“I don’t want to presume anything about how you feel,” I continued. “But I can’t keep pretending that I’m okay with being just friends.”

Her eyes searched my face as if trying to decipher the truth behind my words. I prepared myself for rejection, willing myself not to recoil... but instead, she stood up on her tiptoes, raised her hands from where they’d been pressed against the door at her hips, and cupped them around my neck.

I sucked in a sharp breath at her sudden touch and stared into eyes that were so full of emotion, but also what I hoped was lust and need. I never wanted to look away. This gorgeous, amazing woman had become such a part of me, I didn’t know how to breathe without her on my mind, in my heart.

“Then let’s not be just friends anymore,” she whispered softly before she pressed her lips against mine.

Trixie Moore kissed me.

Trixie. Kissed. Me.

My brain fucking exploded and sent a shockwave right past my heart and straight to my cock. There was nothing else in the world now except her lips, her mouth, her tongue, and my absolute and utter need for her. I leaned in, pushing her body against the door, and took her face in my hands. My blood pounded, whooshing through my ears, dimming the sounds of the night to only the sweetest little whimper she made when I kissed her back.

This time, there was nothing fake about it.

She molded her body to mine, our mouths and tongues crashing together. I kissed her not as if it was our first kiss, but like it could be the last time she’d ever let me this close. I’d waited so long to have her in my arms, and I was not letting go until she made me.

I couldn’t get enough of her and groaned with the frustration of this being so much more than I ever hoped for and still needing increasingly more from her. She wrapped her leg around the back of mine as if she could pull me closer to her, but our bodies were already mashed together. I dropped one hand from her hair and wrapped my arm under her thigh, bringing her leg up to wrap around my hip.

That opened her up to me, and dammit, if it wasn’t for our jeans in the way, I’d fuck her right here against the door. The erection I’d been trying to hide from her for weeks, or rather years, was bulging against my fly, and I ground my hips against her, practically ready to dry hump her for a little relief.

The air around us grew hotter and Trixie finally pulled away, breathing heavily, while still holding onto me with an iron grip that matched the desire in her eyes, so dark, like midnight.

“We should take this inside,” she said softly into my lips. “This should be just between us, and not the whole neighborhood.”

She dipped down and grabbed her bag, slid her key out, and turned to unlock the door. A move which put her plump, soft ass right up against my dick. I bent and kissed her neck and wrapped my arm around her waist, sneaking my thumb under her shirt and pushing it up to touch her bare skin.

“You’re making it hard to concentrate, and I may never get the door unlocked if you don’t—” her words shuddered and she fumbled the key when I gave her neck a little bite and ground my cock against her ass.

“If you don’t get that door open, I’m going to shove your jeans down and take you right up against the door, babe.” I would too. My body would shield hers and I’d punch that tiny light she had right the fuck out so it was nice and dark.

“You’re distracting me too much. Either help me get the door open or just kick it down for goodness’ sake.” Her key scraped right across the wood and missed the lock entirely. I grabbed her hand and brought the key to the lock and helped her push it in. Together, we turned the handle and tumbled inside. That was fine. I had no problem fucking her right here on the floor.

Between more kisses, she flung her hand toward the open entryway. “Shut the door. Knowing my luck, a raccoon or something will wander in and want to watch.”

I caught the door with my foot and kicked it shut. Now we were all alone.

“Rrr-rrr-rrr-rrr-rrrh,” Luke Skycocker crowed from the top of the couch. Then he flapped his wings and flew right at my head.

“Luke, no,” Trixie squealed.

All my years of combat with this bird were about to come to fruition. I snagged Luke out of the air and rolled, tucking him under my arm like I’d just gotten the game winning touchdown pass. “Sorry, buddy, but you’re not cock blocking me. She’s my girl tonight.”

Luke squawked and wriggled, obviously mad I’d thwarted his plans to dive bomb my face and scare me away from Trixie. He definitely thought she was his. I scrambled to my feet, pointed at Trix with my free hand and said, “Don’t you move, unless it’s to take off all your clothes while I put him in his coop.”

Trixie huffed out a laugh and rolled her eyes, but she also had an adorable grin on her face, heat to her cheeks, and well-kissed, plumped lips. Yeah, I wasn’t leaving her side for long.

I sprinted to her back door, thought about shoving Luke out the doggie door, but had a feeling he’d come right back in. He was a jealous guy when it came to Trixie. I could relate. I wasn’t having any of his ruffled feathers in my way tonight.

I plopped him into the little fenced-in area and made sure the gate was latched tight. I grabbed a handful of chicken treats from the box next to the coop and tossed a handful in to him. He gave me another little weird rooster cluck, and I’m fairly sure he was side eyeing me and telling me off.

When I turned back toward the house, I saw that Trixie hadn’t followed my order not to move. She was propped up against the door and the light from the kitchen illuminated her like a god-damned curvy angel. It was a good thing I was in peak shape, because my heart was taking a beating tonight and working overtime.

I jogged back to the house, grabbed Trixie up into my arms like my own personal princess, and this time, I kicked the door shut behind me.

“Chris, what are you doing? Put me down, you can’t pick me up like this.” She wrapped her arms around my neck, but also looked down at the floor like I was going to drop her or something.

“The hell I can’t. Not only am I going to pick you up, I’m going to carry you upstairs to bed.”