Page 86 of That One Moment

Fur brushes my fingertips and I lunge forward as best I can in this position, my hand opening but only finding air.

“Fuck.”

The front door opens and closes and I sit back on my knees.

“What are you doing?” Caiden asks as he enters the lounge, still dressed in his work clothes, and giving me a once over. “I thought you’d be ready by now. We need to leave in less than an hour.”

Ford tries to shimmy under the sofa, but thankfully, he can’t fit. I bat him away with an open hand, ignoring the way Caiden’s staring at me questioningly.

“Jay, what are you doing on the floor?”

When my eyes meet his, I’m certain he can see the guilt in them.

“Don’t panic, but I took Basil out of his cage and he got away. The fucker is under here and I can’t get him out and your cat is determined to make the demon rodent his next meal.”

I flop down again and start fishing around under the sofa. “Way to end the year, by killing your pet,” I mumble, growing frustrated when I can’t get a hold on Basil.

Caiden joins me on the floor. “He bit you didn’t he?” he asks, pushing the sofa backwards. Basil darts across the floor and all three of us shoot towards him, but he hides under the TV cabinet.

“Yes, he fucking bit me again. I have no idea why he hates me.”

Catching movement out of the corner of my eye, I dart left and the same time Caiden does and we end up in a heap on the floor, my body splayed over his.

“Hi,” I say, looking into his mesmerising blue eyes.

“Hi,” he says back.

“Missed you today.” I lean down and press our lips together, momentarily forgetting why I’m on the floor in the first place. Caiden had a project to complete once we got back from our folks, and has worked every day between Boxing Day and today. Thankfully he has some time off at the start of the new year. “I’m sorry I lost your hamster.”

He smiles, and even though he does it often now, it steals my breath every time.

“We’ll catch him. It’s not the first time he’s escaped.”

Just then, Basil makes a brave attempt at crossing the lounge right in front of me. I dive forward, my knee catching Caiden in the side as I do. He curses, and I end up face first with one arm outstretched and the other bracing on the floor.

“He’s so bloody fast! You should have rescued a tortoise.” I eye Caiden, who’s lip twists into a smirk. “Do not even think aboutit, we are not having any more of your strays, and certainly not a reptile.”

Caiden climbs onto my back like a spider monkey, wrapping his arms around my neck. “If I ask nicely, you’d be powerless to say no.”

I flip him over, and he hits the ground with ahmphand a carefree laugh that seeps into my soul.

“You know I’m right. You’d do anything for me.” He makes a play at batting his eyelashes and I dart forward and bite his cheek. Seeing him this happy is like winning the lotto. He makes me feel like the luckiest guy in the world.

“You’re not wrong, Mr Carrington. Use it against me if you will.”

He laughs again before turning serious. “We really are going to be late if we don’t start getting ready.”

After a few more futile attempts, I rest my head on the floor, huffing like I’ve returned from a run, sweat sticking my shirt to my back. Ford has been locked in our bedroom - having been no help at all - and Caiden has popped to the kitchen, returning with a takeaway container and piece of cheese.

“Last attempt.” He lifts both items up and shows them to me. I take the cheese and he takes the tub, and together, we coax the demon out from under the sofa, his whiskers working frantically as he cautiously follows the cheese I’m dragging along the floor. As Basil grabs for the bait, Caiden acts fast, trapping him and then lifting him up and depositing him safely in his cage.

Walking over to me, Caiden says, “Hit the shower then get dressed, we need to go.” His lips brush mine, sending a bolt of electric hunger through my body. My body is hot, and not just from rolling around the floor. His is just as warm and I have this desire to feel his naked skin against mine.

“Five minutes,” I say, my hand lifting the hem of his hoodie and skimming the dips and grooves of his stomach. Caiden sucksin a breath when my fingers skim below the waistband of his jeans. “That’s all I’ll need, promise.” My lips find the fluttering pulse in his neck and I pepper it with kisses and pop the button on his jeans at the same time.

He shakes his head. “Nothing is ever five minutes with you. If we’re late for Darius’s party, he won’t let us forget it.” He kisses me with a closed mouth. “Get,” another kiss, “ready.”

“You’re no fun,” I say, walking backwards out of the room, keeping an eye on him. Caiden smirks and follows me, teasingly stripping out of his clothing as he does and leaving a trail of them along the corridor.

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