Page 36 of Puck & Make Up

I hitch my leg around his waist, feel the hard length of his erection against my pussy, and?—

Yes.

That’s good.

It’s fucking great.

And I’m in total agreement as he groans, one hand settling at my shoulder, the thumb on the other brushing along my bottom lip again, back and forth,back and forth.

“I want to kiss to you,” he rasps.

Heat blazes through me, erasing my common sense. “Then why aren’t you?”

He settles his forehead against mine and sighs. “Because you don’t trust me, sugar. And I get it. I’m not going to hurt you, but you don’t believe that?—”

“I want to,” I whisper.

“I know,” he says gently. “But you have good reason to be gun-shy.” A sigh as he shifts back enough to press his lips to my forehead before rolling us to our sides, his body behind mine, his arms wrapping around me. “So back to this job thing. Tomorrow I’ll?—”

“You’releavingtomorrow,” I remind him.

“And there are these things called cell phones,” he teases. “Along with the internet. I won’t know any of the guys on the team, and the schedule will be light at first. I’ll have plenty of time to scroll through those new job listings. Plus”—he squeezes me a little tighter—“you’ll only be a couple hours’ drive away. I’ll come up and visit. I might even”—he drops his head, inhales deeply—“bring you some cookies if you let me in.”

My heart rolls over in my chest, and…I feel it then.

The last pieces of my shield fluttering away.

I’ve been wavering on knife’s edge.

Standing in the middle of its tipping point, perfectly balanced.

On one side, my isolated life. On the other…

Fox.

And as he picks up the remote and asks, “What bad movie are we watching?”

I already know which way I’ve fallen.

Eleven

Fox

FOX: Garbage person? (They make a lot of money)

DESSIE: I don’t do well with smells.

FOX: I hate to break it to you, sugar, but hockey players smell after games.

DESSIE: Good thing there are showers at the rinks.

FOX: *waggles brows GIF* Want to see them up close and personal?

DESSIE: The showers or the hockey players.

FOX: There’s only ONE hockey player you’re going to see up close and personal.

DESSIE: Does this mean that you’ve arrived at your new house?

---