Page 39 of The Little Black Rose

“Nuh-uh,” I say. “I asked you first.”

Throwing back the sheet, he stands. My gaze slowly descends, devouring and memorizing every bump and hollow of his bare chest before stopping on his crotch. He’s only wearing boxer briefs, and the thin, tight material does nothing to hide his growing erection. Saliva pools in my mouth as he nears, and I wrench my eyes back up to his face.

He’s grinning, but the smile drops as he reaches out to curl his fingers around my jaw. His thumb swipes gently over my lower lip, and fire ignites in his hazel eyes as he speaks.

“Yes, Ava. I want to kiss you.”

When I give no signs of protest, he leans in slowly. His hand slides down to my neck, gripping it lightly as his lips brush against mine. Once. Twice. Three times before a groan vibrates in his chest and he presses harder, his tongue licking at the seam of my lips in a silent plea for me to open. My lips part, and he wastes no time swiping his tongue inside.

My hands land on his chest, my short fingernails digging into his flesh as his free hand snakes around my waist, jerking me against him as he devours my mouth. Heat pools in my center, and my hips buck forward.

The involuntary movement seems to bring him back to his senses, because he loosens his hold on me, ending the kiss with a few light, perfect pecks before pressing his forehead against mine.

“Goodnight, Ava,” he whispers.

“Yes. Goodnight,” I stutter out as he releases me completely.

In a daze, I turn and shuffle across the hall to my own room. The soft click of his bedroom door closing reverberates in my ears, and I pick up the pace, rushing into my room, closing the door behind me, and leaning back against it.

My breaths come fast and furious as I replay that kiss in my head over and over. What does this mean? Does it even mean anything? Or was it just a simple kiss?

There was nothing fucking simple about it for me.

It was perfect, just like I remember. Demanding, yet not overpowering. An intricate dance of lips and teeth and tongues that set my blood on fire and left me wanting more.

I stumble toward my bed, not bothering to turn on the lights as I fumble with my nightstand drawer. That kiss did nothing to relieve the near-constant ache inside me. No. Quite the opposite, in fact.

I feel like I might die if I don’t come, and since Zeke decided a kiss was enough, it’s up to me to make it happen. Again.

Wrapping my fingers around my vibrator, I yank it free and press the button on the end a few times to activate the highest, fastest setting. Climbing onto my bed, I keep my knees beneath me and lower my face to the pillow, leaving my ass in the air. Shoving the vibrator down my pants and underwear, I press it against my clit and barely stifle a low moan.

I imagine the feel of Zeke’s lips on mine, and from there, my thoughts jumble into a heated mix of tonight’s kiss and the night we had sex. I can still feel his hands on me, his fingers digging into my skin. The heat of his mouth. The huskiness in his voice as he tells me how wet and perfect I am.

My orgasm explodes through me within seconds, and I bury my face in my pillow to muffle my shout of release. Pulling the vibrator free of my clothing, I let my knees slide out from beneath me, collapsing to the mattress. Rolling over onto my back, I turn off the device and drop it to the bed beside me as I try to catch my breath.

Reaching over to the nightstand, I grab my phone from where I’d left it earlier and unplug it from the charger. Pulling up my text thread with Zoey and Sophie, I stare at the screen for a moment, indecision roaring through me.

Making a decision, I start tapping out a message. I can’t exclude Zoey from my life just because I feel weird talking to her about Zeke. She knows we had sex. She knows he’s the father of my babies. And, apparently, she knows I have feelings for him from when we were younger.

Had.Nothave. Had.

Me:Zeke kissed me.

I tap the send button and blow out a breath. There. It’s done. Hopefully, Sophie was right and things won’t get awkward between Zoey and me.

Sophie:What? When?

Me:A few minutes ago.

Zoey:Go, brother! About time he pulled his head out of his ass and made a move.

Relief floods through me at Zoey’s enthusiastic response.

Me:I don’t actually know who made the move. There was this sweet moment where he was talking to the babies and telling them he loves them. And when he looked at me, I felt like he might want to… Anyway, I ran to the bathroom like a coward, sure I’d misread the situation.

Sophie:What happened? Did he follow you?

Me:No. When I came back out, he apologized, saying he got caught up in the moment, then went to bed.

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