His hands grip my waist. “You’ve got to stop rocking like that or I’ll come. Again.”
“Good. I want it in my mouth this time.”
Lusty Brie is loose, admitting to things I’ve never wanted before, but I think he likes her based on the intensity in his eyes, the way he holds his breath, his bruising fingers tight on my waist, keeping a precise distance between my crotch and his.
I press my mouth against his ear and breathe, “Wanna try it? I’m aching for you.”
When I pull back, his eyes are shut tight. He pulls in deep, deliberate breaths.
Voice gravelly, he says, “No.”
A smile splits my face despite my body screaming for him. Hours ago, his response would have been a mortifying rejection. Itwasthe mortifying rejection that had me running to hide in the bathroom. Now? It multiplies the butterflies in my belly. He wants to make it special between us, and he’s hanging on by a thread.
I take pity on him and slip off his lap.
“Soon,” he says.
When the chicken is cooked, it’s one of the better things I’ve eaten, the succulent juice coating the vegetables in a rich broth warms me from the inside. But it’s the easy conversation and stolen glances that has my cheeks hurting. If this were a date, I wouldn’t want it to end. I’m suddenly very grateful for the blizzard.
After we’ve cleared the meal, I go to the bathroom to get ready for bed. The water is ice-cold as I brush my teeth, the tile frigid beneath my feet.
When I come out, Sawyer swaps places with me and I run to where he’s piled blankets and pillows near the hearth. After a few minutes, he stands over me.
He rubs the back of his neck. “Is this okay?”
“Oh my gosh, yes, it’s freezing over by the bed.” Even with a mountain of blankets, it wouldn’t be as warm as here by the fire.
“Yeah, plywood doesn’t provide much insulation. But I mean . . .” he makes a back and forth gesture
Oh.Oh. He’s asking if I’m comfortable sharing a blanket with him, now that we’re in this vague “going slow” territory. It’s a little ludicrous, considering everything else we’vedone and the situation we’re in, but the sweetness of it has my stomach bottoming out.
I snap the blanket back for him. He grins as he clicks off the light and gets in next to me.
He exaggerates a shiver and pulls me into his body. “Warm me up, it’s cold out there.” He says his words directly into my neck, tickling me and forcing giggles out, which only encourages him to do it again. “What?” His words are muffled and drowned out by my laughter as his chin digs into the sensitive spot in my shoulder. “It’s bedtime, calm down.”
I wrest my arm free and tug his hair until his satisfied grin is revealed.
“Mean,” I say.
His expression changes. In the light of the fire, his eyes grow darker.
“Can I kiss you goodnight?”
There it is again. That heady feeling that has my skin buzzing with anticipation.
“Yes,” I breathe.
He tightens his arms around me, hands flattening against my back. His hard body is wrapped around my softer one, keeping me safe. His eyes, dark like the ocean at night, are attentive on my face as he slowly rolls us until I’m on my back looking up at him. He smells so good, like masculine soap and toothpaste.
“You’re so pretty, Brie.”
My stomach clenches tight. His nose rubs against mine. Our mouths are an inch away, breathing the same air.
“So fucking pretty.” As he says the words, his lips feather over mine, and I bow under him until our mouths touch.
Somehow, this light kiss is more intense than any of the others. Those were spur-of-the-moment now-or-never moments. This is slow and thoughtful and deliberate, like he’s trying to memorize me. When he lifts his head, I cup his jaw and bring him back to me. His lips meet mine softly with sweet, suctioning kisses. His tongue teases the seam of my lips, and I’m all too eager to let him in. We taste each other with unhurried strokes. If this is what he meant by going slow, I’m all in.
Eventually, we roll onto our sides. Our bodies are as close as they can be, his erection a hard rod against my stomach. It sends scorching desire through me. I caress his face, rough with fresh stubble as his hands rub circles over my back. And we kiss languorously until we fall asleep in each other’s arms.
