Page 72 of Must Have Been Love

I twist my fingers into his hair, feeling so on edge even though he’s barely touched me.

“That song,” he murmurs, kissing one thigh then the other. “That’s you. Exactly you.” He looks up at me, from his place on the floor. “You’ve bewitched me.”

I scrape my fingers through his hair.

“Let me stay tonight.” The way he’s looking up at me makes me ache in places I didn’t know I could ache. “Let me hold you. Let me stay.”

My chest clenches. “You know you can’t.”

He doesn’t move his gaze from mine. “For somebody so free spirited you have a lot of rules.”

“For a reason,” I say softly. For more reasons than he knows. He’s the only person I need to have rules around right now.

If I break them, I’m afraid I’ll break myself.

“You’re afraid,” he murmurs, sliding his thumb along my panties. Then he slides it under the elastic, touching me, making my legs buckle. “But you don’t need to be afraid. I’m not going to hurt you.”

He circles his thumb, the shocking pleasure he creates sends all thoughts of words out of my head. “Let me take care of you,” he says softly, and I don’t know if he’s talking about right now or something else. I’m not sure I care. I’m so fixated by the teasing sensations created by his thumb and the way he’s still staring at me, those dark eyes locked on my face. He quickens his movements and my inner thighs tighten in response.

He slides a finger inside of me, followed by another, coaxing pleasure from me with one easy movement. His thumb circles, his fingers curl, and my body starts to quiver with the impending orgasm I know he’s determined to give me.

I tighten around him and his gaze narrows. “Come for me,” he whispers, curling his fingers hard, kissing my thigh as I start to fall over the edge. I have to steady myself on his shoulders, and still nearly fold in two, the orgasm so strong he has to put his hands on my hips to keep me upright.

When I finally gain control of my body, he stands up and kisses me. “One day, we’re doing this in a bed,” he tells me. “Even if it kills me.”

Before I can answer him, he’s stalking out of the apartment door, looking every inch the grumpy, furious man he was when we first met. He’s annoyed at me. At my rules.

Maybe I’m annoyed at myself.

I lean against the wall, trying to catch my breath. My body still feels the aftermath of my orgasm, all shaking and full of pleasure.

Sometimes it feels like that man uses sex as a weapon. But right now, I’m not sure I want to declare a ceasefire.

twenty-two

SKYLER

“Oh my,” Autumn whispers in my ear a couple of hours later. “Eileen’s drunk as a skunk.”

I follow her stare, looking over to see the older woman dancing in front of the jukebox. My eyebrows lift up, because that woman can dance. Like seriously dance. I can sway and move my hips but she’s absolutely mesmerizing.

“How much has she had?” I ask. It’s weird, but now that I’m a business owner I actually want to make sure I follow the rules. “Should we cut her off?”

Eileen does a perfect pirouette and then stumbles into Jesse, who unfortunately has his hands full with his guitar. Somehow he manages to catch her with his free arm, but for a second it’s touch and go whether he’s going to drop the expensive instrument.

Thankfully he doesn’t. I let out a long breath and look at Autumn. “Can you make some coffee?” I ask. “Strong?”

She nods. “On it.”

I lift up the hatch in the counter and walk around to the main bar. The party is starting to thin out now that Jesse has finished his last set. Most of the tables are taken, but there are less people to weave my way through, which I’m thankful for.

And of course, over in the corner, leaning on the wall, is Hudson. The man who for some reason seems to be determined to get me into bed even though I’ve offered him sex everywhere else. I can feel the heat of his stare as I reach Eileen. For a second I allow myself to look over at him.

A smug I-can-make-you-come half-smile pulls at his lips. I lift my brow at him then turn away. I’ll deal with Mr. Bed later. Right now I have a drunk bed and breakfast owner on my hands.

“Hi Eileen,” I shout over the music. “Why don’t you come talk with me at the bar?”

She reaches out for my hands. “Dance with me.” She looks around, frowning when she realizes she’s the only one swaying right now. “Where’s everybody at?”

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