Until Sage (Until Him 2)

*

Sage

LOOKING OVER AT Kim sitting in my passenger seat, I smile at the windshield when I notice the scowl she’s still wearing. “You still pissed?” I ask, hiding my grin, and she turns her narrowed eyes on me.

“I think you cheated,” she states, and I start to chuckle but fight it back. “I don’t know how you did it, but I’m pretty sure you cheated.”

“You can’t cheat at Rock, Paper, Scissors, babe. It’s a game of chance,” I correct, and she gives a little huff that’s way too fucking cute.

I purposely ignored her statement about not staying with me when we were out in front of Ash and Dillon’s place and followed her home, figuring I could convince her to stay with me when I got her alone. It didn’t work. She had dug in her heels and refused to come with me, so I did the only thing I could: I challenged her.

Chris and her parents all said on more than one occasion that Kim was stubborn and would never turn down a challenge. Knowing that, I used that weakness against her. I told her that if she won a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors against me, I’d let the idea of her staying with me go and head home, but if I won, she had to pack a bag. She lost, even after demanding a rematch two more times.

“Well, somehow you found a way around that rule,” she grumbles as we turn into my driveway, and I smile at that comment.

It’s not hard to know someone’s next move in Rock, Paper, Scissors. People tend to use the move you used before them, and Kim did just that every time, not even realizing she was giving herself up.

Reaching my house, I shut down the engine and turn to look at her. “Are you always a sore loser?”

“Yes,” she admits, and I lean over, sliding my fingers over her cheek, then down her throat, and around the back of her neck to pull her toward me over the center console.

“I’ll teach you how I did it sometime, if it makes you feel better.”

“You did cheat.” Her eyes widen, and I grin right before I touch my lips to hers.

The second I feel the softness of her mouth under mine, I nip her bottom lip and she opens her mouth on a gasp, giving me exactly what I wanted, what I’ve been missing. Sliding my hand up into her hair, I use my grip to deepen the kiss then groan when she whimpers against my tongue. Her hand moves to my chest then up to my shoulders, where her nails dig in. Pulling back, I slow the kiss and rest my forehead against hers.

“I’m not having sex with you,” she says suddenly, and I chuckle, tip her head down, and press a kiss to the top of her head.

“I’m not having sex with you either,” I confirm, letting her go. It’s not that I don’t want to. There is nothing I want more than to feel her heat around my cock, to hear the little whimpers and pleas she makes when she’s under me or over me, but we need to take things slower this time. The last time we were together, it was sudden and spur of the moment, and I’m not willing to let us burn bright only to fizzle out.

“I said it first,” she gripes, and I laugh as I open the door and get out. Pulling open the rear door, I reach in, grab her bag and mine, and then meet her at the sidewalk.

Leading her into the house, I flip on the light, and then shut the door. Turning around, I stop mid-step and scan the room. The beams have all been re-stained, and the plastic that had been covering the floors is all folded and stacked in the corner with the ladder and paint cans. “What the fuck?”

“My dad and Chris got all but two of the beams done before my parents went back to Florida, so I decided to finish them while you were gone,” she says, sounding nervous, and I pull my eyes from the room to look at her as she slips off her jacket. “I’m sorry. I should have asked if it was okay to keep going.” Her eyes drop from mine.

Shaking my head, I let both bags fall to the floor, grab her jacket from her, and toss it toward the coatrack near the front door. Then I turn and pick her up, listening to her squeak as her arms fly around my neck.

“What are you doing?” she asks breathlessly as I head toward the sitting room off the kitchen.

“Thanking you,” I reply. As soon as I reach the couch, I bend at the waist and lay her down, covering her body with mine.