Closer (Stage Dive 4.60)

“So what do you say?” he asked calmly. “We could try just fucking, see if we lose interest in each other. But I honestly don’t think that’s going to happen anytime soon.”

“Huh.”

He waited. I stared. Not much else happened. “Mae, it’s been a shit of a day. And as much fun as this is, I’m exhausted and so are you. What do you say we call it a night and if you want, we can keep arguing some more about it in the morning over breakfast?”

I had nothing.

“I’ll sleep in the chair in your room again. No need to rush things. You can think everything over and let me know when you reach a decision. No pressure, okay?”

My head was a mess.

“Fact of it is, I can’t walk away from you. Already tried going home instead of coming here tonight.”

“You did?”

“Yeah, knew it was the smart thing to do. But I couldn’t do it.”

“I would have been so worried.” It was nothing less than the truth. “Probably wouldn’t have slept at all. I mean, I would have understood, but…”

He nodded. “I know. I needed to see you too.”

I stood there, thinking deep thoughts. My head was a mess and my heart wasn’t much better. Though at the heart of the matter, the man had a point. In fact, he had several of them.

“What do you say, Miss Cooper?”

I raised my chin. “You know I hate it when you call me that?”

“Yes, I do.”

My gaze narrowed and he smiled again. Such an ass. A smokin’ hot one, though. Along with being smart, funny, sweet, and brave. Oh God, I was on the verge of swooning. Game over. “So let me get this straight. My options are, have sex with you, or have sex and attempt a relationship with you?”

“Or there’s number three,” he said. “We go back to being purely professional and never talk about this again. If you’d feel more comfortable, I can have Sam bring in someone else to watch you until the paparazzi leave you alone and you don’t require our services anymore. Whatever you choose, I would still like to crash here tonight. You’d feel safer and get a decent night’s sleep and I’d feel better knowing you weren’t alone and freaking out after everything that’s happened. I can even sleep out here on the couch if you’d prefer instead of in your room.”

“But you’re off the clock, Sam said so.”

“I’m not here to get paid, Mae. I’m here because of you.”

CHAPTER EIGHT

He was here because of me. What did you do with a man who always put you first? It was honestly kind of a new experience.

Slowly, I stepped forward. One step, two, three, until we were almost touching. He smelled good. Cologne and heat and him. I could have gotten high off the smell. “Can I kiss you?”

“Sweetness, you can do whatever you want with me.”

Good enough for me. I raised up on tippy toes and he leaned down and we met in the middle. My hands fisted in his shirt as his mouth met mine. Warm, firm lips. Very nice. At first, I was hesitant. Or I guess we both were. The kiss was soft, exploratory. His breath against my mouth and his lips pressing against mine over and over. It was a sweet, chaste, and pure kind of thing and I could have done it with him for days. Though, to be honest, there were also better things we could have been doing. So I was the dirty girl who had to bring tongue into it. His lips automatically opened and oh yes. I moaned and his hands clasped my waist, holding me close. Like I’d been trying to escape. Get real.

Our tongues entwined and his fingers dug into my back, then my butt. Also, something was definitely making its presence felt against my hip. And it was a sizeable appendage by the feel of things. Or at least one very intent on getting my attention.

“Sorry,” he muttered, eyes hazy with lust. “Adrenaline from the fight.”

I drew back from him another inch or two, catching my breath, trying to still my dizzy head. That kind of thing. Except when I looked down between us at the lump in his pants, my excitement levels skyrocketed all over again. If I didn’t get to see it, I would not go to bed happy. So that decided that.

“We don’t have to go any further than you’re comfortable with,” he said, licking his lips. “I’m still okay with sleeping on that chair. Or I can leave if you want some space.”

“I don’t think I need space right now and I definitely don’t want you sleeping in the chair. You got hurt today.”

His smile was all sorts of soft and gentle. “I’m fine. You don’t need to worry about that. You just kissed me all better.”