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I leaned in to kiss her again, but Em pulled away, shaking her head. “I can’t. We… I have to tell you something. Because if you find out later, you might not understand…or you’ll be upset. And that’ll be on me.”
“There’s someone else? You’re not single?”
“What? No. I… It’s something totally different. It’s just that…I knew you before. When you were younger. Even though we never actually met.”
My brows furrowed. “How?”
“I lived next door to you. But I was four years younger than you. We never went to the same school or rode the same bus or had any of the same friends. Our moms were friendly, and I used to… Well, I don’t know if spy is the right word. But something like that. I watched every one of your YouTube videos.”
I couldn’t stop the delight that washed through me. Emerson Crane had had a big old crush on me. That kinda shocked me since eighteen year old Luca hadn’t been much of a prize. I’d been a stereotypical basement dweller, and Em must never have gotten close enough to smell what my mom had often nagged me about. Thank God. And thank God I’d grown out of it.
“Stalker,” I teased.
“Luca…”
“You never struck me as a gamer.”
“I’m not. I used to listen while I did my homework and stuff. Anyway…I wanted to tell you now, because I didn’t want you to think anything between us is related to the crush I had back then.”
My arms draped lightly around her waist, needing to have her close, wanting her to know I wasn’t bothered.
“You don’t still have a crush?” I asked, acting sad.
“Luca, I’m being serious.”
“So am I. I love that baby Emerson wanted me. I can assure you, baby Luca would never have done anything with his life if he’d seen you. Seriously, I would have beenobsessedwith you. Like I am now.”
She shook her head. “I was a shy bookworm. Super, awkwardly shy. I don’t think you would have noticed me. If you had… I don’t know. I guess I probably would have passed out.”
“No, I would have been all about you. You saw me. Why wouldn’t I have seen you?” I knew to my gut that if I hadn’t been so narrow-focused and somewhat anti-social, I would have fallen immediately in love with Em if she’d entered my sphere. Maybe, the universe just knew we needed to wait. Or maybe, I’d missed our first opportunity.
I pulled her closer, my hand cupping her ass through the silky fabric of her tempting little dress. The other palm skimmed up her back to hold her to my chest.
My gaze searched hers. “I see you, Em.”
She let out a long breath.
“I see you, too,” she whispered.
Her face lifted to mine, and I pressed my lips to hers, claiming her mouth as I’d dreamed of for weeks. Flames burned through me, and I tugged her hard against my body, the heat between us igniting fireworks that exploded in my chest.
No more waiting. No more walls.
Sweeping my Em into my arms, I stumbled toward the bed.
“I need you,” I growled quietly into her temple, mindful that we needed to be quiet. Then I remembered Noa in the room with us. Just the thought… “Maybe, we should take a shower together.”
Em’s lips rolled together, amusement painting her face, then she let loose a wide smile. “I wouldn’t mind some counter sex…against the wall sex…floor sex—as long as we put down towels. Or we can cuddle.”
“Cuddle? Not until afterward, baby.” My lips brushed against her ear. “I want you naked against me, choking out my name while you try to stay quiet.”
Her breath caught before she let out a low moan.
“That’s big talk. You think you can make me scream?”
“I know I can, stalker. If It comes right down to it, I’ll start spouting out gamer talk. Did you used to touch yourself while you listened, baby?”
She didn’t say anything. When I pulled back to peer down at her, she was biting her lip, and she wouldn’t meet my eyes.
