Howard bragged about his son and his son-in-law the whole way there, but more about his adorable grandbabies. His simple pride was restful after all the complicated crap Clem had been dealing with, so her mood improved a fair amount by the time he dropped her off. She quietly made her way along the side of the house, setting off motion-detecting lights as she went. The movement also alerted a few neighborhood dogs, who started barking something fierce. A vivimancer could whisper a charm to calm them even at a distance, but she lacked that skillset.
Gavin could learn. He’s already talking to Benson.
Lightly she crept up the stairs and rapped on the door, not knowing what the hell she’d say when he opened it. Odds were, he was home, as the Duc sat in its usual place. A moment or so later, Gavin appeared in the doorway.
“I’m surprised to see you,” he said. “Couldn’t stay away?”
“Apparently not. I could claim that I’m here to get my stuff, but we both know that’s not wholly true.”
“Come in then, before we scandalize the neighbors.”
The smile got away from her before she could stop it. Damn him for being so charming. “Does that mean you plan to do something inappropriate to me?”
“Would you let me?” he countered.
“Probably.” Clem stepped past him into the apartment, resisting the urge to lean against him by the skin of her teeth.
I want his arms around me. Love the way he smells.
“Should I offer tea while pretending I don’t know what you look like naked?”
“No, thanks.” She paused while weighing the merits of laying her cards on the table. “Actually I came over because I miss you, and I don’t know what’s going to happen. We agreed this had an expiration date, and I think this might be our last night, so…” It hurt too much to finish that sentence.
Goddess, why him?She wondered again, without getting an answer.
“You want to make the most of it.”
“I mean, it’s not entirely up to me. If you’re not in the mood or—”
Gavin was on her before she could complete the sentence, cupping her face in his hands and sealing their mouths together with desperate desire. He tasted like milk tea and lemon drops, a lovely flavor she sipped from his tongue. His stubble scraped her jaw as his mouth moved over hers. He smelled beautifully familiar already: a hint of leather oil and the citrus sage of his cologne mingled with the soapy smell of the toiletries that came with the apartment.
Clem wrapped her arms around him, tangling her fingers in the soft hair curled against the nape of his neck. From deep, hungry kisses, he broke into soft, searing ones, planted along her throat like he hoped they would bloom. And they did—into heat that swirled through her body, tingles that lit her up with absolute need.
She jumped him or he lifted her. Either way, she wrapped her legs around his hips, and he cradled her ass in his hands, rolling her against him like he couldn’t help it. He was already hard, moaning into her mouth as she kissed him back with all the desire she’d been tamping down for days. Clem ran her hands over his back, digging her fingers into the bunched muscles.
Goddess, his feel, his smell…
Her body heated and slicked, just from the demanding press of his lips, but his hands drove her wild, the way he held her hips and caressed her thighs, dragging her against him as he staggered toward the bedroom. Every few steps they paused, and he leaned against the wall, breathing hard against her skin.
“You feel so good,” he whispered.
“I’ve never been this turned on. Is it because we shouldn’t do this?”
“Don’t know,” he gasped. “Not really thinking right now, to be honest.”
“Excellent point.”
In the bedroom, Gavin set her down long enough for her to fling her clothes in all directions while he did the same. She admired his strong body for a moment because she had to sate herself on this visual feast now. There might not come another chance. That turned the moment bittersweet, but it didn’t stop Clem from grasping it—and him—with both hands. He groaned when she went straight for his cock, lifting his gaze to the ceiling like it had instructions written on it. She pumped a few strokes, working gently back to front, and he jerked his hips, fucking into her furled fingers with an animal grunt.
“I didn’t think you’d ever touch me again. It was all part of the plan, right?”
“Not this,” she said.
Gavin curled his arms around her with a quiet groan, the perfect mating of desire and despair. “Want you so sodding much.”
She nudged him backward, but he pulled her with him, and they hit the mattress together with a bounce. The laugh escaped her at random, and it seemed irreverent to find joy in such a moment, but Gavin smiled while looking into her eyes, and she wrapped her arms around him tightly, breathing him in and feeling his heart racing against hers when he pressed down on her, covering her body with his.
Slowly, he rocked, letting her feel how much he wanted her. She spread her legs, in no hurry to move on from this slow, luscious tease. Each delicious glide raised her excitement and painted her juices all over his cock. He rubbed the head against her clit as he took her mouth in a slow, hot kiss, tongue lazily stroking hers.