Page 115 of Hometown Halftime

I grab a fresh pair of boxer briefs and head to the bathroom to clean up. When I return to the room, I climb back into bed beside her, and Kinsey moves closer until her leg brushes mine beneath the blanket. Then she curls into me, small and warm against my chest. Her fingertips trace over my skin as we both relax and I just lie there with my arm around her while the room grows quiet except for the sound of our breathing.

Then Kinsey begins to sit up. “I should probably let you sleep.”

The idea of her leaving my bed hits me with an unexpected amount of disappointment. Before she can slip from the sheets, I pull her back against me.

“Stay,” I tell her, the word comes out rougher than I intended.

Kinsey looks up at me, her expression softening when she sees my face.

“I want you here,” I admit quietly. “And we technically had a form of sex, so still within boundaries.”

She pauses, looking at me for a moment, then she relaxes beside me without another word, reclaiming the space beside me while relief spreads through me so hard it feels almost embarrassing.

Then I say flatly, “Do you need me to go get your otter?”

She barks out a laugh. “No, you’ll do just fine as a substitute.”

Chapter forty-six

Kinsey

The first thing I see when I open my eyes is Riley’s skin.

His arm is heavy across my waist, his chest warm against my face as I’m pressed into the space under his chin, and sometime during the night, my leg ended up thrown over his. The room is still dim, and the blankets are twisted around us while his breathing brushes softly against the top of my head.

I take a deep inhale of the smell of his skin, and it makes me feel safe and weak at the same time. I don’t think I’ve ever felt this comfortable waking up beside someone before and that realization sinks into my bones.

I move carefully beneath the blankets, trying not to wake him, but Riley makes a quiet sound and pulls me closer in his sleep. I bite back a smile while staring at the wall.

This man is going to ruin my life.

Riley’s face presses into my hair before he settles again, warm and solid beneath the sheets. The memory of last night flashes through my brain and warmth rushes through me again.

The way he touched me, watched me, concentrated on me. And then the way he completely lost control simply from making me come.

It might have been the best orgasm of my entire life.

My stomach fills with a fluttering feeling. Because underneath all the physical attraction and teasing and tension, what really keeps sneaking up on me is how safe Riley feels. Safe enough to be nervous and to be honest. Safe enough to let me see every unguarded reaction.

There’s something dangerously addictive about feeling that way with someone.

Eventually, I managed to slip carefully out from under his arm and head downstairs without waking him up. It’s not long before Riley comes down the stairs as I make us coffee. I hear him moving around in the living room before he finally walks into the kitchen, sliding his glasses onto his face.

His hair is messy, his joggers sit low on his hips, and sleep still clouds his eyes. The smile that spreads across his mouth is so soft and familiar that something inside my chest wobbles. I guess a sleepy Riley the morning after the best oral sex of my life is my newest personal crisis.

Just go ahead and add it to the list.

“There you are,” he says, voice rough from sleep.

I pour him a cup of coffee. “Good morning.”

He presses a kiss to my hair before he reaches into the fridge for creamer. “It is, isn’t it?”

I peer at him over the rim of my coffee cup. “Yeah, it is. I have to say, I slept incredibly well last night.”

He hums. “I wonder why.”

My shoulder lifts. “Probably because I had one of the best orgasms of my life.”