Page 56 of That Rush

I kiss her until neither of us is laughing. Her hands move over my chest and shoulders while mine learn the curve of her waist, the bare length of her thighs, the soft skin beneath the hem of her shirt. My palm finds her ribs, and she arches into me with a gasp.

Her hips press down again, and I feel the heat of her through two thin layers of clothing. One more inch beneath the edge of her shorts and this becomes exactly what she claimed it could be.

Casual is already a lie for me.

Touching her is easy. It’s what she wants after the kiss that I need to get right.

I pull my hand away and break the kiss.

Paige follows, trying to kiss me again.

I turn my head. “Easy.”

Her lips brush my jaw. “I’m fine.”

“I know.”

“Then what was the point of stopping?”

Because I’m already thinking about tomorrow. Because one Friday inside her cabin has me wanting the next one.

I lift her from my lap and set her gently on the sofa before standing.

I move to step away, but Paige’s hand closes around my belt.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Chapter 8

Paige

His shirt remains twisted in my fist while he stands over me, breathing as hard as I am.

“Home,” Aiden says. “If this is where you want tonight to end.”

“Did anything I just did suggest that?”

“It suggested you enjoy kissing me.”

“I climbed onto your lap.”

“I noticed.”

His voice has gone maddeningly calm again. I tighten my grip rather than let him restore whatever responsible distance he thinks we need.

“I invited you inside for a reason.”

“Dinner?”

“You know that isn’t what I mean.”

“Then tell me what you mean.”

“I already did.”

“You told me adults can hook up without making it matter.” His gaze moves over my flushed face and swollen lips. “Words are easy for you, Paige. I’m asking what you actually want.”

His question unravels every scripted answer I practiced before he arrived. In books, wanting is a clean, manageable thing. In my living room, it’s the heat of Aiden’s skin, the raw sound of his breathing, the weight of him I still feel between my legs. Fantasy doesn’t survive contact like this.