Another

“Are you sure about this?”

“I’ve never been more sure about anything in my life.” The answer was heavier than I intended, and I made a joke to ease the tension radiating off her. “I’m bound to break something if we stay here.”

She laughed, but it faded, and I could hear her thoughts again. Shifting to my side, I took in the shadow of her profile. Her nose perfectly sloped over pouty lips she was currently gnawing on.

“Carina, look at me,” I commanded. After only a moment, she complied, turning on her side to face me. We were both at the edge of our pillows and less than a foot apart. “We’ll make this work. Even if we’re just friends the whole way. Like Batman and Robin.”

“K, but I’m Batman.”

I narrowed my eyes, and she pinched her lips, fighting back a smile. “Fine.”

Her lips parted as she finally gave in to a full smile. With just the moonlight shining through the curtains, she glowed like a siren calling me to her. My breath stuttered in my chest as the smile slipped from her lips, and her eyes dropped to my mouth. Unable to help it, I licked my lips just imagining the taste of her on them.

“Can I…can I try something?”

Her words took me back to the night at the bar when we first met. She’d uttered the same words before kissing me, and I held my breath waiting, barely getting the answer out. “Of course.”

She inched forward, closing the small distance between us. I tried to stay still but could only hold back so long and moved to meet her halfway. Our lips barely pressed against each other’s, but my body quaked with desire. She pulled back, but only enough to take in a breath and latch on to my bottom lip, flicking it with her tongue.

I lost it.

My hand buried in her hair and held her to me, trying to meld myself to her. Her soft hand explored my ribs and tugged me closer. I wasn’t going to deny this woman anything and inched over until my cock pressed against her body. She moaned, and I took the opportunity to slip my tongue into her mouth, making my own sounds of pleasure as her tongue tangled with mine.

Her nails dug softly into my skin, and I abandoned her hair to grip her thigh, tugging it up over my hip so I could rock my hard length against her hot core.

“Ian,” she gasped. The desperate plea of my name on her lips shot down my spine, lighting me on fire.

I was just about to roll her over—take control of the situation—when a soft baby grunt came from her side of the bed, and she froze.

Each of her muscles tightened before she softly pushed back and lowered her leg out of my grip. I didn’t want to ruin what we had accomplished tonight. I didn’t want her to think she couldn’t give an inch without me taking a mile. I didn’t want her to overthink this and come up with some off the wall conclusion that had her changing her mind about moving.

So, I brushed her hair behind her ear and pressed a gentle peck to her lips before re-situating back on my own pillow. “Don’t overthink it, Carina. Just enjoy the comfort tonight, and I’ll let you get away with hiding from it tomorrow.”

Her jaw dropped, and I knew challenging my little hellcat on hiding would be enough to bring out her fight rather than flight.

“I’m not hiding.”

I just cocked a brow and smirked, barely holding back my laugh when she growled and rolled to face the opposite wall.

Pushing my luck, I gripped her hip and tugged her back to me, wrapping my arm around her. She laid stiff for only a moment before finally relaxing.

When her breathing evened out, I kissed her shoulder and whispered my promise.

“I’ll make you happy, Carina. You deserve it.”

I thought she’d been asleep, but her hand moved to slide her fingers through mine and when she didn’t say anything, I took my own advice.

I didn’t overthink it. I just held her close and enjoyed the night.

18 Carina

“This place is amazing.” My eyes roamed from the hardwood floors, past the floor to ceiling windows, up to the exposed ceilings. “Are all the walls brick?”

“For the most part,” he answered, setting down a box we’d just carried up. He looked around with me like he was seeing it for the first time. “It had been mid-renovation when I stumbled upon it, so I was able to have a say in what was kept and what wasn’t.”

I stacked my box next to his and tried not to drool over the wall of bookshelves. “I love it.”

“Well, feel free to make any changes. It’s yours now too.”

Moving in with Ian still made me a little short of breath. I hadn’t even really lived with Jake, and here I was, moving in with a guy I wasn’t even dating. Breathing a laugh, I bit back the manic laugh that threatened to break free. It was all so surreal.