Page 76 of Valentine Nook
“Wonky?”
“Yeah, there’s a wonky one near the top.” I nod, forcing out a laugh. I’m still rubbing my arm, only now it feels wet and a little sticky.
Lando’s not laughing. “Shit, you’re bleeding.”
Before I can take stock, he’s dropped the flowers and tugged me by my good arm through to the kitchen, where I’m ordered to sit on one of the stools.
I watch in silence as Lando gets to work, pulling a first aid box from the kitchen cabinet I didn’t realize was there. I’m not going to lie, as gross as it is, having a guy clean your own bloodoff a cut and fix it with a Band-Aid is hella sexy. I kind of hope he might kiss it better too.
“It’s minor, but you’ll have an impressive bruise,” he says, only to walk off.
Without a mirror, it’s impossible to look at your elbow, so I get up and use the reflection of the coffee machine instead, where I remember I still haven’t had one.
I hear the front door close, and Lando returns carrying the roses. I think he’s talking to me, then realize his phone is crooked into his neck.
“Yes . . . Bluebell.” He looks at me. “Holiday, what stair is it?”
I blink. “Um . . . third from the top.”
“Third from the top . . . yes . . . today. Great. Thanks, James.” Lando cuts the call and places his phone down on the counter. “A couple of the guys are coming this morning to fix it, so you need to be out of the place for a little while, but that’s fine since I have plans for us.”
Holy shit, this guy. I don’t know what’s sexier right now, the way he fixed my cut or the way he gets shit done. I know it’s his place, and technically, he should fix it, but I’ve experienced my fair share of crappy landlords to know this service isn’t the norm.
“You do?”
“I do.”
“What are they?”
“A surprise,” he answers as he rounds the counter, steps toward me, and tosses his hat to the side.
Any initial next-morning post-kiss awkwardness was taken care of when I fell down the stairs, so there’s no hesitation when his hands snake around my waist.
Like last night, I place my hands on his chest, enjoying the softness of the tee contrasted with solid muscle.
“Shall we try this again?” he asks, and he’s so close I cansmell mint on his breath. “Good morning, Hollywood. Did you sleep well?”
Biting down a giggle—I mean,c’mon—I reply, “Yes, I slept very well, thank you. Did you?”
“Best night’s sleep I’ve had in years. And I woke up thinking of you.” His eyes drop to my mouth as he speaks. Heat flushes over my body, and the urge to kiss him again is overwhelming.
ThankgodI brushed my teeth already.
I lift to the tip of my toes and stop a hair’s breadth before our mouths touch. His stubble tickles over my top lip, and he inhales deeply, like he’s breathing me in until that minuscule gap closes.
When I open, his tongue slips inside with a quiet moan.
I didn’t imagine it. This guy cankiss.Soft, firm licks against my tongue, around my mouth, rediscovering everything he left behind twelve hours ago.
Thisis the reward for waking up early. My hands push up Lando’s neck while his kiss deepens.
In one swift movement, I’m scooped up onto the kitchen counter, and he steps in closer. That’s all it takes. That shift to position himself between my thighs, protected only by my flimsy pajama pants, sets off a tugging sensation deep in my core that soon radiates across my body.
Hands fist my hair, pulling me back. His lips stray from mine, traveling along my jaw, my neck.
“Lando,” I hiss, and a big hand grips my ass, yanking me half off the counter, enough that I have to wrap my legs around his hips.
And then I feel it, his dick pressing between my legs in the exact spot I need it, and I become a panting, wanton hussy, grinding on him.
