“Nope! Get out.”
The door next to hers starts to open, and suddenly, she yanks me inside her room, shoving me behind her door, out of sight of the hallway, the only sliver of light coming through the gap between the hinges.
Hastily, she brushes her hair back and takes a quick breath to calm herself. With her hand on my chest, pinning me in place, she leans casually against the door as someone rounds the corner.
“Hey, did you get your candy?” Andy asks her, stopping just outside her room.
I shift a bit, adjusting my pinched leg. Her hand clenches my shirt, her fingers digging in enough to make my abs sting, and, fuck, it makes my eyes roll to the back of my head.
Nearly half of her body is concealed by the door, out of Andy’s sight, and unfortunately for Shay, I have a terrible, horrible,deliciousidea.
“Yeah, I did. Snickers and?—”
“Ooh! Reese’s Cups!” he gasps, his voice sounding lower than before as he ruffles through my bag. “Oh my God. Did you get these for me?”
No! Not my Reese’s Cups!I didn’t even realize I’d dropped it in the chaos of her shoving me back here.Don’t you dare, Shay Rooney. Don’t mess with my chocolate.
She doesn’t even hesitate. “Of course! Both of them actually. Thought you might like a treat.”
If she’s not hesitating, neither am I.
Two can play at that game.
Reaching up, I gently wrap my hand around her wrist. If she wants to get a good feel of my abs, let me help her. Up close and personal.
Lifting my shirt with my other hand, I plunge her hand up my shirt and flatten her warm fingers against my bare skin, my fingers overlapping with hers. She sucks in a breath, her eyes widening.
But Andy doesn’t notice. He’s busy openingmyReese’s Cups, devouring the perfectly crafted, chocolaty peanut buttergoodness.
Shay’s hand is frozen, stiff and unwavering. But then she does something surprising—the opposite of what sheshould. Her muscles relax, her fingers splaying out over the mounds of muscle, as if she's enjoying herself.
My abs flex, and her thumb brushes across my skin, sending shivers through my entire body, the tingles racing to my core.
The wrapper crinkles are loud enough that I feel comfortable leaning to the edge of my enclosure and whispering into her ear, my lips brushing her hair, “Please never stop.”
She gulps, her lips parting and pupils dilating.
“Getting ready for bed?” she asks Andy, doing her best to not focus on her wandering hand.
We can make this more interesting. I smirk, dragging her hand lower to the waistband of my pants. But I don’t go further than that. Instead, I set her course north, sliding her palm up my abs, my pecs, and my neck, until my lips are pressed against her fingers.
Brushing the tips of her fingers across my parted lips, I suck one into my mouth, my tongue swirling.
“What are you doing?” she gasps, her reaction betraying her, as are her cheeks, which are now burning bright red.
Andy chuckles nervously. “You said I could have these, right?”
Her voice cracks. “Oh, yeah, of course! Sorry. I think I’m just tired. And I meant, like, what are you doing here? Just checking on me?”
Nice save.
Slowly, I pull her finger from my mouth, returning kisses to the palm of her hand and down her wrist. God, if she would let go of whatever’s holding her back, I’d love to show her just how good I could make her feel.
Andy’s voice cuts through my thoughts. “You brought your notes. Good. You’re doing better every day, Shay. I’m so proud of you.”
Her shoulders soften, and I suddenly have a new respect for her and Andy’s relationship. I know he was a mentor for her for a long time, then a coach and friend. I can see how much he means to her, and I’m so glad he encouraged her to do this. She’s already made major strides.
Pausing my kisses, I try not to interrupt the genuine moment they’re sharing.
