Page 51 of Body Shot

ANDERS: Feathers, not skin. You ruffle feathers. LOL

FELIX: Whatever. I will give you privacy.

ANDERS: Thanks. I owe you one.”

I stick my phone back in my pocket.

“Done. He’s going out.”

“That was easy.”

“We’re lucky hockey season hasn’t started. We’re like two old men during the season, in bed by ten.”

“I’m probably going to be like that too when I start working.”

“Let’s not talk about work today,” I whisper, kissing her firmly on the lips.

“I’m ready to go,” she says against my mouth. “I’m hot and sweaty. I’m going to need a shower.”

“Yeah?” I gaze down at her, hoping she’s hinting what I think she’s hinting. “You’ll take one with me?”

She hesitates a fraction of a second, but nods. “Yes.”

Christ, my dick is hard just thinking about it.

“Let’s pick up dinner on the way home,” I suggest, “and eat at my place. Then we can shower and relax.”

“Okay.” There’s an edge to her voice and I’m not sure if it’s excitement, trepidation, or some combination of those, but I’m not going to make it worse by calling her on it because I plan to let her guide us tonight. I’ll take the lead sexually, but she has to make the first move, or at least let me know she’s ready. I’m pretty sure she is, based on the fact that she wants to shower together, but I’m not taking anything for granted.

Consent has always been important to me, and never more so than with Claudia.

“We’re going to take off,” I say when we join the others. “It’s date night.”

“Date night sounds fun,” Sloane says warmly. “Have a good time.”

“Are you sure you want me tagging along with you guys?” Hana asks dubiously. “I can have Anders drop me off at the hotel so you can have a date night too.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Sloane laughs, shaking her head. “We love having you here.”

“We can do date night every night after you leave,” Johan adds.

They’re still talking when we head for the parking lot, hands linked between us.

“I hope it’s okay that I lied about us having plans,” she says once we’re in the car heading north.

“Believe me, I wish you’d lied and said we had plans all day. I would have liked to spend the day just the two of us.”

“Me too.” Her fingers are warm in mine. “This thing with us feels…I don’t know. Strong? Intense? Like I can’t stand to be away from you.”

“Same.” I keep my eyes on the road, though I desperately want to look at her.

“Is this how it always is?” she asks after a moment. “Is it just the sexual attraction? Like once we sleep together it’ll fade?”

“I don’t…think so.” It’s a difficult question to answer, because that has certainly happened to me in the past. I just don’t think that’s what’s happening now, with us. “It’s hard to know for sure, but I already told you I can wait for that, so it can’t be the only thing between us.”

“You’re supposed to teach me how to give a blow job.”

Like she has to remind me.

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