Page 38 of A Sudden Response

Whatever she was about to say was cut off when he did the one thing that he’d longed to do again since that dare he’d accepted when they were fourteen. He kissed her. For a moment, she just stood there, but he didn’t let that stop him from enjoying this. Her lips were so warm and so damn soft and he couldn’t seem to get enough of them.

He knew he’d fucked up, but he couldn’t help himself. She felt so good in his arms and when she moved her lips tentatively against his, she felt fucking perfect. It was so damn good, but he wanted more.

With a groan, Eric released her hands and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer as he traced the seam of her lips with the tip of his tongue. When she opened up to him, he didn’t hesitate. He slid his tongue inside of her mouth and couldn’t help but feel like he was coming home.

She suckled his tongue into her mouth as her arms wrapped around him. In seconds, the kiss went from cautious to out of control and desperate. He couldn’t get enough of her and if the way she was fisting his hair was any indication, she felt the same way. They stumbled back until his back hit the wall.

Without breaking the kiss, he turned them around so that her back was against the wall. He pulled his arms free so that he could slide his hands over her back, her sides, and then up until he was running his hands over her breasts, earning a needy little growl from Joe as her hard nipples teased his palms through her shirt. She felt so good, a thousand times better than he’d ever imagined she would, Eric thought as he released her breasts and reached down, cupping behind her knees and pulled her legs up.

She didn’t hesitate in wrapping her legs around his waist and he sure as hell didn’t waste any time in shifting until his erection was pressed against her. Even through their clothes, he could feel her heat. He couldn’t remember ever wanting a woman this much. He ground himself against her as he swallowed her moans.

Joe ran her hands down his back and over his ass, encouraging him and he knew by the sounds of her breathing and the way that she dug her nails into his ass that she was close, and God help him, but so was he. It wouldn’t be enough. Not nearly enough, he thought as he pulled her away from the wall and placed her on the edge of the kitchen table.

He needed to be inside of her.

He reached for her pants when he heard the front door open and they both went still.

“Joe? Look, I can’t stand you being mad at me, so I brought you another milkshake.”

The moment Eric pulled away from her, reality crashed over them and they both realized just how badly they’d fucked up.

CHAPTER 16

“Are you going to share that with me?” Nathan asked, still pouting.

“No,” Joe said, sighing heavily as she took a big bite out of her fried dough. She didn’t really want it, but she needed something to do in order to distract herself from the colossal mess she’d made of her life.

“Cheap,” Nathan mumbled, making sure to look pathetic.

“You can have some of mine, Nathan,” Caitlyn said, smiling sweetly up at him.

“Thank you,” Nathan said, looking a little uncomfortable as he accepted a bite of her fried dough. Caitlyn must have noticed it, too, because her smile slipped a little.

Joe just barely stopped herself from slapping him upside his head. What the hell was wrong with him? Caitlyn was smart, funny, sweet, and kind and he was pushing her away. He did this so often that she knew the signs by heart now.

Right now, he was distancing himself from Caitlyn and in a week, she’d be out of the picture. In another month or two, he’d find another woman that was just as perfect for him and he’d be happy until whatever stupid notion he allowed to take over had him pushing that one away, too. She wanted to scream athim and slap some sense into him, but she honestly didn’t know where to start.

“I-I’m going to get a drink. Does anyone else want one?” Caitlyn asked, shifting uncomfortably.

“No, thank you,” Joe said, throwing Caitlyn what she hoped was a warm smile.

“I’m all set,” Nathan said absently as he watched the teams of firefighters run a relay race with rolled-up hoses.

“Okay,” Caitlyn mumbled softly as she turned around and walked away.

“Do we need to send you to therapy?” Joe asked as soon as Caitlyn was out of hearing distance.

He frowned down at her. “No. Why?”

Joe rolled her eyes as she gestured towards Caitlyn’s retreating back. Nathan followed her gesture and sighed.

“It’s just not working out,” Nathan said, shrugging it off.

“Then, tell her that instead of dragging this out. It’s not fair to her.”

“I will,” was all he said and she had to curl her hands into fists to stop herself from beating some sense into him. What the hell was wrong with him that he couldn’t even see what was right in front of him? How the hell could he push someone who was obviously perfect for him away like that?

The man needed his ass kicked.

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