Still, there was no way it was going to happen with Carter there on the couch. There was enough tension in the band without adding that to the mix. Until I knew if he remembered me cockblocking him the night before, I couldn’t let him know about Leah and me.
“Why don’t we go over to your place so we don’t wake him up?” I suggested quietly, gesturing at Carter.
Leah grinned at me. “Sounds like a plan,” she agreed. “At least until he starts banging on your door again.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m not letting him interrupt us again,” I growled. Leah’s eyes went dark with lust, but she simply turned and led the way over to her place.
My mind was definitely not on the pizza as we sat eating at her small table. I kept flashing back to the taste of her and flashing ahead to what might come in just a little while.
My mind flashed back to those helpless little noises she had made that morning, the moans and the gasps and the whimpers. She had fallen apart at the way I had touched her, and I wanted to do more.
I was also beginning to realize that she wasn’t my usual type at all. She wasn’t the free-spirit, free-love kind of groupie girl that came to our shows. She was a little uptight, a little high-strung. Getting her to relax, watching her fall apart, was intoxicating.
It wasn’t just my physical attraction to her, either, honestly. It was also the fact that she was smart. And as she chattered away during dinner, apparently nervous, I had to admit she was funny as well.
There were so many things about her that drove me wild, and I wasn’t going to pass up the chance to get to know her better. I finished a slice of pizza and pushed my plate away slightly, looking over at her. The food had been satisfying, but not as satisfying as it had been to lay my hands on her earlier in the day.
Leah’s breath hitched as I stared at her, an undisguised hunger in my eyes. She slowly set down her slice of pizza, staring straight back at me. Before I could make a move, though, she stood up, abruptly grabbing both of our plates and carrying them to the sink. She seemed uncertain, like she wanted to give in but wasn’t sure that she should. She was fighting it, her uptight nature warring with basic human need.
If she needed persuasion, I could help her out.
I went up behind her, standing close, waiting for her to take a step away. But she didn’t. If anything, she leaned closer to me. I slowly brushed her hair off her neck and kissed the soft skin there. She melted back against me with a shuddery exhale.
“I appreciate the pizza, but another taste of you would be much more enjoyable,” I murmured against her skin. Maybe it was cheesy, but we were both so caught up in our desires that neither of us seemed to care. I slipped a hand up under her shirt, playing my fingers across her smooth skin.
Suddenly, she pulled away from me, turning around and shaking her head. “This is a bad idea,” she warned me.
“Why?” I asked, a challenge in my voice. Oh, I knew all the logical reasons against it. I might not be Carter, but all the same reasons I hadn’t wanted her getting involved with him? The same held true for me. I might not mean to break her heart, but I was afraid that I might if I let this continue.
I wasn’t going to be here in LA forever, not if I had my way. I was going to make it with the band, and then there were going to be long months of touring. I wouldn’t want her just sitting around waiting for me to return. That wouldn’t be fair.
She couldn’t fit into my life. I wasn’t ready to let her go just yet, either, though.
“It’s probably not a good idea to get involved with a neighbor,” Leah said, shrugging. She looked uncertain.
I rolled my eyes at that lame excuse. “Why not?” I asked. “Anytime you want to borrow a cup of sugar, all you have to do is ask.”
Leah stared at me for a moment and then laughed, shaking her head. I could see in her eyes she still had reservations. I knew I had doubts of my own. Neither of us could deny the tension between us, though.
I leaned in toward her, giving her plenty of time to protest again, to turn away. Instead, she met me in the middle, kissing me again. I felt a thrill go through me.
I leaned into the kiss, pulling her even closer against me, already imagining her naked skin pressed to mine. I poured all my passion, every ounce of emotion, into the kiss. As Leah responded with an eagerness of her own, I knew it was going to be a very good time.