Page 77 of Fair Catch

“Mmm, go away,” he groans, dragging his pillow over his head to stop my onslaught of affection. “It’s too early to be awake right now. Even for sex.”

“Sex wasn’t what I was going for, and that’sdefinitelynot the spirit I’m looking for on the best day of the year, Kase. Let’s try again.” I grab the pillow and toss it on the floor. “Good morning, sleepy head.”

His eyes peek open in something of a glare. “It would be a better morning if you left me the hell alone.”

“Now you know how it feels to be woken up when you’re trying to enjoy blissful slumber,” I counter, my fingers playing with the wild strands of red-brown hair. “But I’m not letting you ruin my favorite holiday with your moodiness, and there’s no chance in hell I’m letting you sleep it away, either.”

“Five more minutes,” he grumbles.

Not happening.

“Get up. We have things to do.”

Kason chooses that moment to grab my hips and flip our positions, pinning me to the bed beneath him. His hands slide up my body until he shackles my wrists, dragging them up above my head.

I’m well aware he expects me to fight, try to wriggle out of his hold. But I have to admit, being helpless and at his mercy kind of has an appeal.

“You’re absolutely insane,” he whispers, his eyes wide with frustration and desire.

“No, I’m just feral for all things Halloweeen.” Stretching up, I press a kiss to the corner of his mouth. “And I think it’s the perfect occasion for me to take you out on a first date.”

“You mean we’re actually leaving the apartment? Going aroundpeople?” he teases while rolling his hips into mine. My dick thickens, his own erection grinding against it causing shivers to rush down my spine.

I know exactly what he’s doing right now, trying to keep me here with the promise of sex. And fuck, if I’m not tempted to let him get away with it.

“Keep the sass up, and I’ll change my mind. Maybe chain you to the bed and have my wicked way with you instead.”

“That doesn’t sound threatening at all, you know,” he murmurs. Shifting his weight, he trails one hand down my ribs before sneaking beneath my shirt. “That actually sounds like way more fun.”

The warmth of his skin trailing over my stomach has it tightening on reflex, and I’m already regretting playing this game with him. Because I just may well lose.

“Oh, so you’re just using me for my body, I see.”

He nods, zipping his head down to scrape his teeth over the pulse point in my throat before soothing it with his tongue. “Absolutely. No other reason at all. None whatsoever,” he utters between kisses up my neck. “You’re just a piece of ass to me, Lancaster.”

“Well, that’s too bad. You’re not getting a damn thing from me if you make me miss out on celebrating my all-time favorite holiday.”

Humming, he presses his lips to my jaw. “Does it have to be this minute?”

Harnessing every bit of strength and will and determination I have, I slide my fingers into the hair at the back of his head and pull, forcing his mouth away from me.

“Yes, so get your ass off me. We’ve got places to go and things to do.”

He groans, his head landing in the crook of my neck when I release my hold. “But you hate people. Leaving the house requires peopling when we could just stay in bed all day. Then there’s no people besides us.”

He’s doing his best to make a play at my weaknesses, but I’m not having his shit now. All temptation is gone. This is the one day of the year where my dislike for ninety-nine percent of the human population doesn’t matter.

“I saidnow,Kason. Chop, chop.”

To emphasize my point, I use his momentary distraction to slide out from under him, dragging the comforter off the bed with me.

Daggers are glared my way as I stare at his nearly naked form still on the bed. The muscular lines of his back, peppered with countless freckles. The way his boxer-briefs cling to his sculpted ass and thick, toned thighs.

He catches me staring and shakes his head. “You don’t get to keep looking at me like that if you’re making me get out of bed.”

“You planning to stop me?” I taunt, crossing my arms. “You’re gonna have to get out of bed to make that happen.”

A sharp scoff leaves him as he finally,finallyclimbs out of bed, his feet landing on the floor with a soft thud. “Sometimes I really miss when you hated my guts, you know.”

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