Page 150 of Rules of Association

I could just hear his eyes narrowing from across the world. “Don’t tell me. Her name starts with a C and is followed by another C.”

I laughed. “Did you graduate from Oxford or something?So smart.”

“Fine, fine,” he said. “Go snog with your girlfriend but don’t forget the reunion. I’m accepting an award and it would be nice if you could make it. You can bring her too, lord knows you lot have the money for it, yeah.”

“I’ll let you know,” I said before saying goodbye and heading inside.

Through the back door, the hallways, past the living room, and through the foyer I went straight up to the front door and pulled it open. She hadn’t even knocked yet, but she had come. She was standing there with her bags on the front step, the cat in a carrier beside them and her head tucked down as she dug for her key. And when she noticed the door opening before she even announced herself, her hand went to her hip and she turned her gaze up at me with a little smirk.

“Were you waiting on me, Connor?” she asked, eyebrow raised.

My own smirk crossed my face but I didn’t stop at the threshold.No more hesitating. And hesitate I did not as I scooped her up and gathered her into my arms. Cupping her face in one hand and the back of her neck in the other, I bent low to her level and did what I’ve been wanting to do since the first time she let me.

An inch away from her mouth I said, “I’m always waiting on you, Ceci.”

Her lips were soft as I set mine on top of them. They parted in surprise as I advanced which gave me access to her warm wet mouth that I didn’t hesitate to taste. Her body, a little heated from the summer weather and a little wet from a misting of sweat, arched into mine and I didn’t know if it was because I pulled her or because of her own effort, but she rose up to her tiptoes to get closer to me. A little moan escaped her when I sucked her tongue into my mouth and a deeper moan tumbled from her as I dragged her body up further against my own.

It was only when I had her panting and shivering in my arms, that I let her go. Let her settle in the moment and let it sink in. I pulled away just far enough to place a kiss on either side of her face.

She was beautiful as she looked up at me with worlds in her eyes. And she loved me. Iknowshe loved me. I was just waiting for her to see it too.

Chapter Thirty-four

CONNOR

“CONNOR FERGUSON!”

The shriek of Cee’s voice as it reverberated down the hallway, up the stairs, and to my fucking shower alarmed me immediately. I barely dried off before I pulled on sweatpants and a shirt to see what she needed.

“What?” I asked as I made my way into the kitchen following the sound of her ruckus.

When I finally surfaced in the living area, she was ablaze. Her hair was everywhere, sticking up in a fluff of barely brushed out chaos. Her cheeks were red as she bent over the drawers and rummaged through them in a mad rage before slamming them shut and moving around to the next one. And her eyes, when she finally turned around to scowl at me, were igniting in a sparking gold color that reminded me of burning ember.

Okay.

“Where are my wraps?” I asked.

My eyes narrowed on the long white strips of fabric hanging around her neck. I pointed. “Aren’t those your wraps right there?”

She looked at me like she wanted to slap me before grunting angrily and whipping around in the opposite direction. My eyes narrowed even further, but only for a second as she then proceeded to start climbing the kitchen cabinets.

What the hell?

“Get down before you break your neck,” I said, immediately plucking her down and setting her on the ground behind me.

A grunt is all she responded before trying to shove me out of the way and climb back on. I grunted right back and grabbed onto her waist to deposit her behind me again.

What did she do? She chargedagain. Shoving me and trying to push her way up.

Aggravated, I turned, blocking her route up the countertops and staring down at her incredulously. She growled.

“What are you doing?”

“Trying to find the wraps thatyouput somewhere,” she said, her eyes accusatory, her stance challenging.

I grumbled. “You know this is my house don’t you? So I have the right to put whatever,wherever.”

This did not make her happy. This actually pissed her the fuck off. I could see it as it crossed over her face in a wave of confusion, then hurt, and then pure fucking anger because this was Ceci we were dealing with.

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