Elijah lifted a hand and brushed his knuckles across my nipple. My breath stuttered in my chest, and I swayed toward him.
“C’mere.” His hand slid from my breast to my hip, and his other joined, grabbing me and tugging me with him toward my couch.
He collapsed on the cushions and wrapped his hands around me, his fingers gliding over my bare ass until they met the strip of lace that disappeared between my cheeks. “Oh, I really like it.”
A breathless laugh escaped me as he tugged me down to straddle his lap. His hands massaged my ass as his gaze wandered all over my body. I let my back curve into a subtle arch. I liked the way he was looking at me—as though he wanted to devour me, but he wasn’t sure where to take the first bite.
We were going on week four of spending time together. We hadn’t discussed exactly what this thing between us was yet, but he came over almost every night. I’d yet to sleep over at his place because Marcus was still in the city and living with him. Considering how loud we got during sex, I preferred the privacy of my apartment, anyway.
His hands shifted up my back, moving from the lace to my bare skin. His fingertips were lightly callused, and the somewhat rough texture made me shiver. A faint smirk tugged at his mouth, as though he really enjoyed the effect he had on me.
“What are you doing this weekend?” I asked him. “Specifically, Saturday night.”
His hands stopped between my shoulder blades and pressed, arching my back even more until my breasts were only a few inches from his face. Elijah leaned forward and closed his lips over my left nipple. As he ran his tongue over the hard nub, I shivered again. The wet heat of his mouth combined with the texture of the lace brought an edge to the pleasure. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to beg for more or pull away at the sensation.
He released my nipple, and the damp lace suddenly felt chilled.
“Fuck, that’s sexy,” he murmured.
“Elijah,” I said, fisting my hand in the back of his hair and tugging it lightly. “Answer my question.”
“What was that?” he asked, his eyes flicking up to mine.
“What are you doing Saturday night?” I repeated. My voice was breathy and soft.
“Hopefully, something very similar to what I’m doing tonight.”
A smile tugged at the corner of my mouth, but I bit it back. “Well, I’m going to Yancy’s rehearsal dinner, and I was wondering if you’d like to go with me.”
The sultry expression he wore vanished as his blue eyes snapped up to mine. “Go to dinner?”
I nodded. “Yeah, I mentioned to Yancy and the girls I was seeing someone. I didn’t mention your name because we’d only spent a couple of nights together. I didn’t want things to be awkward for all of us if we decided it wasn’t worth pursuing. She told me that I could bring the guy I was seeing if you were still around. I don’t need a date for the wedding, though. It’s going to be small, and I already told her I was coming alone.”
His hands moved to my hips, and he shifted me back a little. My brow was furrowed as I stared down in him in confusion.
“Why do you seem upset?” I asked, completely baffled by the sudden change in his energy.
“I’m not upset.”
His words seemed sincere, but there was still a thread of tension beneath them.
“If you’re not upset, why do you sound weird?”
He started to lift me up as though he intended to set me to the side, but I dropped my weight fully on him and grabbed his biceps. I ignored the way they flexed beneath my fingers and focused my gaze on his face.
“I just realized we should have talked about this before now,” he answered with a sigh.
“Talked about what?” I asked.
He didn’t have to shift me off of his lap this time. I slid to one side and grabbed the throw draped over the back of the couch. The teddy that made me feel so sexy just a few minutes ago now felt like it didn’t cover nearly enough.
“What our expectations are.”
I leaned against the arm of the couch and pulled my knees up close to my chest, resting my feet flat against the couch cushion I sat on. Then, I pulled the throw over my legs and up to my shoulders.
“What are your expectations then?” I asked.
He seemed a little uncomfortable by my direct question, but I didn’t try to fill the silence. I just watched him and waited for his answer.
