“But this trip has been good for me. It’s given me a lot of clarity.” Her eyes lit up with determination.
“Clarity on. . .”
“It’s been a good reminder that I’m going to be fine no matter what happens. With Charlie getting married, I’ve been so stressed about falling behind. But it’s all in my head. I realize that now. Whatever is meant for me will happen when it happens. I can’t keep trying to force it.”
“Does that mean you’re calling it quits on the dating apps?” For reasons I didn’t want to examine, a surge of hope jolted through me at the mere thought.
She tilted her head back, letting out a playful groan that danced in the air between us. “For now, at least.”
“Good,” I found myself saying too quickly. Heat shimmered in the air between us before she cleared her throat and looked around.
“Enough about me,” she said, her voice sounding forced as it rose an octave. “Did you ever figure out your website?”
NINETEEN
Harrison
The walk back felt brief,yet every step seemed charged with something unspoken. As we crossed the street, I couldn’t resist the urge to press my hand gently against the small of her back, savoring the subtle connection. When I unlocked the hotel room door, we stepped inside and the atmosphere shifted. Despite the lightheartedness of our stroll, an unfamiliar tension hung between us, palpable and electric. I glanced at her, wondering if she felt it too.
“That was nice,” she said, dropping her bag to the table on her side of the perfectly made bed.
I nodded slowly as I watched her reach awkwardly behind her, trying to grasp at her zipper.
I tensed as I watched her struggle before she finally let out an exasperated sigh.
“Shit,” she mumbled, before turning to look at me uncertainly. “Would you mind?”
I flexed and unflexed my hands as I walked over to her.
Play it cool. You are not on literal fire right now at just the thought of touching this woman.
My fingers closed around the zipper, my knuckles brushing the silky skin of her back in the process. Her whole body shuddered, and goosebumps prickled her perfect skin.
Slowly, I pulled the zipper down. When I reached her lower back, I knew I should stop. Instead, I hesitated. When she didn’t pull away, I continued, drawing the zipper all the way down. Her dress came open and I could just see the top of her lacy underwear.
“Fuck,” I breathed, unable to help myself. I traced a finger up her spine, savoring the feeling of her skin.
“What are you doing?” she whispered, still not stepping away from me.
“Nothing smart,” I muttered. My hand dipped toward the curve of her waist and I gripped her lightly, spinning her toward me.
She came willingly and stared up at me, her eyes reflecting the same lust that had to be in my own.
“Tell me this is a bad idea,” I breathed, reaching up and softly running my finger along her bare collarbone.
She licked her lips. “Is it such a bad idea?” She released the hand that had been clutching the top of her dress to her chest. The blue fabric dropped away, revealing a flimsy, black lace strapless bra.
I let out a sharp exhale, and the finger that traced her collarbone migrated down to trace the top of each of her perfect breasts.
She whimpered at my simple touch and that was enough to set me off completely. Without a second thought, I moved my other hand to the nape of her neck and tipped her head back before kissing her. Her lips were soft, and she tasted just as sweet as I imagined. I pressed against her and I couldn’t resist moving one hand to her back, letting it fall until it hovered overher ass. I squeezed it gently. The way she bit down on my lip in response had me grinning against her mouth.
“I’ve always wanted to do that,” I said, before binding my lips back to hers and taking the opportunity to slip my tongue inside her mouth. If you asked me yesterday about kissing Lila, I would have convinced everyone, even myself, that I had never thought about it. But doing it now felt like I was living out a very real, very suppressed fantasy. Her soft frame fit perfectly against mine, and every touch felt like something I had wanted to do forever.
To my absolute delight, she backed us both up until she was against the wall. That just got me fired up even more, and I hitched her leg up against my hip. I almost lost my mind when she started grinding against me.
She grabbed my shirt collar, my shoulders, the back of my head; anything to bring us even closer together. She panted as she tangled her fingers in my hair.
“Shit, I want you so bad,” I said.
