23
Walking up to the entry door of my building, I wonder if everyone falls so hard, so fast. Are my feelings for Beau this intense because he's the first person I've let myself care for in such a long time? The first person I’ve been so intimate with? All my relationship, including my friendships, have been at arm's length compared to what I am experiencing now. Am I moving too fast?
I'm not sure of the answer. Maybe I'll talk to Jess tomorrow. She and Tim moved pretty fast. They didn’t have the addition of a stalker and murderer forcing them into cohabitation, but I could really use an outside opinion. I’m already considering giving him a set of keys, so he can come and go as he pleases. Will that scare him away? He seems perfectly content with the way things are now. I don't want to screw things up. Maybe I'll suggest it for practical purposes since that is why I first began considering it.
I pull the keys from my pocket to unlock the door, but Beau gently takes them from my hand and opens the door himself. He hands the keys back to me, holding the door open for me to enter.
"Thank you," I mutter, tucking the keys back into my purse.
"I was just thinking about having some of my stuff sent over here. Do they leave boxes at the door that won't fit through the slots?" he asks, lingering at the bottom of the stairs and looking at the lower door.
"Actually, I've never gotten a package here. I just have everything sent to the store. That's where all my mail gets delivered. I'm not sure."
"I'm gonna check something," he says, sounding completely distracted from the topic. I don't know if he even heard my answer. He strides to the door beneath mine and knocks loudly. No one answers, but I swear I hear shuffling. Beau's head tilts, reaffirming my suspicions. "I think there's someone in there," he states and raps again, harder this time. "Hello, anyone home?" He asks loudly.
When no response comes, he shrugs and walks back up with me near the bottom of the stairs.
"Weird. I was sure I heard someone."
"Maybe they're in their pjs and don't want to answer the door to a huge guy banging on it."
"Hey, everybody wants me to bang on their door," Beau says, making an innuendo of my phrasing. I roll my eyes and run up the stairs. He's fast behind me, taunting, "You'd always answer when I come a knocking, right sweets?" He chuckles and grabs my hips and thrusts us together in an overtly exaggerated manner.
I laugh and slap his hands away while trying to open the door,
"Stop it," I say through giggles.
"Not until you answer me," he starts to tickle my sides. I'm trying to protect my sides from his fingers by wiggling away from him. My back hits the door, and he's in front of me.
Our eyes lock, the hands that were playful moments ago slowly caress up my sides. My laughter dies as Beau’s head dips, and he seals his mouth to mine. The kiss is purposeful, hot, and masterful, like he’s known my lips for a lifetime. His hard body presses me against the door as he surrounds me with his body.
His hand travels down my thighs and hooks under my knee. My thoughts scatter. He moves his mouth down to my throat. His hand hoists my thigh to settle around his hip. I lose my balance, making a little noise between pants, my head thrown back. He grabs my other leg, wrapping it around him as well. His hand circles my ass, grabbing firmly as he grinds forward, holding me tight to him. I can’t believe he is carrying me.
"Inside," he drawls, and I nod, thinking he's referring to me. He takes me in one hand, and I squeal, thinking I will fall, but he braces me against the door and takes the keys from my grasp.
"Oh," I say, releasing them from my grasp. "I was thinking inside..." I trail off, my cheeks heat with a blush.
"Believe me, that's what I meant, just not in the hallway," Beau says, looking into my eyes, erasing my embarrassment and leaving only desire in its wake.
The door unlocks, but he hasn't taken his eyes off me. He turns the knob, and the door swings open. My entire weight is held in his palm for a few seconds, and the thought is oddly thrilling. I can’t hold onto the thought long as I'm still pressed impossibly close to him with my legs wound around his hips. My pelvis thrusts against his groin.
Beau walks forward, letting me slide down the length of his body as my feet touch the ground. I walk backwards into the room, dizzy and holding onto him for security. He kicks the door shut.
I reach forward and lock it from habit, and he takes the opportunity to press our lips together again. He slowly opens my coat, slipping it from my shoulders. I let it drop to the floor. He traces his fingers down my arm and raises them up high above my head.
“Stay just like that, sweets,” he murmurs. His fingers trail down my chest and over my breast, finding the hem of the clingy shirt and lifting up. I can feel the gentle pull of the fabric over my skin as he slides it up then off me. He makes an appreciative noise, taking in my strappy pink bra. His fingertips follow the lines of the straps over the top of my breasts and dip low to the center where a small jewel hangs. "I imagined how this would look on you, but my mind didn't do you nearly enough justice." He caresses me over the cups, his thumbs seeking the hardened tips of my nipples and pressing on them in a circular motion.
He stands back, removing his own jacket and kicking off his shoes and socks. His shirt goes next, his hand reaching behind his head and tugging the fabric up. His long hair is mussed by the time the material hits the floor.
We take each other in. I'm shocked I don't feel any inclination to cover up or hide from the man standing before me. His eyes alight, telling me that I have no reason to hide from his gaze.
His body also seems to appreciate the view as well, if the sizable bulge in his pants is any indication. I feel sexy and worthy, and he's the only man that's comes close to making that happen. I slink up to him, bringing my hand to rest on his wide chest. I draw a line down him, his body moving in an inhale against my touch. I wrap my arms around him in a gentle embrace. Going up on tiptoes to grace his neck with kisses, I follow the line of his clavicle down his shoulder. His hands flatten on my head, and he reaches one back to tug out the elastic, letting my long hair free. He does something I'd never think a man could understand to do, he rubs my scalp where my hair was bound so tightly.
I melt by the sweetness of this simple act. I moan loudly, and I can’t find it in me to care about how I sound. My hands venture down to his waist to unbutton his jeans. I push my fingers down past the band and across the lovely lines that frame his groin, further past his hips and then finally down his muscled ass. My hands dip to push the denim from his body, taking his boxers with them. I bend to ensure they pass his thick thighs. The fabric pools at his feet.
He steps out of them, advancing toward me. Beau's removal of my pants is a slow seduction. He kneels, kissing the soft skin under my belly button as he slides his thumb along the sensitive skin of my abdomen to unbutton my jeans. He slowly unzips them, looking up at me with a heated gaze. His hand slides in my panties, pulling my jeans and panties down as he goes. With every inch he reveals, his lips follow, making me feel precious. He places my hand on his shoulder then lifts each foot individually, having me step out. He rewards my action with a kiss behind my knees.
Beau stands and walks around me, unhooking my bra with ease. I put my arms forward, allowing it to fall off me. No words are spoken as he takes my hand and guides me to the bed. The blankets are tossed back. He sits me on the edge, standing before me.
