“I’m sure, yeah.” The words scraped along my throat, more sweet than bitter. “You?”
“I’m sure we shouldn’t.” He scrubbed a hand through his hair, then ducked his head and exhaled a laugh that sounded like surrender. “But right now? I just don’t fuckingcare.”
The smile started somewhere in my toes, rolled over me like a warm wave. I dropped my voice. “So take me home.”
It took a beat before he smiled back, eyes the shade of secrets.
Two misses and a muttered “Fuck.”
Under the bright glare of the hallway outside Jesse’s apartment, his fingers, normally so sure, fumbled with the keyring as if he’d left his fine motor skills back in the bar. Flattering. I edged closer, biting down on a grin as our bodies brushed, my breath skating across his cheek. “Where’s your precision, doctor?”
His sideways glance was almost shy—an unspokenthis never happens.“Cut me some slack,” he said. “Blood’s mostly south.”
“Could be a vascular issue. Better investigate.” I cupped him through his jeans, and he inhaled harshly, hips tilting into my touch.
“Or…” He shoved the key into the lock.Click. “You could put that mouth to better use.”
“Been there.” I kissed his jaw. “Done that.”
His chuckle was honey-warm. “Not actually how I meant it.”
“No?”
“No.” He pushed open the door and reached back, towed me along so we never lost contact. His place was cedar smell and shoes in an uneven line, a single plant leaning toward a window, framed by the city’s nighttime glow. A little bird feeder sat outside on the windowsill, a couple of books abandoned on a couch that looked comfortable, just like the place itself—small but lived-in. Nothing like that hotel room I barely remembered, my suitcase the only personal touch.
Jesse kicked the door shut behind us. The soft thud echoed down my spine, and I turned into him, let him walk me back against the wall. Yes, God. In the shadowed entrance, his eyes looked close to black.
“Okay, well.” I tilted my chin up just slightly—a challenge, syrup running sweet through my veins. “Then how did you mean it?”
“Like this.” His fingers grasped my face and he kissed me—urgent and sure, an answer to a different question than the one I’d asked. I fisted his sweater and pressed back, my elbow catching on something. Coat rack. Fabric fluttered to the floor, a laugh trapped between our mouths, breathless disbelief that crackled like static, like an underground wire set alight.
I gripped his waist, fingers digging in. “Bedroom?”
“Yeah,” he said and kissed me again, messy, his hands light on my face—better than air, better than anything. Every thought was lost to the breath we shared, to the wet glide of our mouths. Not sure who moved first, me pushing or Jesse pulling, half-stumbling through his living room. Shoes off, discarded like waypoints, then his sweater hit the floor. My shirt slid down my arms one button at a time, his knuckles brushing skin, while I got a hand under his T-shirt and followed the warm line of his spine up, fingers fanning out between his shoulder blades to drag him back in.
“Just so we’re clear…” I nipped on his bottom lip, then caught it for a quick kiss. “You’re not slipping a bill into my jeans.”
His laugh rumbled low, fingers hooked into my waistband to tug me along. “Good. Only carry plastic these days.”
“Huh.” I skated a palm down the subtle bumps of his abs. “Was hoping for latex, actually.”
“That can be arranged.” He backed through the doorway and drew me with him. Flick of a switch, and the space was flooded in soft, warm lamplight that framed the headboard of his bed.Navy sheets were rumpled as if he’d left in a hurry, dark gray curtains drawn, and the nightstand was cluttered with earplugs, a face-down paperback, and a coiled phone charger—quick-blink impressions before we collided near the edge of the mattress. Our laughter broke like sparks.
“Nice light.” I tucked a smile against the corner of his mouth. “It’s like some fancy hotel room.”
It wasn’t, though. This was Jesse’s place, his bedroom. We could have come here last time—it wasn’t much farther than my hotel had been. But he hadn’t offered, which,obviously. Tonight, he had.
“Installed it with a friend,” he said, turning his head just enough to catch my lips. “I can turn it off?”
“No, it’s nice. I can actually see you this time.” I’d meant it as a light throwback to our first night, all shadows between strangers. Even then, something about him had clicked—his quick wit, the way he looked at me.
Something about it must have tilted more serious than I’d intended, though. Jesse caught my chin, eyes suddenly heavy. “Hey. Still sure?”
I met his gaze, reality pressing in around the edges of the room. But, no. Tomorrow could wait—the hospital and who we were, what this meant.
Tonight was ours.
“Yes.” I let it sit for a beat. “I want you, okay? I did that first night, and I do now.”
