“I can’t believe it. You’re a swindler. Who knew?”
“I’m not a swindler!” she exclaims, continuing to clean up my nose with fresh gauze.
“Are you kidding? You hustled us good, baby.”
“Shut up.”
I laugh. “I like it when you’re bossy. Maybe you should try that later tonight, when we’re alone.”
“Hmm,” she says. “Interesting premise, being alone. I kind of thought we would be all night.”
“You don’t like Holley and Jake?”
She shakes her head. “You know that’s not what I’m saying.”
“I know.” I sigh. “I’m sorry I didn’t warn you. I didn’t plan it this way. They just kind of invited themselves. It’s sweet, really. They thought they could help ensure you didn’t run off too soon, before I had a chance to convince you I’m worth all the trouble.”
She searches my eyes. “What trouble?”
“Lauren, come on. I’ve been gone for a week without communication of any sort. That’s not exactly the ideal situation post-first date. At least, not in the handbook,” I tease gently.
“It was hard,” she admits as she finishes up with my nose and tosses the used first aid items into the trash can nearby. Once she turns back around, she squares her shoulders and meets my eyes again. “It was definitely hard,” she repeats. “But I knew what I was signing up for when I agreed to go on that first date with you. I knew probably better than anyone because I grew up with it. I’m still willing to see where this goes if you are.”
Her words hit the bull’s-eye that is my chest. “You are?”
She nods.
In an instant, it feels like a thousand pounds of stress and uncertainty lift from my shoulders. Thank everything.
“Well, then I know exactly where it needs to go now…”
“Where?”
I waggle my brows. “Right to my bedroom.”
She giggles, a rosy hue making her cheeks light up in the fluorescent underglow of the hallway.
“Let’s ditch the double part of our date and do it.”
She slaps my chest. “Garrett!” she exclaims, her voice a whisper. “We can’t just ditch them.”
“Sure, we can. It’s easy.”
“That’s rude.”
“You know what’s rude? Inviting yourself on your best friend’s date.”
“Garrett.”
“I’ll send him a text. Don’t worry about it.”
I can see the excitement in her eyes at the possibility of being a little bad, and that certifies it for me. I’ll do anything to preserve that look until we’re deep in the sheets of my bed.
Standing quickly, I whip out my phone and shoot a text to Jake.
Me: Sorry, dude, but we’re getting out of here. You guys are a little too much company, if you know what I mean. Think you and Holley can find your own way home?
I’m about to put my phone in my pocket and call it a night no matter what Jake says, but he answers me so fast, I can’t help but read it.
Jake: Nope, too late. You can’t ditch us because we already ditched you. We’re in an Uber on our way home. Have fun, sucker.
Lauren
We didn’t waste any time after we left the escape room.
Straight to Garrett’s house we went. And although the urge to explore his house was strong, the urge to get to his bedroom in record time won out.
He grabs my hips and drags me down the bed, spreading my thighs when I reach the end of the slide with two firmly confident hands on the insides of my thighs.
His fingertips are warm on my skin, so warm that I swear I can feel them there long after they’re gone.
Holy shit, he’s, like, really good at this.
“Garrett,” I breathe, just as his lips close over the bundle of nerves they’re seeking. Sweet sexy Lucifer.
He hums directly into my skin as I arch my back off the bed and sink my fingers into the dark tresses of his hair. It’s thick and silky, and despite the distance between my nose and his head, the feeling of his hair in my hands almost makes me think I can smell it.
It’s amazing how familiar sex with him feels already. It’s been over a week since our first date, and I’ve barely even spoken to him since. I haven’t been able to hug or touch or smell him at all, and with only one night of reference, I would have thought my brain would have forgotten by now.
But his cologne is a memory. His shampoo is a wave of the past. His skin is a comfort.
It’s like we’ve spent years getting to know each other physically and condensed them into the span of one, long, perfect night.
I don’t know that we’re emotionally on par with our physical familiarity, but I won’t say a negative word about the way he makes my body feel.
No matter if it’s out of balance or not.
“I missed this. Is it weird that I missed this?” I ask breathily.
He smirks against the inside of my thighs and then places a soft kiss to the sensitive flesh.