“How do you feel?”
“I feel if we kiss again, we might not be able to be just friends.”
I look at her. Really look at this beautiful woman. Her hair lies in thin cables of soft waves against her small shoulders. Her lips are plush like the softest cotton and have a slight swell since they left mine. Even the thin sweater she’s wearing can’t hide the gentle slope of her breasts. But it’s the way she looks at me, seeing me as the man I want to be, the one who could deserve someone like her, that gives me the most hope. “I don’t think we’ve been just friends since the day we met, Tealey.”
The revelation shimmers in her eyes as she pieces my confession together. “You haven’t been dating because of me?”
“Pretty much,” I say, keeping my voice low but my honesty loud and clear. “That was for me.”
She reaches up, sliding her hands into my hair, and pulls me closer. “Kiss me again, Rad.”
Our eyes close, and our lips come together. My worries are lost as our lips meet like this was their destiny. Maybe it’s because this feels too good to be bad, but I deepen the kiss, and our tongues embrace.
My body feels like a live wire, every part of me alive and reactive. The tiniest moan escapes her, and I swallow the sound as her arms tighten around my neck, holding me even closer.
But we need to breathe, so our lips slowly part and our eyes open. I keep my forehead against hers and then whisper, “Wow,” feeling every part of the word and left speechless to form sentences.
“Wow,” she says with a sweet giggle as she pulls back enough to see my eyes. “What do you think?”
I can’t play it cool. I grin like a kid locked in a candy shop. Unsupervised. Her nails scrape lightly along my scalp, and a smile slowly spreads across her mouth. “I think I’m going to need more.”
“Kissing?”
“All of you.” We fall back together on the bed and kiss until we’re breathless again. We kiss until the innocence of mewls becomes moans of pleasure, and our bodies tangle together. We kiss because I never want to stop kissing this amazing woman.
I’m not sure of the time or how long we’ve locked lips, but she falls to the side of me, lying in the spray light from the lamp we never bothered to turn off.
I revel in this juxtaposition of the situation—the rush to do everything with her, to her, and the contentment of kissing her all night long. Emotions. Feelings. I admit to having them all, especially the hot and heavy ones I’m having right now.
I’ve let the cat out of the bag, and there’s no turning back now.
I’m not just sexually turned on, but it’s as if she’s flipped a switch inside me. I’m seeing her in a whole new way, yet the same woman I’ve always known is right here next to me, looking at me like she sees me the same way.
Rolling closer, I kiss her head, wanting to memorize every detail of this moment, of her, of the way her lips take possession of mine and claim me as much as I want to claim hers.
So delectably enticing, I don’t want this night to end. I press my hand to her cheek and run my thumb over her bottom lip. She looks wanton and wild, so incredibly sexy. Is this really happening?
But I catch a glimpse of my watch and know time is our enemy. “It’s almost midnight . . .” I don’t want to go, but I need her to want me to stay.
I slide my hand to the curve of her neck, feeling her racing pulse. She runs her fingers into my hair, and whispers, “Stay.”
“We might get caught.” Why do I always have to be so fucking rational?
“We can lock the door.”
Works for me. I bounce out of bed, not needing to be told twice. Just as I touch the doorknob, it spins and opens. Sucking in a breath, I hold it, securing myself to the wall with my palms glued to the sheetrock and heels pressed to the baseboard. The door stops just before reaching the tips of my shoes.
Tealey flies up onto her knees. “Marlow? What are you doing here?”
“Saw your light still on and wanted to talk.” She starts closing the door. “Is that okay?”
“Leave it open!” Tealey blurts and then cringes. “Sorry,” she whispers, “but we can leave it open unless you think it would be better closed.” She winces again, her gaze avoiding mine. Probably because she knows I’m silently shouting “what the fuck” in my head.
“Sure.” Tealey gets off the bed and grabs Marlow’s hand. “Let’s look at my view first.” She drags her to the window and opens the blinds.