was fully tangled in his arms.
“Okay, the only thing I don’t like in this room is this bed,” he said.
“I’m sorry! I wish I could go back in time to freshman year of high school when we went down to Denver with Gary’s truck to buy a bed. I mean, I know I see the future, but I didn’t see you when I was 14.”
He blinked. “That would have been something.”
She laughed. “Oh, by the way, Siobhan? I need a queen bed instead of a full with silent springs because one day I’m going to bring a werewolf into your home, and he would just fit better.”
He couldn’t stop laughing at the image as he pulled her closer and realized he was just hugging her. It was nothing sexy; he wanted every possible part of her to touch him. They didn’t move for a long minute as he buried his nose in her black hair and breathed.
“We don’t have a ton of time,” she said hesitantly. “Unless you’re not interested.”
He snorted and adjusted so the last part of him touched her. “All of me is interested in you. Every single cell. Don’t for a second think otherwise.”
She looked around. “I also don’t exactly have supplies on hand. I don’t think we should roll the dice twice, as it were?”
She was fiery red, and he caught her meaning. He dug in his pocket and shook the foil.
She blushed even harder but frowned severely at him. “You’re telling me you came prepared and that has been in your back pocket the entire time? When we were talking to the twins? The entire time!”
“I briefly considered whipping it out to see if I could hurry them along…”
She shut him up with a kiss. “You’re terrible.”
“You’re wonderful.”
She kissed him deeper, and now that they were front to front, he wanted her weight on him. He risked the springs’ wrath rolling to his back until she was sprawled on top. It helped him know she was real.
“You’re like a giant Italian mountain,” she said. Her legs spread wide around his hips, and it satisfied something deep within him.
“Sono una montagna italiana,” he said with a grin.
Her gaze intensified. “Oh my god, you actually speak Italian.”
“Terribly, according to my Nonna, but enough to understand her when she calls my Italian terrible.”
“Say something else.”
“Il tuo italiano fa schifo.”
“What does it mean?”
“Your Italian is terrible,” he said.
