She wouldn’t insult him saying that, but she was positive that was playing a part.
“It’s there. But you’re not. You’re here. I don’t have any intention of going there.”
The breath slipped from her lips before she realized she’d been holding it. Then she laid her head on his chest needing the closeness more than she wanted to admit.
She got the answer she wanted without having to voice the question.
“Don’t let me stop you from doing something you want.”
“I’m not going to lie and say I wouldn’t be interested in finding out more, but traveling there is off the table unless it can’t be avoided and only for a few days. If it can’t be done remotely, it’s not being done at all.”
“That’s your choice. It’s not as if you aren’t focusing on something else right now.”
“I can do both because one has no timeline. And you’re working. I don’t want to take that from you. I need something to do. I’m not one of these people to work on my tan. But nights and weekends are off limits with anything else. That’s my time with you.”
She leaned up and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. “I enjoy hearing you say that, but you need to do what makes you happy.”
“I enjoy making you happy.”
She put her brownie down that she’d only taken two bites of, licked the fudge off her fingers and straddled his hips.
He talked about breaking patterns. She could do it too.
She had been, but it was fun to continue.
To do it as a follow-up to their conversation.
She took the cookie out of his hand and set it down next to the brownie in the box.
“I like doing the same to you.”
Her hands went to his cheeks, her mouth to his, a kiss that was gentle quickly turned to more.
Their lips brushed, tongues tasting not with urgency, but with purpose. Teasing, tempting, drawing each other in and building heat with every slow, deliberate pass.
“Are we going to do this here?” he asked, his hips lifting for her to feel the strength and power beneath her that clothing couldn’t hide.
“I’d like that,” she said. “Unless you want to go to your room.”
“Nope. Here is good. But I need a condom.”
“Got one in my purse.”
“I love a prepared woman,” he said.
She unhitched her leg from his hip and walked to the stairs where her purse hung. The condom, a secret hidden away so the world didn’t know what she really wanted to do when she saw the man she’d lost her heart to.
Natalie Bond didn’t think about sex much. Not before Arik came into her life.
“Being prepared is my jam,” she said.
“I’m going to tuck them all over the house so you don’t have to move next time,” he said, his hand reaching for her.
She tossed the condom next to them on the couch and let herself be pulled back into his embrace.
This kiss wasn’t gentle or playful. It was raw, commanding, and ignited a heat that threatened to burn through every layer between them.
“And we’ll make use of them,” she said, her teeth nipping at his lower lip.
