“We have to be quiet,” he murmurs, covering my mouth with his hand. It’s a reminder of the kid asleep upstairs and how wrong this all is.
I want to feel his skin on mine. Nothing between us.
But when he reaches under my shirt to my stomach, I grab his wrists and move his hand to the waistband of my shorts instead.
Daniel shifts over me, resting his hips over mine and looking me dead in the eyes. “You sure this is okay?”
I can feel him hard between my thighs and I nod. “Yeah.”
His mouth curves and he drops a kiss on my lips.
“What about this?”
His hips rock, grinding against me.
“Yes.” I brush a piece of hair out of my face. His expression is tight and aroused.
He slips a hand up the back hem of my shorts to grab my ass.
His grip is determined, his fingers drifting towards the spot that aches.
My eyes drift closed again as we rock together.
I fist a hand in the couch cushion, trying to get leverage.
“You feel so good.” His lips find the shell of my ear. His voice is low, his praise like candy.
I imagine him inside me. His smooth strokes, completely assured.
I bet the man can keep a good rhythm. He’s so regimented in everything else, it might pay off between the sheets.
“I want to make you come.”
His rasp surprises me almost as much as it turns me on.
“Tell me what you need.”
“A little more…” I wiggle my hips and he gets the message. He brushes me through my underwear, and I moan.
His lips return, and this time he wants me to feel his tongue like I’m feeling his cock.
With each stroke, the idea of falling apart seems less crazy.
I’m so aroused.
It’s so good.
We’re so bad.
The waves sneak up on me, and soon my body tightens.
“Oh. Oh shit.”
My mouth falls open, the sweet, hot tension in me dialing up to an eleven.
He keeps rocking against me. Then he goes tight too, his low groan muffled in my neck.
When he pulls back, his hair falls over his forehead, his eyes nearly black.
I glance down in disbelief. “Did you just—”
“Yeah.” He ducks his head but not before I see him grin.
“I’m flattered.”
“You should be.” His smile fades. “It’s been a while.”
“How long?”
I thread my fingers through his, and the cool metal of his ring scrapes my skin.
And without a word, I know.
He hasn’t been with anyone since her.
I’m glad.
I’m relieved he hasn’t touched anyone with those strong hands, or made anyone fall apart just from the friction of his body.
I want to lie here with him all night.
I can’t remember feeling that way with a guy.
Eventually, I push upright and he shifts back to let me sit up.
“I need my beauty sleep. For the pores.” I wave a finger at my nose.
For a second, I think he’s going to argue, but he shifts off me, rising from the couch.
“I’ll even let you sleep in tomorrow.” He holds out a hand to help me up with a grin that makes my heart flip. “For the pores.”
18
KAT
Dear Katrina,
Please advise as to your final housing status by end of the week to avoid being invoiced for the remainder of the semester.
Thank you,
Student Housing Services
“Knock knock.”
Jules and I head through the door of the engineering building to find Liv with her head down over a workbench. Her dark hair is pulled back in a high ponytail, her pretty face scrunched up as she focuses on the parts in front of her.
“Which robot is this?”
She looks up with a smile. “New one. I’m calling him Herbie.”
Liv made a big project last year with some teammates for a competition, and now she’s hooked.
“Executive friend decision: Drop the robots and come for lunch.”
“You can’t innovate without sustenance,” Jules agrees.
Liv rises gracefully from the bench and packs the components into a clear plastic bin before taking it to one side of the room where there’s stacked storage.
I’m the one who suggested lunch.
Partly because Daniel and I made out on the couch like sweaty teenagers and I’m all up in my head over it.
This morning when he came into the kitchen, he gave me one of those smiles guys give you when they know they’ve made you come.
He didn’t miss any excuse to brush past me, leaning across me instead of waiting until I moved to reach up and grab the glasses over the stove so my ass pressed into him.
But I’m not going to lose my head over some guy.
Even that one.
“Ladies.”
Sawyer’s in the doorway, his ever-present smirk and too-long hair contrasting with the jacket he wears over jeans.
“I came to ask you to lunch.”
“You want her to go to lunch or to be your lunch?” I ask.
Liv snorts and Sawyer shrugs. “It seems you already have plans.”
Jules looks at me, and I reluctantly nod. “Why don’t you join us?”
I wanted girl time, and this isn’t it. But I swallow my disappointment as the four of us head to a cafe on the edge of campus that’s frequented by grad students.
We order our food, grilled paninis for me and Jules, a salad for Liv, a coffee for Sawyer. Sawyer sits next to Liv with the natural familiarity of two people used to sharing the same rhythm. He’s always looking for her, bringing her closer to him. She smiles more when he’s near, watches for his reactions—not because she takes her cues from him, but because she loves seeing him respond to the world.
I’m a simple woman. I’ve never wanted a “let’s co-own a Keurig and watch entire seasons of TV together and have friends in common” relationship.
But for the first time, I wonder if maybe I’m missing out.
I focus on our conversation as Jules talks about her arts program’s challenging project for their final year. Liv is working on a prototype of a new robot with a partner from San Francisco. Sawyer’s building his company in New York while juggling teaching.
“I need to give notice on our apartment and move the rest of my stuff out.” Three sets of eyes swing to me. “Unless I want to keep it.”
“There’s no reason to. Right?” Jules asks.
“Not unless you both decide to be my roommates again.” I wiggle my eyebrows.
Liv rests her head on Sawyer’s arm. “Sorry. You know we love you.”
The past month, I always felt my dorm room was an option I could fall back on. Like a safety school, or that guy I used to call every Thursday of second year to hook up because he was decent in bed and always available.
Signing it back to the university feels pretty major.
“Nannying must be going well,” Sawyer comments.
“Andy’s the best kid. We have fun together.” I take a bite of my hot panini. “I get out of my closet under the stairs once in a while.”