Page 94 of Caught Stealing

A sharp inhale comes from him, almost like he’s steeling himself to say what he wants to next.

“I think you should stay here.”

The declaration surprises me, but not as much as the realization that…I want to.

Sleepovers are—were—a big fucking no for me in the past. But I know I’ve also been craving waking up beside him since the morning I did in Florida, even if it didn’t end well.

I want a do-over. I just haven’t known how to ask for it.

“Really?”

His nose brushes mine when he nods. “Yeah, baby.”

The organ in my chest squeezes for a moment, more emotions slamming into me at the nickname. It’s not the first time he’s said it—not even the first time tonight—but it’s not the same when we’re curled up like this.

“I don’t have clothes, though,” I murmur, my lips a whisper over his. “Unless you stole more and have them stashed in the back of your closet again.”

His chuckle against my mouth sends my stomach into backflips. “I haven’t made that a habit, sorry to say. But you’ve already worn my hoodie once. I don’t think it’ll kill you to do it again tomorrow.”

“Fair enough,” I whisper. “Then I’ll stay.”

Because I wanna be with him. As much as possible. Even if it means breaking more of my rules.

The smile I felt against my lips only grows at my agreement, yet what really does something stupid to the slab of meat in my chest is the way his hand curls around the back of my neck and he kisses me.

As if all he wanted was a yes.

As if all he wants is me.

Twenty-Six

Holden

February

“You don’t look like you’re studying.”

I glance up from where I’m lounged across my stomach on the rec room sectional in our basement, using my textbook as a pillow. A very uncomfortable one, but then again, it’s not their intended use, so I can’t necessarily complain.

“I am studying,” I mutter, eyes tracing his long, muscled body sitting on the floor while he leans against the other half of the L-shaped couch. And then I promptly drop my head back on the smooth, cool pages.

The decadent sound of Phoenix’s laugh floats over my skin like warm satin. “Last time I checked, you can’t learn through osmosis. Even if you do have a photographic memory.”

“Well, you should be able to.”

“You do realize the sooner you read, the sooner you can take an actual nap?”

“I’m tirednow.” My head lifts and I catch his gaze. “Any guess as to whose fault that is?”

Because the blame for my state of exhaustion lies firmly in his hands. After all, he’s the one who wrung not one but two orgasms out of me less than twenty minutes ago. He’s lucky my brain is even functioning at this point.

Phoenix drops his pen into the spine of his own textbook, both amusement and annoyance written on his handsome face. “You only have yourself to blame, considering you wouldn’t even let me set my backpack down when I got here before you were stripping my clothes off.”

I sit up and glare. “You agreed we would exchange a study session for sex.”

“I was thinking we’d have sexafterstudying.” One of his dark brows arch before he adds, “You know, as a reward for you actually doing what you’re supposed to be doing?”

I arch a brow right back, a victorious feeling spiking through my veins. “And why do you think I mauled you the second you walked through the door?”

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