Page 92 of Third and Ten

This time my ovaries reach around my uterus and high-five each other. I swallow and nod, because that’s all I can manage, and he cradles my cheek as he pulls me in. He kisses me slowly and tenderly at first, with just a hint of cinnamon on his tongue, but it isn’t long before he deepens the kiss. I feel his other hand creeping around to my lower back, guiding me to turn my body and move closer to him.

A rumble escapes from the back of his throat at the same time I discover that I’m running my hand over his chest, my middle finger tracing the outline of the large, raised vein from his left pec onto his shoulder.

Oops.

I will myself to stop, but before I know it, my fingertips are traveling, edging their way along the waistband of his shorts. He moans again as I trail across his skin before stopping to rest at his hip. He grips my backside in response, pulling me even closer until I hitch one of my legs over so that I’m sitting in his lap.

No, no, no…

This is a really bad idea, according to my brain. But I’m a literal ovulation station right now, and my hormones are slowly but surely gaining control.

His hands slip around to my hips, steering my body over his. I grasp at the short, damp hair on the back of his head, still wet from his shower, and I let out a pained squeak as he shifts our position until I can tell exactly how much he’s enjoying this, too.

To my dismay, he moves his hands up to my shoulders, holding me in place as he falls back just enough to break away from our kiss. “Tenley,” he says, his voice strained and his chest heaving. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for things to get out of hand so fast.”

“Hmm?” I ask, still drunk.

“You’re just so…” He sighs, closing his eyes and resting his forehead against mine. “I want you so badly.”

My insides are molten lava. “I want you, too,” I reply, trying desperately to wake up my brain. I lean back to put at least a few inches of space between us. “But I have to tell you something.”

He nods, still staring intently at my mouth. I take a steadying breath but still end up blurting out the words, “JD, I’m ovulating. Like, right now.”

CHAPTER 28

TENLEY

JD blinks and stares at me after my awkward confession. “Oh…kay.”

I cringe as I scoot off the bed, hoping to get some separation. “I’m sorry. That came out weird. I just wanted to explain why we can’t…you know, get carried away. So we’ll be on the same page.”

“Oh,” he says, exhaling as if he’s relieved. He leans up and grabs my hand, stopping my pacing. “You know I didn’t come to see you with any expectations, right? I mean, there’s definitely an open tab in the back of my brain with all of my Tenley fantasies playing on loop, but I wasn’t banking on most of that happening tonight.”

“Okay, good,” I reply, my mind reeling as I try to process what he’s saying. “Because, well, even if we were ready for that level of intimacy, other methods of contraception are still significantly less effective during peak fertility, and—”

“Ten,” he says as he stands beside me, my hand still in his. “I have a biology degree, too. I get it. Stop worrying. Nothing more has to happen. I told you, I didn’t assume you were inviting me over just for a booty call when you slipped me that room key. Which, by the way, was really freaking hot…” He trails off and pulls me in for another kiss.

“But you don’t understand,” I protest, pushing off his chest against my own wishes. “When I’m at this point in my cycle…” I sigh before trying again. “You obviously know about pheromones, right?” He nods in agreement. “Well, since we’re biologically wired to detect the best opportunity to procreate…” He smirks and distracts me by rubbing his thumb over the skin beneath the hem of my shirt. I huff, annoyed at my own lack of concentration. “Basically, my hormones are on overdrive, which explains why you’re even more attracted to me tonight, but I also don’t have as much self-control as I should. I’m trying to warn you.”

He presses his lips together, stifling a laugh. “I need a warning? Tenley, are you planning to take advantage of me?”

“Ugh. You’re not taking this seriously!”

“I’m sorry,” he says through a chuckle. “I’m just trying to get you to lighten up. You see, I don’t know what it’s like to have any self-control around you. And since most of my instincts lean toward reproduction or finding something to eat, and I already know you’re good at fulfilling one of those, I can’t help but be curious about the other.” He barely gets through it without laughing again.

I roll my eyes. “Normally, I’d find that annoying, but today, everything you do is cute and endearing. And…hot,” I admit, and his laughter ends abruptly.

“Wait. This is all turning you on?” His voice deepens as he pulls me closer again.

“Yes. It shouldn’t be, but it is,” I say, pouting.

“And when I touch you like this, here, does it feel better than it usually does?”

My pulse begins racing as he runs his fingertips lightly down my arm, leaving a tingle where he stops at the edge of my palm. I watch as he grabs my hand and brings it up to place a few warm kisses on that apparently overly sensitive spot on my wrist.

“Maybe,” I breathe, my eyes fluttering closed.

“Hmm,” he hums thoughtfully. “Any other tips? What if I tried kissing you here?” He moves his lips over to my neck, and I willingly tilt my head to give him better access.

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