She shakes her head. "I tried that. You fed me a line."
I don't have a comeback.
"It's fine, Walker. This is supposed to be easy. Casual. Whatever it is that's going on with your friend or your sister is none of my business."
"But you want to know?"
"It doesn't matter." She looks at her blue and grey sneakers. "It's none of my business."
"You can want to know."
"Okay. I do. There's a story there. And I don't like you pretending there isn't."
"And that shit about your breakup?"
Her blue eyes bore into mine. "That isn't shit. I left Ross last December. Or maybe it was mutual. It's hard to say."
"How?"
"I made a choice. He couldn't live with it."
"What choice?"
"To change my life."
"That's bullshit."
"No, it's true."
I move toward her. "Yeah, it's true. I believe that." I stare back into those blue eyes as I place myself between her legs. "But it's half the story. And your breakup isn't why you're doing all this self-help bullshit."
"Don't call it bullshit."
"You did first."
"Even so." She presses her knees against my hips. "We should head out."
"If that's what you want." I slide one hand around her waist. "Is it?"
She swallows hard. "I don't know."
"I don't believe that either."
"I don't like being questioned."
"I don't like being lied to."
"It's not a lie!"
"Misled. I don't believe you're doing this shit because you left Ross. The way you say his name—he doesn't mean anything to you."
She tugs at my t-shirt. "What the hell do you know about relationships?"
"Enough."
"How?"
"I've seen them."
She shakes her head. "It's not the same." But it's there in her eyes. She doesn't believe the story she's selling. We both know we're both full of shit.
"Did you love him?"
Her eyes turn down. "I don't know. I thought so, at the time, but now… I don't think I was in the headspace to really love someone."
"How do you know the difference?"
"You have to trust someone to fall in love with them. To trust them to catch you. And we didn't have that. I've never had that."
"Even when you were a kid?"
"Yeah. You've been in love?"
I shake my head. "Infatuated. But never love."
"Recently?"
"No."
"Are you…" She presses her lips together. "Your sister… is there more to that story?"
I nod. "And you changing your life?"
"Yeah. But I don't want to talk about it."
"We don't have to talk."
"Oh." She slides her legs around my waist.
I run my fingers over her inner thigh. She wants to be out of her head. I want to be out of my head. I really, really fucking want to dive between her legs.
This is perfect.
I just need to ease her into it.
I bring my lips to her ears. "I can drive you home. Or we can stay here and not talk. It's up to you."
Chapter Thirteen
Walker
Her hand slides under my t-shirt.
Her eyes fix on mine. "Let's not talk."
I nod as I pull her closer.
I lean down and press my lips to hers.
She kisses back as she digs her fingers into my sides.
Her thighs squeeze my hips.
Fuck. She tastes good. Like salt and sunscreen and Iris.
I pull her tank top to her shoulders. She breaks our kiss so I can pull it over her head.
Then she's tugging at my shirt.
It's messy.
Hungry.
"Bed. Now." I slide my hands to her ass. "I've got you."
She nods as she wraps her arms around me.
I lift her from the counter.
She clutches at my t-shirt as I carry her across the living room. "Are you really doing this?"
"Yeah." I kick the bedroom door open then lean down to lay her on the bed.
She looks up at me. "Show off."
"You love it."
She shakes her head, but she's smiling.
All the fucked-up shit from today is already gone.
And the fucked-up shit from every other day is slipping away, bit by bit.
I press her knees apart. "Take off your bra."
"Take off your shorts." She stares back into my eyes. "You first."
I step out of my shoes. Peel off my socks.
She laughs. "Smooth."
"Thanks." I push my basketball shorts off my hips.
The teasing look falls right off Iris's face.
Her teeth sink into her lip. Her blue eyes fill with desire.
She arches her back as she unhooks her bra and tosses it aside.
Fuck, this view puts the Malibu hills to shame.
She's splayed out on the bed for me in nothing but a pair of tiny shorts. And she's staring up at me like she needs me more than she's ever needed anything.
"Boxers." Her voice gets heavy. Needy. She brings her feet together. Kicks off one shoe. Then the other. Then the socks.
It's smooth.
But there's no room for comebacks in my head.
There isn't room for anything but I need to hear her groan my name.
It's fucking perfect.
I stare into her eyes as I slide my boxers to my feet.
She lets out a low, deep sigh.
"Take off your shorts." My voice isn't a request. It's a demand. It's a fucking order.
But it doesn't turn her off.
It makes her groan.
Slowly, she brings her hands to her hips and slides her shorts to her thighs.
I lean down to pull them to her feet.
My fingers brush her big toe. Slowly, I trace a line up the inside of her foot, her calf, her inner thigh.
Over her panties then down the other leg.
Her eyelids press together. She turns her head to one side. "Walker."
I drag my fingertips up her calf. The inside of her knee. Her thigh.
I rub her over her panties.
She tugs at the sheets as she groans.
I bring my hands to her hips and move onto the bed.
My lips find her inner thigh. She's soft. And the way she shakes against my lips—
I need more.
I need too fucking much.
But I'm not going to think about what that means.
I'm not going to think, period.
I drag my lips up her inner thigh and over her panties.
She brings her hand to my hair. Presses her legs against my ears.
Her voice gets needy. Desperate. "Please."
Fuck yeah.
My fingers curl into her hips. I peel her panties to her thighs, her knees, her calves, her toes.
They fall off her feet.
She looks up at me, her blue eyes filled with a plea. The same one that's going through my head.
Erase every thought in my head.
Give me this.
Give me everything.