“I know we said we’d take this slow. That we’d just see what happens. But…” She stopped, took a breath. “I don’twantto take it slow. We have limited time, and I don’t want to waste any of it pretending we’re not exactly where we want to be.”
“And where’s that?” I asked, even as I found myself leaning closer.
“With each other.” She reached for my hand. “I want this. I want you. And I don’t want to wait.”
Every warning bell in my head was screaming. This was too fast, too intense, too much. We should take our time, be careful, protect ourselves.
But when I looked at her, at the certainty in her eyes, at the way she was looking at me like I was something precious, all those warnings died away.
“Are you sure?” I asked, my voice rough as my hand came up to trace my fingertips across the edge of her jaw.
“Very sure.” She leaned closer. “Are you?”
Instead of answering, I closed the distance between us and kissed her.
It was nothing like that first kiss outside the bar. Where that had been desperate and rushed and fueled by alcohol and attraction, this was deliberate, intentional. This was me choosing her, and her choosing me, with clear heads and open eyes.
Her lips were soft, warm, tasting like wine and something sweeter. She made a small sound in the back of her throat that went straight through me, and I deepened the kiss, my hands coming up to cup her face.
She kissed me back with equal intensity, her fingers curling into my shirt, pulling me closer despite the console between us.
When we finally broke apart, we were both breathing hard.
“My place?” I managed.
“Yes.”
“You’re sure…”
“Dex.” She looked me straight in the eye. “Take me home. Your home. Right now.”
I didn’t need to be told twice.
The drive back to Willowbrook was torture. Every red light felt like an eternity. Her hand was on my thigh, not moving, just resting there, and it was driving me insane.
“You’re killing me,” I muttered.
“Good.”
I glanced at her. She was smiling, but there was heat in her eyes that made my hands tighten on the steering wheel.
Finally,finally, I pulled into my driveway. The house was dark, empty, exactly as I’d left it.
I killed the engine and turned to her. “You can still change your mind.”
“Not a chance.” She was already opening her door.
We met at the front of the truck, and I pulled her against me, kissing her again because I couldn’t help myself. She melted into me, her arms winding around my neck, and I lost myself in the taste of her, the feel of her pressed against me.
“Inside,” she breathed against my lips. “Now.”
I fumbled with my keys, nearly dropped them twice, until I finally got the door open. We stumbled inside, mouths still fused together, and I kicked the door shut behind us.
“Bedroom?” she asked.
“Upstairs. First door on the right.”
We made it to the stairs before I pressed her against the wall, needing to taste her again. She arched into me, her hands sliding under my shirt, nails dragging lightly across my back.
