Page 19 of The Four Leaf

Quick learner.

Just as I’ve imagined every time I close my eyes, her lips fit mine perfectly. They were made to cushion my hard blows, to open to my demanding tongue, to cradle my need for dominance.

I pin my body to hers, threading my fingers through her brown strands and drawing us closer. She moans into my mouth, grinding her body against mine as she wraps her arms around my head.

We stay like this until we both can’t breathe, giving, taking, and fighting to get closer than we already are. When I finally rip my mouth from hers, I tighten my grip on one side of her head, forcing it to lull to the side as I graze my teeth down her neck.

She shudders against me, and it takes more self-control than I thought possible not to bite her neck and say fuck everything else. Luckily, it seems Sam’s own curiosity is begging to be answered.

“I want a rematch.”

“Come again?” I ask against the column of her throat, my nose trailing up and down her soft skin.

She moves a hand to my chest and presses so lightly it almost feels like just a touch, but I know better. I’ve committed myself to learn signs of nervousness and withdrawing consent without a clear verbal indicator.

I take a small step back, releasing her while granting her enough space so she feels safe, but not rejected in any way.

She clears her throat and lowers her hands to the waistband of my jeans. Her gaze stays trained there as she brushes her finger softly over the denim. “I want a rematch. I have questions I’d like answered.”

“You don’t need a rematch to ask. I’ll answer whatever you’d like to know.”

She shakes her head but still doesn’t look up. “No. I want to play.”

“Play what?” I hook my finger under her chin again until she peers up at me from behind her fan of dark lashes. Her innocent eyes are on full display, and the mere image sends my dick straining against its confines.

“I want to play tag.”

Adrian kissed me. Really kissed me.

And it wasn’t only the fact his kiss brought me to the edge of the world, shown the vast universe, then plunged back into gravity. It was howrightit felt. Utterly and indisputably right.

I think after being friends with someone for so long, ruining a good friendship isn’t the only concern that arises. It’s also the fear of no spark. Of realizing you wasted a certain amount of time waiting and wanting and wishing, only to be let down.

But what just happened makes me angry with myself that I didn’t do anything sooner. In fact, I want to spend the rest of my night doing nothing but drowning in his kiss, but there’s something I want more.

His truth. The entire thing. And in order to get it, I want to continue this game of cat and mouse. Why?

Because whatever we did, was fun. It was exhilarating and childish, but sexy and terrifying. It made me feel alive, and why not lessen the strain of the heavy questions we’ll ask with a game of tag?

“So, let me make sure I understand you correctly, Sam.” Adrian rolls up his sleeves, exposing the strong arms that were holding me in place just moments ago. “You want to run outside? Through the crowd of paraders, down the back alleys, and into the wooded park of Boston Common.”

I push the curtain back into place as we move from behind it and into the ballroom. “You did a very good job of repeating me word for word.”

He rolls his eyes, but I hear the genuine seriousness in his words. “I’m big on complete and total understanding.”

“Ah, being explicit. I gathered as much.”

Adrian sits down at the edge of the piano bench, leaning his forearms against his knees. “Full comprehension and consent are important, Bambi. As are safewords.”

Safewords.Now, I’m not inept, so I know safewords generally involve things that could get out of hand, but never have I been with someone who needed them.

“Something tells me he likes more adventurous things than a little self-exploration.”

Willow’s words replay in my mind, the connection suddenly becoming glaringly obvious. My steadily thumping heart is the only audible thing in the room as we stare at one another, understanding settling between us.

“So I’ll need a safeword?”

Adrian stands and catches my fingertips in his hands. He doesn’t pull me closer but keeps us connected, his eyes softening as he searches my face. “Yes. Is that something you’re comfortable with?”

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