The kiss wasn’t rushed. It wasn’t frantic. It was slow, deliberate—each second deepening, warming, building. His other hand settled on her waist, his thumb dipping under the hem of her shirt and brushing against her skin. The touch sent tingles of desire through her.
She melted into him, fingers curling into the front of his shirt. The past week of tension and wanting bled out of her at once, leaving nothing but aching want.
He kissed her like he’d been waiting forever—hungry, certain, and nothing tentative about it. Tess didn’t think—couldn’t. She just tugged him closer, her body answering his before her mind could catch up, the need between them sparking hard and immediate.
Breaking the kiss, he breathed heavily, his forehead resting against hers. “To hell with dinner.” His voice was rough enough to send a shiver straight down her spine. “We can eat later.”
A helpless sound escaped her—half laugh, half longing. She didn’t usually lose her mind this fast. But with him? Something inside her sparked to life.
He kissed her again, deeper, and the world narrowed to the heat of his mouth and the grip of his hands clutching her hips. They’d only slept together that one night, but she’d missed this—missed him. It was as if a year had gone by instead of a single week.
“Jeez, Tess...” The words came out rough, almost reverent. He caught her jaw in his hand and kissed her cheek, neck, and ear in frantic little bursts like he couldn’t stay in one place. “Tell me you want this too.”
She did. God, she did.
“Yes.” The answer came out on a breath, raw and certain. “I want you.”
His whole body went still, as if she'd just broken through the last of his restraint. A quiet groan escaped him before his mouth claimed hers again, leaving no doubt how much those words meant to him.
He backed her down the hallway without breaking the kiss. When they reached his bedroom, he paused just long enough to look into her eyes.
“Tess...” His voice caught. “You're beautiful. I've never wanted anyone as much as I want you right now.”
The honesty in his tone stole what little breath she had left. She slipped her hands beneath his shirt, smiling when his breath caught beneath her fingertips.
“I don't want you to hold back.”
That was all the invitation he needed.
Their kisses deepened as they slowly undressed each other, every lingering touch and quiet smile stripping away another layer of hesitation until nothing remained except the certainty that they belonged in each other's arms.
Brian drew back just enough to rest his forehead against hers before kissing her again.
The bedroom faded around them, replaced by whispered words, gentle embraces, and everything they couldn't put into words.
Much later, Tess rested against him, her head tucked beneath his chin while she listened to the steady rhythm of his breathing.
She hadn't expected this.
Not simply the closeness, but the way he'd made her feel cherished from beginning to end. Every touch, every kiss, every quiet smile had reminded her that this wasn't about urgency. It was about them.
She could have stayed exactly where she was all night.
Reality nudged its way back into her thoughts.
Andy was home alone. Even though he was practically an adult, she'd promised herself long ago that she would never let her personal life come before being his guardian.
Still...
It was early.
Brian shifted beside her, drawing her a little closer instead of farther away. He brushed a lazy kiss against her shoulder before resting his cheek against her hair.
“You okay?” he murmured.
She smiled as her fingers traced idle patterns along his ribs. “More than okay.”
He huffed a soft laugh against her skin. “Good. I was aiming for more than okay.”
