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She glances at the windows, the skyline. “You have a great views.”

I don’t take my eyes off of her. “That I do.”

She turns to face me, and for a second it’s like the world shrinks to just us. My hands itch with the need to touch her but I want her to come to me.

She finally breaks the tension. “Are we going to watch a horror movie or what?”

I nod to the couch. “Pick your spot while I clean off the table.”

“Need help?”

“I’m going to put the plates soaking.” I tell her as she saunters to the couch, a bold bounce in her step, and drops onto the far side. “Then I’ll clean it up later.”

“I can’t see you washing your own dishes.” She calls from the living room as she starts flipping through my channels.

“You’d be surprised how self-sufficient I am.”

After I put our plates in the sink, I sit on the sofa next to Mia. She pulls her legs up under her, curls into the corner. I stretch out, arms along the backrest, claiming space without crowding her.

She grabs the remote, flips on the TV, and pulls up the streaming menu. Her face is lit by the blue glow, jaw set, eyes narrowed in concentration.

I watch her instead of the screen. She decides on a classic—Halloween, the original. No hesitation.

“Is this okay with you?” She glances over and asks.

Fuck. I’d watch whatever the fuck she wants right now. “Yep.” I tell her and settle in with her by my side.

Fifteen minutes in, she’s completely absorbed. I study her out of the corner of my eye. She doesn’t scare easy. Every jump scare, every shriek, she doesn’t even blink. Just sips her wine, leg bouncing gently under the blanket she pulled over her lap.

The urge to touch her is getting harder to ignore. I inch closer, slow, and let my arm settle along the back of the couch, not quite touching her. “Stop being shy.” She grumbles and scoots over to snuggle into my side.

Fucking perfect. I slide my hand from her shoulder to the nape of her neck. She shivers, just a tiny bit as I pull her closer until her side is flush against me, the weight of her head fitting perfectly under my chin.

The movie plays on, but it might as well be white noise. The sound of her breathing, the way her body fits against mine, the charge filling the air around us is all I can think about.

She laughs, the sound low and unsteady. “Now would be the perfect time for you to kiss me.”

She isn’t wrong. I pull her close and lean over to cover her soft lips with mine. She opens for me and lets me deepen it. Things get hot fast. Her hands slide through my hair, tugging me closer. I let my palm slide under the hem of her sweatshirt, up her side, feeling the goosebumps that explode along her ribs.

I want to haul her onto my lap and devour her. But I force myself to slow down and let her set the pace.

She scoots around and settles into my lap, her knees straddling my thighs. I groan as her hands dig in and pull me even tighter.

At some point, she pulls away, panting, eyes wild and alive.

“This is the point where you carry me to your bedroom,” she whispers, but she’s smiling.

“Are you always this bossy?” I ask.

She laughs again, head falling onto my shoulder, and I wrap both arms around her, holding her in place. “Are you always this slow to make a move?”

She doesn’t have to tell me twice. I stand up with her pressed against the front of my body and she wraps her curvy legs around my waist. “Hold on, trouble. I’m about to move fast.”

“About time.” She whispers against my neck.

Fuck. I’m not going to last.

CHAPTER SEVEN