Page 54 of Verses Of Us

With a soft laugh, he kissed the top of her head. “And you don’t anymore? What a shame.”

She shrugged. “It’s different now. It’s not worship, it’s… affection.” She ran a finger down the middle of his chest, toward his belly, and back up again. “I see you as you are now.”

“I wish more people did that.”

“Then I’d have to share you,” she teased and slipped her hand under the sheet once more. His cock twitched when she traced a finger over his groin. “You could let people in. Let them see the real person, not the persona.”

“I suppose.” He brought his hand to hers, guiding it to his hard length. “Why don’t we save that conversation for another day?”

QUICK EXIT

Alexis

“Christ,wheredidIput that fucking thing?” Alexis spat, searching through a stack of papers piled on her desk.

Disorganized to the outside eye, she saw ordered chaos, and she knew where everything was… except for this one article. After weeks of research, dozens of books and countless photocopies, she’d pieced together the best term paper for her marketing class and, if she couldn’t find this last reference, she’d have to retrace her steps. She didn’t have time to do that. Her paper was due tomorrow.

“Do you always swear this much when you’re stressed?” Sprawled out on her sofa, Ciarán watched a rerun ofFriends, chomping on Doritos as if he lived there.

He’d kept to himself most of the day while she worked on her paper, his raucous laugh occasionally interrupting the silence. The noise wasn’t a distraction, it actually helped her concentrate. She wasn’t one of those students who only thrived in silent libraries. She could concentrate in clattering coffee shops and busy food courts, too. Her job at the paper helped with that.

“I’m not stressed,” she replied. With a huff, she moved more textbooks aside, then flipped through their pages. “I need that fucking article—” This time she knew Ciarán was laughing at her and not the show. She stopped, pursing her lips. “Alright, maybe I’m a little stressed.”

She ran her hands through her hair, bunching it up on top of her head before letting it fall again. She inhaled a long breath and counted to three. The old hardwood floors creaked as Ciarán approached from behind.

“You need to relax, love.” His hands slid over her shoulders, the heat from them easing some tension. He leaned down, brushing her ear with his lips. “I can think of a few things that would take your mind off of this.” His whisper sent shivers across her skin. She leaned in as he took her earlobe in his mouth, then moved his lips down her jaw to her neck.

“I’d love to,” she said. “But if we want to be on time, I need to finish this now.”

“And if we didn’t go,” he said, his lips skimming over her shoulder, “we could do this instead.”

His right hand slid down her chest, straight into her shorts, his fingertips grazing her lower belly, sending heat to her core.

They’d spent the last twenty-four hours in bed, getting out only to wash and eat takeout. And as much as she loved having him around on his day off, she also kind of wished he’d go back to his hotel for a bit.

“Ciarán…” Despite the warning in her tone, she didn’t move away from his warm lips as they trailed kisses from her shoulder to her neck. Her eyes drifted shut, her toes curling. “You should stop.”

“I should not.” His mouth curved into a smile against her skin, but he didn’t relent.

Growing more demanding, his lips traced the curve of her earlobes, then skimmed down her nape. He tugged on her long tresses, moving them aside, and she released a deep moan when his fingers rubbed against her scalp. Her blood simmered, her skin grew hot, but this had to stop.

Finding the willpower, she pulled away, leaving him hanging in mid-kiss. “I’m sorry, but I really need to finish this paper.”

He tucked his lower lip, dropping his head and released a heavy sigh. “If you say so.”

She reached for his hand, bringing it to her mouth, then trailed kisses on the inside of his wrist. “I promise I’ll make it up to you later.”

“You’re bloody right, you will.” His mouth quirked, forming that dimple beneath his thin stubble. He leaned against the wall next to her desk and crossed his arms, the solid line under his sweatpants taunting her. “Remind me why I need to go to this thing?”

Julie’s debut viewing of her final film school project was tonight. Alexis had talked about it more than once with Ciarán and he had seemed genuinely excited about it, which had fuelled her own excitement. The idea of going out in public with him to her best friend’s special evening was nerve-wracking and exhilarating. But now, his lack of interest, combined with the stress of losing her most important term essay reference, left her irritated.

She swivelled her chair around.

“You don’t. If you want to return to your hotel, that’s fine.” Her words came out cold and monotone. She blinked at him a few times, then returned to her work.

“Now, don’t be like that,” he said, throwing himself back onto the sofa. “I wouldn’t dream of being away from you for more than a second.”

A grin creeped across her face, but Alexis tried to keep it at bay, not wanting to give into his charm so easily.

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