I snorted and slid off the bed, needing to use the bathroom quickly.
“Hey, come back.”
God, I loved his openness about wanting me, without worrying about being too cool. It was so refreshing. “I’m not leaving. This is my room, punk.” I smiled at him. “Give me a minute of privacy, would you?”
“Mm, I’ll think about it. But get your cute naked ass back to me.”
God, I couldn’t stop smiling. Even as I took care of business, washed my hands, and stared at myself in the mirror, I was so happy. My face had a glow, and yeah, I had two hickeys on my neck, but I kinda loved them.
I would have to cover them tomorrow, but that was a tomorrow-me concern, not a right now one.
“Sloane Mercer, it’s been two minutes. Time’s up, or I’m coming to get you.”
I giggled. Freaking giggled and yeah, tomorrow I’d wake up and probably freak the hell out, but tonight… I was gonna enjoy every single second because that damn man made me feel alive, wanted, and desired…something I hadn’t felt most of my life.
22
OLIVER
“Five more minutes.” A sleepy, feminine voice had me stirring.
I was so warm and comfortable and relaxed. That last one was big. I never woke up feeling like this—ready and loose. My mind was usually a mess of spaghetti on game day. Yet, this was so fucking different. My face pressed against Sloane’s neck, her lingering citrus perfume blending with sweat and soap in an intoxicating scent. I inhaled, tightening my grip on her waist and yanking her against me. “Good morning,” I whispered, my voice all raspy.
She sighed and rolled onto her side, and I spooned her, running my hand up and down her naked and cozy body. She relaxed against me despite the fact my cock was already hard. I mean, how could I not be? I woke up next to her, and she was a bombshell.
God, last night was incredible.
“You sleep okay?” I kissed her neck, smoothing her messy hair out of the way.
“Mm hmm.” She brought the blankets up and snuggled deeper. “Don’t want to get up.”
“Are you always this sleepy in the morning?” I grinned. I loved learning this shit about her.
She mumbled something unintelligible into the pillow, then turned her head enough that her lips brushed my bicep. “When I’m all warm and comfortable like this, then yes.”
God. That hit something in my chest I wasn’t ready for. I held her a little tighter and slid my hand down the curve of her back and over her hip, just once. Not to start anything, but to feel her. Because I could. Because she was here, and she wasn’t pulling away.
“I’ll wake you up gently,” I murmured. “Ten out of ten bedside manner. You’ll barely notice.”
Her sleepy laugh was the kind of sound I’d replay in my head during every hotel night for the rest of the season. She turned her face to mine, eyes still closed. “You’re ridiculous.”
“And you’re perfect.” I kissed her temple. “We’ve got an hour until check-ins. Think you can be vertical by then?”
“Barely,” she groaned, but she sat up anyway. The blanket fell around her waist, and for a second, I forgot how to breathe. Her body was perfection, and one night would never be enough. I ran a hand over my jaw, heat prickling my skin as I studied her.
The curve of her spine, the dimples above her ass, her perky tits with pebbled nipples. The muscles of her thighs and the few freckles over her body. “Let me see you tonight, after we get back.”
She turned, holding a towel against her chest with an arched brow. “What was that now?”
“I want to see you again.” I stood from the bed, loving how agile, loose, and relaxed I felt. I knew my body, every fucking sign from it, and I was practically humming. “I need to see you again, like this. Open, perfect, beautiful, reactive.” I took her hand and interlaced our fingers. “Please come to my place tonight.”
She sucked in a breath, her eyes widening as she stared at our hands. “Oliver?—”
“Think about it,” I blurted out, kissing the inside of her wrist. “Don’t think of all the reasons you should say no. Think of all the reasons you should say yes, because there are quite a few of them.” I held her gaze, watching her brown eyes swirl with uncertainty.
It wasn’t regret, that was clear. Thank god, because I wasn’t sure I’d recover if she regretted me. But worry was there, and I had to reassure her. “If you need time, then I can be patient, but I really don’t wanna fucking wait.”
Her lips quirked. “Yeah, you and patience don’t go well.”
