“Olivia,” I begin.
“Come on, let’s just—”
“If you think for one second I want you out of my bed so I can sleep alone, you’re wrong. If youwantto sleep alone, that’s different, I’ll give you space…” I pull her back to me, moving that stray curl from her face. “But make no mistake, I want to do anything but sleep in either of our beds. So if you’ll have me, I’ll be there.”
Her mouth twists, hiding a smile. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.” I turn and grab the toolkit from the cupboard before I do something dumb like get on my knees in the hallway because she’s hypnotizing me with those eyes. “Come on, gatinha. Let’s build this bed before I change my mind and keep you in mine.”
***
“Wait, I think that part’s backward? Or maybe upside down?” Liv says, frowning at the instructions.
I lean over her shoulder, trying not to laugh when I see the pages. “Liv, that’s the wrong page.”
I give her a look, but she sticks her tongue out at me, then grabs one of the wooden slats. “Fine. But I’m still right about this piece.”
I crouch beside her, close enough to smell the faint hint of paint still clinging to her skin, and check the slots she’s pointing to. “Okay… you might actually be right.”
Her grin is immediate, smug, and bright. “Ha! Victory.”
“Don’t get cocky,” I warn, though my lips twitch. “We’ve still got about forty thousand screws to go.”
She groans dramatically, dropping onto her back in the middle of the parts like she’s already defeated. I look down at her spread out on the floor, hair fanned everywhere, and the thought that I could happily build a thousand beds if it means keeping her here almost slips out.
Instead, I clear my throat and hold out a hand. “Come on. Up. You’re not quitting on me now.”
Her fingers slip into mine, warm and trusting, and I tug her back to her feet. We’re closer than I meant us to be, her breath brushing my chest as she steadies. For a beat, neither of us says anything.
She tilts her head, revealing her delicate, slender neck, and I bite back a groan.
“You’re distracting me,” I breathe, leaning in just enough that my words stir against her skin, but not touching.
Those luscious lips curve. “I am, huh?” Her hand untangles from mine and drags down my front until she reaches the waistband of my pants.
“What are you doing?” I ask, my voice trembling.
She tilts her head further, silently inviting me again. “Isn’t it obvious?”
My pulse pounds, every single cell in my body screaming to let her. To close the last inch and finally take what she’s offering.
Instead, I catch her wrist gently, my thumb brushing her pulse point. “Yeah,” I murmur, forcing myself to meet her eyes. “It is. Which is why I’m gonna stop you before I forget we’re supposed to be building a bed.”
Her laugh bubbles out, exasperated and amused all at once, and I steal the moment to press her knuckles to my lips.
“Come on. Bed first, everything else later.”
The look she gives me could set fire to the damn wood, but she kneels anyway, tool in hand, muttering under her breath, “You’re no fun.”
I grin despite the ache in my chest. “Oh, I’m plenty of fun. You’ll see.”
Chapter thirty-one
Liv
What’stheequivalentoffemale blue balls? Whatever it is, I’ve got it. In spades.
Because last night should’ve ended with Jay pinning me to my brand-new bed frame and making good on every tease, every look, every shiver he dragged out of me. Instead, we spent two hours wrangling mismatched screws and instructions that might as well have been written in hieroglyphics. By the time the last bolt was tightened, we both collapsed on the mattress like corpses.
