Page 53 of Just Between Us

He kissed me then, lifting his hand off my knee and cradling my face. His lips, warm and soft, coaxed me closer. His tongue skirted the bottom of my lips, then delved inside.

I sucked in a shuttered breath as warmth seeped through my body.

“Careful,” I warned, pulling away and glancing at the dog asleep on my lap. “We should probably crate him.”

Andy nodded, scooping up the dog and walking him over to the crate in the corner of the room. He placed the dog inside, closing the door. I covered the crate with a sheet, hoping he wouldn’t chew through come morning.

Andy wound his fingers through my hair as I stood, pulling me in for another kiss. “My bedroom or yours?”

CHAPTER19

Nora

“Yours,”I answered without hesitation, hedging my excitement with a gulp. “I’m just going to stop by my room quickly.”

Andy nipped my bottom lip before brushing another kiss over my mouth and releasing me. I climbed the steps on wobbly legs, cheeks red with the knowledge that he stood at the bottom watching my every step.

I wanted Andy, desperately.

A nagging voice in the back of my head warned me sleeping with Andy was a terrible idea. I should listen to that voice. Instead, the kiss on the porch convinced me I couldn’t spend another night dreaming of him and waking up with a desperate throbbing between my legs.

I’d stashed the overnight bag Bunny and Thea had packed in the corner of my closet, not bothering to unpack the frilly contents. At the time, I’d been convinced I was about to enter a four-year dry spell and didn’t want the pieces taunting me from the underwear drawer.

Sending a silent thank you into the universe, I rifled through the bag, setting the three sets of lingerie on the bed for comparison. I couldn’t decide who was to blame for the white set, which was little more than a piece of lace and some thread, but that would stay in my closet for now. I ran my hand over the light blue two-piece set, but eliminated it from contention when I spotted the ruffled butt. The last set was perfect: a pale pink crop top with red hearts and a matching short set.

I pulled off my clothes and changed into the outfit. The top hugged my torso, skirting the bottom of my rib cage and leaving plenty of exposed skin without overemphasizing my small chest. The shorts were ridiculously short, only barely covering my ass. The outfit suggested sex, but it wasn’t explicit, so on the off chance I sauntered into Andy’s room and he had no interest in sleeping with me, at least I’d have some plausible deniability.

I gathered my nerve and walked down the hallway as confidently as I could manage, pausing briefly to pull the shorts out of my ass before I knocked the open door. I feigned nonchalance as I leaned against the frame, an indifference that quickly crumbled at the sight of Andy standing in his bedroom, wearing only a pair of shorts.

My voice caught in my throat as my eyes traveled down his Adam’s apple, over his broad shoulders and well-defined abs. The shorts hung low on his waist, a soft v carved into his hips, an arrow to all the dirty thoughts I’d racked up over the last few weeks.

“Hey,” he said, voice low and throaty. He gave me an appreciative once-over. My face heated as I padded into the room.

My nerves got the best of me. Operating on muscle memory, I walked to my side of the bed, pushing back the covers and climbing in, as if this were a completely normal night—as if I’d donned the modest pajama set I picked up at a thrift shop ages ago for a chaste sleepover.

I glanced over at Andy, his eyes still locked on me, but the lust on his face faded slightly. He rounded the bed, taking his time to pull back the sheets and lay beside me.

“We don’t have to do anything if you changed your mind,” he whispered, running his fingers through my hair. The touch sent chills through me.

“You think I’m changing my mind?” I asked.

He grinned. “You practically jumped under the covers. I didn’t even get time to appreciate those new pajamas.”

My cheeks burned. I hesitantly lowered the sheet off my chest and down my waist. “A wedding gift from Thea.”

“We sent a thank-you card, right?” He brushed his thumb down my waist.

I choked back a laugh. “This is the tame one, too.”

His azure eyes burned brightly as he grazed over the fabric of my shorts. I sucked in a breath as he ran the tips of his fingers along the hem to my inner thigh.

He probed at the flimsy fabric, pushing my legs apart, his eyes locked on mine. “Do you want this? Me touching you like this?”

My entire body flamed, a mixture of being turned on and embarrassed simultaneously. Sex had largely been a quiet affair with my previous partners, happening under the cover of dark. One ex had even referred to me as a ‘church mouse.’ Not exactly high praise.

“Yes,” I choked out.

“Do you want me to keep going?”

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