Page 45 of Unexpected Love
Blue eyes assess the street, then wander up to trace my face. My nipples go rigid against the soft satin top, which he definitely notices if the heat in his gaze is any indication.
“Sorry,” I say, crossing my arms over my chest. “I need to do some laundry.”
“Don’t on my account. I think you’re perfect like you are.” Warmth unfurls low in my belly at his raspy reply.
I want to kiss him.
He’s still got little red spots lingering where he ran his bout of hand, foot and mouth virus, but it’s not quite enough to make me pump the brakes too hard. To put a stop to this ridiculous crush that’s growing. When he looks at me like he is, all I can think of is his voice and the gentle way he handles Charlie.
“You’ve come a long way since that first night.” I don’t even recognize my own voice, it’s so husky. I clear my throat and try again. “She’s happy and adjusting to everything really well.”
“Thanks,” he says, still watching me with that look that promises he would devour me. This is bad boy Cal—the one who rides a motorcycle and maybe does bad things in all the right ways.
I want to ask him if he’s heard from his sister. If he has any idea about the future.
And I can’t decide if maybe I’d like it if the sister came back and suddenly was a super mom, or if it would be the absolute worst scenario because then I’d have zero brakes where Cal is concerned.
I’m terrified that if I start something with him, I can’t keep it casual. He’s too young for me. Plus, we’re neighbors.If it fell apart, we’d still see each other all the time. We share a freaking balcony. If we tried and failed, one of us would be forced to move or suffer daily reminders of each other.
Despite those fears, he’s drawn closer, and I’m leaning in.
“Have you heard from your sister?” I blurt out, effectively killing a moment when maybe he would’ve kissed me.
He pushes off the rail and takes a step back, raking his fingers through his hair. “Not yet. It’s just a matter of time.” He gives nothing away as to how he feels about it. “It’s kind of empty up here, isn’t it? We need to get some furniture,” he says, voice back to normal, the lingering heat in his gaze banked.
I take a step away from him and miss his warmth immediately. “That’s what I was thinking when you came out. Maybe a bistro table or some Adirondacks.”
He nods, surveying the space.
“And there’s these planters. I was thinking about adding some flowers, making it all match the decor of the coffee shop as a kind of extension.”
He’s still nodding. “Yeah, I can picture it. It’d be great if there was a way to add some stairs and extend the patio around the side to give you some outdoor seating.”
“That’d be great if these doors didn’t open directly to my bedroom.”
His gaze rakes down my body again, but he backs away another step.
“Speaking of, I’m beat. Get some rest, Jules. Tomorrow, we’ll finish that wall, and you’ll be one step closer.”
He closes the door with one last blistering look back, and I stagger to my own bedroom, closing only the screen door. I need some cooling off if I’m ever going to sleep.
But as my body hits the sheets, all I’m replayingin my mind is how when he looked at me, I wanted him to devour me.
As my hand skates over my silky pajamas, I imagine that it’s his hand gripping and sliding. His fingers finding their way up my inner thigh of the loose shorts, skating over my heated folds. His fingers dipping into the wetness, caressing me until I come with a moan.
Chapter 18
Cal
Ifist my cock, trying hard to stifle a groan because Jules is next door, and through the open screen door, I can clearly hear her moaning. I don’t want anything to come between me and that sound.
Jesus Christ, it’s hot. And not just temperature-wise. My blood is boiling. I came so close to kissing her out on that balcony. She looks at me like she wants me to, and then she puts this wall between us, and the back-and-forth is driving me crazy.
I imagine how she’s touching herself, and within minutes, I finish, spilling on my belly. In my fantasy, it’s Jules’s hands smearing it over my abs, licking those luscious lips, watching me with that heated gaze she leveled on me earlier.
When I can breathe again, I clean up and then go for a glass of water, double-checking on Charlie on my way by her room.
Despite how much I want her, I know Jules has some hang-ups about starting something with me. I know itrevolves around Charlie. Her asking about Dani confirmed my suspicions.
