He gave me a withering look. “You know what I mean. It’s weird not to.”
“This is no strings attached. Kissing is stringy.”
“You’re doing something wrong if kissing isstringy. On second thought, maybe I’ll pass.”
I wavered, then compromised. Because I was generous. Not because I wanted his lips on me. Now. “You can kiss me, just not on the mouth.”
Bryce shook his head. “Fine. Okay.”
He dipped his head, hair tickling my ear as he pressed his warm mouth to my neck. I sighed and immediately wondered why I’d said no kissing. Skimming my fingers over his back, I nipped lightly at his shoulder, tongue grazing his skin. He shivered.
“Don’t fake a damn thing,” he said roughly, lips against my ear.
“Stop being annoying,” I whispered. “Touch me.”
Eyes darkening, he slipped a hand between my legs, making a helpless sound low in his throat when he felt how badly I wanted him. Reaching down, I adjusted his hand, and he groaned against my shoulder, somewhere between agony and want. I rocked into his touch, needing more, more, more.
“Wait,” I gasped. “Before we get further. Condoms?”
His eyes tightened.
I grimaced.
Bryce let out a long sigh. “Yeah, right, I’ll just askAmyfor somecondoms.” Pulling away, he closed his eyes. “Where exactly do you think I have condoms?”
“I don’t know, in your wallet? Aren’t you an accountant? Accountants are supposed toaccountfor things.”
His eyes opened, lust-hazed irises flashing. “What do you think I am, some sort of sexual vending machine, ready to dispense protected portable sex at any time?”
“You’re not nearly as menacing.”
“You think you’re funny, but you’re not.”
“Condoms aren’t an unusual thing to keep with you, Bryce.”
“Shopping cart handles give me anxiety. You think I’m out there braving the casual sex scene?”
“Shit.”
“Shit,” he agreed, pushing off me and flopping onto the mattress.
I scrubbed my hands over my face. There had to be a solution. If only I could stop thinking about Bryce’s fingers between my legs long enough to focus.
“Listen,” he said, sitting up, his hair a ruffled disaster, “my grandparents tried to raise me to be a good Catholic. I know every way there is to have sex without having sex. This is fine. We’ll adapt. Overcome.”
“Wait, I’ve got it.” I shot up. “We have to go to the courtyard where we first appeared. I had a bunch of groceries, and somemade their way through the portal with me. It was mostly food, but I also had condoms.”
While obviously I knew there was plenty we could do together that wouldn’t require condoms, if I was only going to get Bryce for a night, I wanted to doeverythingwith him.
CHAPTER 23INWHICHWECHICKENOUT
BRYCE
I was happy my indignant dick was distracting me from how terrifying medieval cities were at night.
As it was, all I could think of was the objective: Condoms. Sex.
Once.
