Page 93 of The Overtime Kiss

There’s a notebook and a pen on the nightstand. A couple books. Some necklaces on her bureau. And a few framed photos of her and her friends.

That ought to make me smile—all this normalcy.

But my chest tightens, and I rub my sternum to try to loosen the tension. What the hell happens next? Where do we go from here? No idea. Since I’ve disposed of the used condom already, I grab my boxer briefs and pull them on, then my pants. Seems presumptuous to just lounge around in the buff, and honestly, I haven’t thought beyond this point.

Well, I didn’t think beyond immediate gratification when I banged on her door. And now that the lights are on and the deed is done, I’d better think fast.

Sabrina turns the corner back into her room, eyes me up and down quickly, then hustles to grab a long T-shirt from the bureau and fish out a pair of panties. In no time, she’s covered up too.

I’m standing here stupidly, thanks to a novelty condom wrapper, unsure what to say. But I can read her body language loud and clear. She thinks I’m going, so I sit down and pat the bed. “Come here.”

She walks toward me, but apprehensively, like a small dog who doesn’t trust me yet.

When she sits, I reach for her hand. She takes mine, and we thread our fingers together. My heart settles a bit. Just a bit though. I study our clasped hands for a beat. “Hey,” I begin.

She closes her eyes, her shoulders sinking. “Just say it.”

“Say what?”

When she opens her eyes, she looks tough, resolute as she says, “Pretend it didn’t happen.”

But I can hear the pain in her voice. I squeeze her hand tighter. “I’m not going to say that,” I try to reassure her. “I’m just not…good at this. This is all…like learning to ride a bike again.”

A small smile shifts her lips. “News flash: you’re a quick re-learner.”

I don’t mean the sex though. I mean the post-sex. Sorting my thoughts, I rub my thumb along her fingers. It’s such a privilege to touch her like this. “What I’m trying to say is—” I stop, make sure I’m meeting her eyes. “I meant it when I said it earlier. I mean it now. I won’t pretend this didn't happen.”

And then, maybe because I’m better with physical things, I tug her onto my lap, then flop down on the bed with her, sliding under the covers together, pulling the quilt to my waist—and hers too.

“Tell me more about this condom gift,” I say, finding my way back to intimacy like that. “When did he give it to you?”

Her lips quirk up, then she admits, “A few weeks ago.”

I feel like I’m in on a secret, but then I wonder—was it because her friends were encouraging her to date again? Does she even still want to date? I didn’t come in here asking her out to dinner. I stormed in here wanting to take her to bed, so how the hell do I reconcile the two? “Any reason in particular?” I ask, fishing for intel.

“If you must know, he said it was because he knew Iwould never be that presumptuous, but he wanted to be presumptuous for both of us,” she says, gesturing from her to me. “And then he said he wanted to be helpful for both of us. And then he basically said he was trying to manifest it for us.”

Her grin makes me grin. “So he was the wingman I didn’t even know I had?”

She laughs. “Evidently. He manifested tonight, it seems.”

“Fucking love that guy,” I say. “Can he manifest a Cup for me too?”

“I can ask,” she says, settling into the pillows now, perhaps believing that I’m not going to take off and shut this down. “He was wing-manning you from day one.”

I turn toward her, still holding her hand. “Good. This thing with us feels a little inevitable, doesn’t it?”

“Well, considering I threw myself at you on my wedding night, I’d say you read the room pretty well.”

A laugh bursts from me. “I suppose I did. And I was a perfect gentleman back then.”

“Don’t remind me,” she grumbles.

“But I don’t have to be one now,” I say, dropping my voice as I slide a hand down her stomach.

“Thank god,” she says.

Which brings us to the point of this moment. “I want this,” I say, even though we haven’t defined whatthisis. “But it also could get messy.”

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