Page 39 of Why Not Now?

“If you want it to be.”

I kick off my shoes and take a step toward her. “So we’re going to do this? Sex. No strings.”

I consider the little box in my drawer at home, the warning flashing in my mind that having only this small piece of Ava will possibly hurt more than not having her at all. Then I shake the thoughts out of my head.

She nods, taking a step toward me. As soon as we’re close enough, she grabs me as though I’ve been away from her too long. I tug her against my chest.

“No strings,” she agrees.

“It could get complicated.”

“We’re both adults.” Her voice is breathy and her hazel eyes gleam with heat. “We know what we’re doing.”

Do we? Do I? Because everything inside me is screaming this is a bad idea. There is no way for me to sleep with Ava Calligan and not fall back in love with her. Had I ever really fallenoutof love with her?

But this is all she’s offering me, so this is all I’ll take. And I’ll take it all. Because when it’s over, it’s going to hurt.

“Okay,” I say before my mouth descends on hers.

Chapter 13

Ava

Whenhislipstouchmine, my whole body ignites. Last time had been a frenzy of touches and relearning. Tonight, my body reminds me how good it had been only two nights ago, and Ineedmore.

I pull him toward my bed, sitting on the edge of it, forcing him to bend over me to keep kissing me. His mouth devours mine, his hands tugging up the hem of my shirt, pulling it over my head. As he drags my bra straps down, heat flashes along my skin, shooting straight to my core, making me ache.

His lips leave mine as the bra falls to the floor.

I shiver as the chilly air kisses my skin, contrasting with the heat of his hands sweeping down my arms to my hips. With more strength than I expected, he lifts me, kneeling where I had been sitting, shoving me further onto the bed. He parts from me to shed his shirt, then he’s back, pressing my body into the mattress with his, making out with me like we’re teenagers again.

This is absolutely insane. I never bring men home. Yet, here I am, with Derek in the bed I slept in as a child. I’ve only ever had sex with one person in this bed and tonight won’t change that. He kisses the side of my breast where he’d marked me with one of three hickeys the other night, and I don’t think of how crazy it is anymore. I just say, “Pants.”

“What are you asking for, sweetheart?” he asks with a laugh, moving his mouth to my tight nipple, sucking it between his lips. My back arches toward him.

“Pants off,” I manage to say. “I need to see you. I need to touch you.”

He shudders over me, then roughly pulls the rest of our clothes off so we’re both naked. I catch a glimpse of one of his tattoos, then his erection rubs against my clit, and I moan and arch into him again. His mouth is back, tongue sliding in to caress mine. I reach up, tangling my fingers in his impossibly soft curls. I could lay here forever, just like this—warmed by his body, kissing him—if the heat and throb weren’t building between my thighs.

His hands skim over my arms, fingers linking with mine as he kisses a trail along my jaw. I turn my head to allow him to travel to the base of my ear, my eyes fluttering open to see the tattoo on his right forearm.

“Before we go any further,” I gasp and his mouth stills. “I want to see those tattoos now.”

He chuckles but humours me and lifts off me to lay on his back, folding his hands beneath his head. I straddle him and trail my fingers along the right side of his ribcage.

“That’s Narsil,” he says. “The broken sword fromLord of the Rings.”

I touch the inside of his right arm.

“That’s a pen.”

I laugh. “I can see that. It even says so.” In fact, it’s rather unremarkable. Just a regular ballpoint with the words “This is a pen” written above it and an odd symbol on the cap.

“It’s Anaklusmos fromPercy Jackson. Uncap it and it becomes a sword.”

“Why would you want a tattoo of it like this? Swords are much cooler.”

He shrugs. “Percy Jacksonwas the first time I’d read a book and actually enjoyed it. It got me started on a whole lot of fantasy and sci-fi stuff. I’d already been thinking of getting Narsil, and didn’t want two swords.”

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