At first, I find myself wondering if it’s a dream. It doesn’t seem possible that she’s here with me, fast asleep in my bed. And if it is a dream, I have no interest in waking up.
Light peeks in through my blinds and I squeeze my eyes shut, willing the morning away. I should have listened to Shelby when she insisted that my bedroom windows needed curtains. I haven’t needed them. I hardly ever sleep in, since Diesel normally wakes me for his morning walk.
Diesel.Realization hits me like a ton of bricks, and I shoot up into a sitting position. This is not my bed. I spent the night at Marissa’s, which means Diesel is home alone. I need to get home to take him for a walk and get him breakfast.
I steal another glimpse at the figure beside me and immediately lose the willpower to get up.Five more minutes. I just need five more minutes to savor this moment.
Lowering myself back down, I study the shape of her beside me. The more time we spend together, the more inconceivable it is that her idiot ex let her slip through his fingers. How could anyone not realize how perfect she is? This woman deserves the world, and if she were mine, I’d make sure she’d spend every day of her life knowing exactly how cherished she is.
I press my nose into her hair, inhaling the sweet scent of her shampoo, before moving down to brush my lips over her sunburn. She stirs then, letting out a soft sigh before rolling over to face me.
“Good morning,” she says, her voice laced with sleep.
I smile as I tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
“Good morning.”
I bend forward, slanting my lips over hers. It’s a softer kiss than the ones we shared last night but that doesn’t lessen the effect it has on me. The electricity shoots straight from the point of contact all the way down to my toes, leaving my brain foggy and disoriented. The reality of kissing Marissa is something that still hasn’t quite hit me. I could never have imagined the way her body feels beneath mine, so soft and welcoming. The way our bodies slot together like two perfectly aligned puzzle pieces.
I’ve been trying to remind myself that this thing between us has an expiration date, because the end of summer is approaching. But I can’t quite convince my body to believe it. Based on the way she’s kissing me back, I think she feels it too. And I’m starting to suspect that walking away from each other is going to be a lot easier said than done.
Speaking of walking away, I need to go home to tend to Diesel before he destroys my entire house in a fit of distress. I plan ongiving her one final kiss before excusing myself. But then Marissa is rocking her hips against mine. I capture her bottom lip between my teeth, and she exhales sharply before lacing her fingers through my hair and bringing me down on top of her. I slide my hands over her, grazing my fingertips up her side before reaching upward to palm her. She arches into me and the blood rushes to my dick.
I really am going to leave. In two minutes. For sure.
I pull back with a groan, unable to mask my frustration. “I hate to do this, but I need to go home.”
She moves to sit upright, brows furrowed. “You’re leaving?” A flush spreads across her cheeks and I realize she thinks I don’t want to stay with her. What a laughable thought. What man on earth would be willing to walk away from her?
“Trust me, I’d rather stay in bed with you. But I need to let my dog out.”
“Oh, right.” The tension melts from her features and she shoots me a relieved smile. “In that case, give me five minutes to get ready.”
I am not following. Five minutes for what?
“You want to come to my house?”
She tilts her head to the side and gives me a quizzical look. “Of course I do. Did you not just say there was a dog there?”
I breathe out a laugh. “Yes. There is a dog.”
She grins. “I love dogs. We always had one when I was growing up. My golden retriever Norman passed away right after I met Rocky. I wanted to get a puppy, but Rocky isn’t a dog person.”
“Of course he isn’t,” I mutter under my breath.
Marissa tosses me a playful look. “Yeah, I suppose that should have been my first red flag. That and the full-back tattoo.”
I shudder. “That’s enough talk about your ex for one day. Let’s head out as soon as you’re ready.”
“Trust me. For a dog, I can’t get there fast enough.”
I snort out a laugh. “You may want to reserve judgment until you meet this one.”
My house is certainly nowhere near as nice as Marissa’s. For one thing, it’s about half the size, just a two-bedroom ranch with a stamp-sized backyard. Still, I’ve always liked the forest-green exterior, and I’ve put some work into it over the years. I installed a fireplace, so it’s always cozy in the winter, and put up a fence in the backyard, so Diesel has a place to bounce around. Despite this, I can’t help but feel self-conscious when we step out of the car, and I watch her eyes rake over it all. When they land on the pair of rocking chairs on the front porch, she grins.
“Looks to me like the perfect place for watching a sunset. You must bring women here all the time.”
I almost laugh out loud until I notice the unspoken question behind her eyes. Is it possible that she’s… jealous?
