She took a bite of her shrimp salad. “Delicious. Thanks for bringing me here.”
Where would that kid have taken her? To a dive bar? A bowling alley? Where did the twenty-somethings go on dates these days? He scratched his chin. The second he saw the slim, shaggy haired dude on his doorstep, he knew he’d hit his limit. Maybe this was a friend of hers but did he really want to take that risk? He’d sent the guy away, and because of his size and voice, the potential date didn’t flinch.
“Even though we’ve been sharing a home, we don’t always eat together.”
“Understandable since the first time we did, I ended up mauling you on my terrace,” he said, referring to the pizza she brought over on the night the dog had gotten lost.
A glint of mischief flickered in her eyes. “It worked, didn’t it?”
“You’re very resourceful, I’ll give you that.” He took a sip of his drink. “There was never a plumber, was there?” he asked, though by the way she parted her lips and the surprise crossing her eyes, he’d already gotten his answer.
“Are you mad at me?”
“Not mad… flattered and confused,” he said, which was how she made him feel most of the time, anyway. “How about the pipe problem? Another lie?”
She chuckled. “In my defense, from an early age, I had to get the job done, whatever it was. So I learned to be a fast thinker.”
Pride swelled in his chest. She could have ended up in a bad mind space, like many others with a neglectful parent or tough childhood. But from what he knew about her, she’d thrived, and not given up, and this kind of spirit almost turned him on more than her body and hazel bedroom eyes. This spirit also inspired him. “I have to ask… why did you wait to have sex?”
She lifted her glass of white wine, then answered to him before taking a sip. “I was scared I’d fall helplessly for someone and forget who I was.”
He shuffled in his seat, registering her reply. Should he be flattered or offended by it? This isn’t about you, dude, he reminded himself. Still, his male pride was more curious than his common sense. “Is that where I come along?”
“I’d never want to hurt Madison. I know you wouldn’t either. So it’s simpler, and I feel at ease with you.”
“So I’m the safe choice,” he said in an even voice. There was nothing about her that screamed safe to him, but maybe she saw their entanglement under a different light.
She played with the stem, her fingers running up along the glass. “You’re the most dangerous choice, but because it’s so dangerous, I also know where to draw the line.”
“You’re a magnificent woman, Alyssa.”
She smiled. “That’s something I don’t hear every day.”
Oh, but she should hear it. Every fucking day. “You will while you’re with me. Which should be until the end of summer. The Smiths are back then, and so will Madison,” he said, needing to keep it real. He couldn’t lead her on, and at the same time, he needed to hear those words too.
“Sounds good. Also, I’ve been on the pill for a while. Just so you know.”
God, the idea of releasing his hot load inside her without anything in between them stole air from his lungs. There was something deliciously primal about coating her with his cum, and the idea raised his internal temperature. He reached for the glass of water, and took a drink. “Good.”
“Is there something about you I should know?” she asked.
“I’m one hundred per cent healthy. Can send you exam screenshots if you’d like.”
She worried her bottom lip, then looked around them, and glanced at him. “Good. I mean, in the bedroom… do I have to worry about anything? Like will you pull out some funny looking puppets or any kind of gadgets in the eleventh hour?”
“No puppets,” he said, amusement lacing his voice. Then he squared his shoulders, almost getting lost in her eyes, flames flickering in the hazel irises. “I’ll take care of you, Alyssa. I promise,” he said, and his voice became hoarse, like deep down he meant something else—like he wished to take care of her in every possible way.
She scooted closer, surrounding his bubble with her fresh, feminine scent, and kissed his cheek. The chaste kiss heated the temperature like he’d just stepped into a sauna. She dragged her lips to his, and before she kissed him, he was the one who caught her mouth in his. He needed to show her he was in control, even if a side of him snarled at that concept.
If he truly had been in control, he wouldn’t have agreed to this. Wouldn’t have sent that boy away. He’d done the grown-up thing. But fuck it, he didn’t want to be mature right now—he wanted her. For as long as he could have her. Wasn’t he entitled to some carefree fun?
He touched the waves of her hair, curling a strand on his finger, and tugging at it, softly.
She rested her hand on his leg, inches from his thigh, and his cock throbbed under his pants. He gently decreased the pace of the kiss, then disengaged his lips from hers, but not before planting a peck on her nose.
“God, Alyssa, you’re so sexy.” Tonight, she’d be his. All his.
“Thanks,” she said. “You make me feel sexy, even when I’m sweaty and wearing workout clothes.”
