Our tongues glided and twirled in a slow but steady motion. The sweet push and pull had a bite to it that stirred a serious hunger inside me. I clutched his hip where his bare skin met his board shorts, and plunged deeper still, twisting, sucking, and licking his lips, his mouth. Elliot set his palm on my cheek, stroking my cheek, then cupping the back of my neck. He upped the temperature, groaning as he inched closer. And yeah, there it was…proof if I needed it that he was as turned-on and strung out as I was. His rock-hard cock bumped mine and even through our clothes, that briefest hint of friction felt a-fucking-mazing.
I tightened my hold on his waist and sucked in a breath as I pulled away. My intention was to go in for the kill. I wanted everything now that I knew Elliot’s body was on board. But this was crazy. This wasn’t the time or the place or the guy or—
Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.
“What is that?” I croaked.
“The timer. The pasta is done.” He cleared his throat and stepped aside, hooking his thumb over his shoulder.
I nodded like an idiot. When he turned to the stove, I clasped my hand over my mouth and let out a silent scream.
Oh. My. God.
I froze in place, watching as he pulled a colander out and drained water from the pasta. I fixated on Elliot’s sculpted back and tapered waist. I had a weird thing for those dimples just above a tight ass. I also had a thing for defined quads and sexy feet. Yeah, even Elliot’s feet were sexy.
Not helping. I bit the inside of my cheek and tried to plan my next move. I didn’t know what to do. I had nowhere to go besides my room.
I gestured vaguely toward the hallway. “Um, I’m gonna go to—”
“Don’t go, Braden.”
“I shouldn’t have done that.”
“Technically, it was a mutual thing.” Elliot pursed his lips. “I didn’t know you were, um…”
“Bi,” I supplied weakly.
“Yeah. You never mentioned it.”
“I kissed you in front of your ex before I even moved in! How could you not know?”
“You said you were an actor.”
I gave a humorless half laugh. “A bad one.”
“Hey, don’t do that. Look, this isn’t a big deal. We’re consenting adults. We can do whatever we want here.”
“Sure. We can eat ice cream in our underwear and leave our dishes in the sink, but we can’t make out, for fuck’s sake!”
Elliot narrowed his eyes. “So, I can leave my dishes in the sink? I thought that was against the rules.”
“Very funny,” I replied lamely as I stuffed my hands into my pockets to be sure I had my phone and my keys, then opened the door. “I’m glad we had a chance to clear the air. And thanks for letting me unload my crappy news on you. I have a couple of errands to run. Like…buy out half the ice cream in the freezer section.”
“Wait. Braden—”
“I’ll see you later.” I pasted an overly bright smile on my face, slipped my flip-flops onto my feet, and stepped outside.
I hurried toward the parking lot in long strides as though the concrete was on fire. Once I got to my car, I revved the engine and peeled out of the complex.
The tricky thing was that I didn’t know where to go. I drove south on PCH for a mile or two. When the light turned red, I veered toward the grocery store. I mentioned ice cream…twice, so yeah…why not?
I picked up a basket at the market and headed for the frozen section. There were far too many choices. I couldn’t decide. And I felt guilty splurging on Chocolate Swirl Supreme with my mom’s fudge sitting on my kitchen island. Desperate times called for desperate measures, I mused as I idly straightened the labels on the Häagen-Dazs shelf. I started when my phone vibrated in my back pocket.
“Hi, Soph,” I answered, staring down a pint of Ben and Jerry’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough.
“I’m just checking on you.”
“Thank you, but I’m good. I’m picking up a few necessities at the grocery store. Ice cream and whatnots. I’m heading for the candy aisle next.” I tossed two cartons into my basket and let the freezer door shut with a whoosh.
“I have an idea. Come over with your treats. We’ll watch Netflix and chill. My sister is out with her friends, and I’m home alone…with no ice cream.”
“That’s nice of you, but you don’t need to cheer me up. I’m okay,” I lied.
“I still want to see you. And I don’t want you to be alone either. Elliot is great, but he’s not the most intuitive guy. Plus…I was thinking I could invite—”
“I do not want you to set me up with anyone. I’m not in the mood to meet random strangers.” I used a stern voice, hoping she got the message.