Love You Better (Better Love 1)

“This is nice,” Jesse says again and pushes himself up so he’s propped on one arm, “but it smells like sex in here and that’s hella weird.”

“Oh my gosh!” Ivy screeches between laughs, and I use all my strength to shove Jesse off of us and onto the floor.

His big body lands with a thud, but he hops back onto his feet quickly and his laughter booms through the condo. I throw a pillow at his head and it hits him smack in the face, causing us all to laugh harder.

“I’m gonna let you guys have a minute,” he says as he jogs toward his room, a shit-eating grin on his face. Then just before he walks through his door, he calls over his shoulder, “maybe open a window or something, though, to air out the sex smell.”

“Jesse!” Ivy yells. I hurl another pillow at him, but he makes it inside and shuts the door, the pillow hitting the wood with a hard thump.

“Oh my gosh, I cannot believe that just happened.” Ivy giggles. She’s lying on her back beneath me, and her hands are covering her face while her neck and cheeks blush crimson.

“You can’t believe I made you come harder than you’ve ever come in your entire life with just my thumb?” I tease, and she elbows my shoulder.

She spreads open her fingers and peeks at me through them.

With a sigh, she says, “This changes everything, doesn’t it?”

I nod slowly and can’t contain the suggestive smile that takes over my face. My voice is gravelly, and the way her breath catches in her throat fills my head with all sorts of filthy promises. She has no idea the things I plan to do with her.

“I sure as fuck hope so.”

14

Sunday morning, I hear a knock at the front door. My guess is that Bailey is just getting home and either she doesn’t have her key, or she’s got her arms loaded down with more sugary baking supplies.

After Jesse busted in on Kelley and me last night, I came home electrified and ready to talk it out with B, but she wasn’t here. When I texted her, she said she was out with the mysterious Alex and after a fairly vulgar and extremely hilarious exchange of emojis, she went dark. I’m not only excited to hear about this guy who seems to have caught her interest, but I am desperate to talk to her about last night. I need to tell someone else before my brain overheats and melts out of my ears.

I swing my legs out of my bed and pad toward the door just as another louder knock sounds.

“Patience, B,” I call out as I unlock the deadbolt. “It’s early and I haven’t had my coffee yet.”

I step back and swing open the door, but instead of seeing Bailey with a bunch of grocery bags, I see Kelley in his running clothes looking stupidly gorgeous for someone who probably just finished running a bajillion mi

les, and he’s holding a to-go cup carrier with three coffees and a brown paper sack.

“Hey,” I say quietly, and I can’t stop the memories that flood my brain at the sight of his small, knowing smile. Gah. Stop it, brain.

“Hey. Brought you guys some breakfast.”

He holds up the coffees and paper bag, and Jiminy Crickets can he just stop doing things that make him hotter? I stare at his hands—his big hands—clutching the coffee carrier and the bag. Has he always had such big hands? Then my eyes wander to his forearm, flexed slightly from his grip, veins popped and muscles rigid and dang it, I am blatantly checking him out. Did he notice?

Goddess of Attraction, please let him not have noticed.

I flick my eyes back to his, and his stupid little smirk is on his face, just being all stupid and attractive and smirky. Yep. He noticed.

“Can I come in?”

Oh, whoops.

“Yeah, yeah, of course.” I stammer and step out of the way, awkwardly gesturing toward the kitchen as if he’s never been here before. “Is that from Bakery on Main? The place where Bailey’s contest is?”

“Yeah,” he says as he sets the stuff down on the island. “I pass it on my runs sometimes. Figured I’d pick something up since I know you and Bailey like it.” He gestures toward the hallway that leads to Bailey’s and my rooms. “Is she here?”

“No. She hasn’t come home yet.”

Our eyes are locked in a heated stare. I know what he’s thinking because I’m thinking it too. His hands on me. Mine on him. Our lips locked. My soft body pressed against his hard one. His very hard one.

I let out a shaky breath.