“I won’t lie to you, Cora. I never have.”
“I believe you.”
He ran his thumb over the top of her knuckles. “And I won’t use you. I can’t tell you what’s going to happen tomorrow or the next day. But I promise that whenever I’m with you, there’s no side game going on, no secret subtext that you’re not a part of. I’m just feeling my way through it like you are.”
She smiled. “There has been a lot of feeling. And groping.”
A half smile from Ren. “I’m hoping there’s more to come.”
“I will refrain from making a dirty comment with the word come.”
“You are the pillar of strength.” He lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed the top of it. Then he brought her hand to his chest and leaned forward. Their lips met in an unhurried way, sweet and exploring. Almost like they were meeting for the first time. His fingers teased at the nape of her neck and her eyes fell shut, her hand curling into his shirt. A soft sigh escaped her and Ren deepened the kiss, drawing her into the trance of simply kissing this man and giving herself over to the possibility of him.
He whispered her name in the breath between kisses and then went back to melting her into a puddle with his lips.
This. This felt right. So much more than sexual. Real. Honest. A connection to this beautiful man who’d lived through some of his own horror and had felt like an outsider, too, a man who she had more in common with than she would’ve ever considered.
And for the first time, she found herself entertaining the very real possibility that she could fall for him. Maybe a part of her already had.
After a few long minutes of kisses and soft touches, Ren leaned back, a tentative, almost wondrous expression on his face. He cupped her face and dragged a thumb over her cheek like he was seeing her for the first time. He gave a little headshake, as if to pull himself from some train of thought, and that trademark smile lit his face, chasing away the naked expression. “So now are you ready to sing really bad karaoke with me tonight?”
“I will never be ready for that.”
He lowered his hand and shifted in his seat. “How about if we win the karaoke battle with your friends, I’ll let you drive the car?”
She grinned and rubbed her hands together like a cartoon villain. “Will you let me take her to a deserted road and put this baby through her paces? I need to feel the full extent of all that power beneath me.”
He put the car in gear. “Stop talking dirty to me, Benning. But yes, you, me, this car, and a deserted road will be all yours.”
She laughed, tucking away the lingering buzz of the kiss and the feelings stirring in her for later analysis. Tonight was supp
osed to be about fun. She would try not to overthink it. “Deal. Let’s go sing our asses off.”
TWENTY
Cora and Ren arrived at the club about fifteen minutes late after their little detour. The place was already teeming with people but Grace, Carlos, and Josh had apparently gotten there on time and had snagged them a big round booth in the corner of the club—or at least that’s what Grace had texted her along with, Stop working and get your ass here. She’d been tempted to text back, Sorry, making out with hot guy. Give me a minute.
But she was glad she hadn’t because when Grace caught sight of her heading their way with Ren, her face would’ve made a perfect meme for OMFG. Cora wished she had a camera.
Ren pressed his hand to the base of her spine and leaned close to her ear to be heard over the really bad rendition of “Purple Rain” a guy was singing on stage. “Guess you didn’t warn them you were bringing dates.”
She grinned. “And ruin the chance to see that look on my best friend’s face? Hell, no. She jumped my shit when I didn’t try to get your number at the party.”
Ren chuckled and put his arm fully around her waist, leaving no questions about his status as her date. “I like this best friend. You should have given me your number.”
“I don’t give my number to guys I catch getting blow jobs in hallways.”
“Details.”
Cora kept her smile in place as she walked over to the booth. Carlos and Josh looked up at the same time and both did their own version of Grace’s surprised expression. Eyebrows crawling up foreheads, parted lips. God, everybody really had decided she was a sexless hermit. “Hey, guys.”
“Hey, yourself,” Grace said, openly giving Ren a once-over.
Cora tipped her head toward Ren. “This is Ren Muroya. I’m working on a project for his company.” And sleeping with him on my lunch hour. “Ren, this is Grace.”
Ren nodded and shook Grace’s hand. “Yep, I remember you. Lady who saved Cora from my evil designs at the party.”
Grace laughed. “That obvious?”