Page 65 of Inked Obsession

“That was not what I was expecting,” I panted.

“Not at all. But damn.”

I looked at him then and smiled. “Okay, then.”

He kissed me gently, carefully sliding his hands down my body as he slid out of me and lowered me to the floor. He kept kissing me as he picked me up again, cradling me to his body as he carried me to the kitchen and set me down once more. Then he reached for a towel and began cleaning us both. No words were spoken, just the careful touches and kisses from a man fully sated and in control.

I was lost for him, and I had no idea how it had happened so quickly.

He pushed my hair away from my face, tucking it behind my ear. “I’m really glad I came over.”

“I thought you were taking me to dinner.”

“Yes, but I wanted a taste first.”

He kissed me again, and I knew I was lost.

We cleaned each other up, and I knew my hair and my swollen lips probably looked like I had just been fucked, but I had, so I didn’t care.

I put on another set of panties, a little sad about the ones I had just lost.

“To dinner?” he asked, clearing his throat.

“Yes,” I whispered.

Because it couldn’t only be about sex. Not when he was also my friend.

But hell, what a way to begin the evening.

We madeour way to the restaurant, my heart still pounding from the feeling of Beckett touching me, being with me. Every once in a while, he looked at me, and we would just pause in what we were saying. I knew he was likely thinking about what had just happened, too.

We pulled into the parking lot, and he turned off the car before looking at me again. That was Beckett. He always gave you his full attention, even if you knew he had to be thinking of a thousand other little things because he had so much on his plate. His family, his business, and a very traumatic incident that I knew still hurt him, even if he felt a bit lighter about it now. All of that was there, and he still gave those he cared about all of himself. Just like he was doing with me now.

“We didn’t talk,” he said, and I winced.

“No. We didn’t. There wasn’t much talking needed at first.”

He looked at me then, and I wanted to reach out, do something. But I also knew if I leaned forward, we would probably end up having sex in the car and likely get arrested. This was so unlike me. Maybe I was moving too fast. I needed to focus. I needed to do exactly what Beckett was doing.

Focusing.

“I don’t know what I want, Beckett,” I said.

“I know,” he whispered. “I don’t know what I want, either.”

“Is this our first or our second date?” I asked, letting out a hollow laugh.

“I don’t know. It’s our first date here, but I think dinner out more than once at the beach counted as dates. Don’t you?”

“Considering we’ve already slept together more than once; I’m going to go with yes.”

His lips quirked into a tiny smile before he shook his head. “I don’t know where my head is, Eliza. It should be here, and it is in some respects. But I don’t know what I’m supposed to want. I wasn’t expecting you. I wasn’t expecting this.”

That brought a laugh out of me. “And you think Iwasexpecting this? I went to that beach to try to figure out what I needed to do with my future. And then you were there, and things just clicked. I don’t know what I want for the future. I was already married, Beckett. I thought I was happy. Not too long ago, I’d just started thinking about maybe dating again. Nothing serious. But here we are, and you’re my friend, Beckett. It’s always going to be more than just casual with us. Do you get that?”

“Of course, I do. That’s why I kept telling myself I shouldn’t want you. But here we are. I want you, Eliza. I don’t want tonotwant you. But I also know that women need labels.”

“That’s sexist,” I growled. “You’re the one who brought it up. Clearly, you’re the one who needs labels.”

---