“I won’t, if you ask me not to, but can I at least know why?”
She clenched her teeth. How could he not get it? “Because of conversations like this. Because even though it’s awesome that you support my decision, you don’t understand what it takes. Kenzie and Archer—they don’t get it. Every time they voice their opinion, it’s another layer of doubt, taunting me and telling me I’m making a mistake. It’s more pressure, and doesn’t help that I’m terrified of showing my work to a lot of people.”
The confession was out, and though it left a gnawing in her gut, it also felt good.
The corners of his mouth drooped. “I didn’t realize.”
She sighed. “I adore you—you know it—and I’m flattered you think I’m talented. I’m not sure you’re right, but I like hearing it.”
He closed the distance between them. “You should have told me sooner.”
“I’m telling you now.”
His smile grew hopeful. “I promise I’ll try to keep it all in mind. Are we’re good again?” Zane asked.
She smiled. “Yeah, we’re good again.”
“Which means make-up sex.” The way he raked his gaze over her, lingering on each curve, contradicted his teasing tone.
She couldn’t help her relieved laugh or the flush of heat the idea brought with it. “Technically, I don’t think we get make-up sex without a breakup, and we can’t have one of those.”
“Okay.” He traced a finger down the side of her face. “Then best-friend sex.”
“Is that a thing?”
He brushed his lips along the outside of her ear. “Isn’t it? Besides”—his voice dropped an octave—“I can’t stop thinking about how tight and wet you were last night. How you let me take control.”
The confidence in his words made her skin tingle and her pulse race. “It was pretty amazing.”
“Amazing.” He trailed his fingers up her spine. “I like that. Would you let me do it again?”
Warmth spread deep in her belly. “Maybe.”
“Uh-uh.” He broke contact with her but didn’t pull away. “Yes-or-noquestion. I know what I want, but I’m not doing it unless you’re sure.”
She swallowed, body humming in anticipation. “I’m positive.”
Her comment was cut short when he nipped her bottom lip with his teeth. He twisted his fingers in her hair and pulled her back to him, crushing his mouth against hers. The smell of sweat mingled with the scents of musk and deodorant. An insistent need grew between her legs.
She covered his other hand and pushed it farther up her thigh, hooking her knee on his hip. Something whispered in the back of her mind that they couldn’t keep toeing this line. She ignored it. This was exactly what she wanted. She needed to be closer to him.
He slid his hand along her ass and up over the curve of her hip, a chuckle rumbling in his chest. He moved his mouth back to her neck, his breath tickling her skin. “During the entire movie, I couldn’t stop daydreaming about how it felt to be buried inside you.”
The confession in his words made her thoughts melt and her skin ache for more. She fumbled for a good comeback, but her attempts failed when he grazed the soft spot between her neck and shoulders and sucked on the sensitive flesh.
He found the seam of her jeans that ran between her legs. She whimpered when he applied pressure with his fingers, rubbing her already wet slit through denim. She dug her nails into his back, squeaked, and shifted her weight until her aching button settled under his touch. He massaged harder, and she ground against his hand, feeling her climax build.
Her breathing came in short gasps, so many points of contact making her light-headed. Disappointment washed over her when he pulled away.
He kissed her pout and then moved to stand behind her, leaving her between him and the table. He brushed the outside of her ear with his lips and rested his hands on her stomach. “You trust me, right?”
She swallowed, mouth dry from anticipation, not doubt. She made sure her answer was clear, without any waver. “Yes.”
His chest was hot against her back. “And you’re okay with wherever this goes?”
“More than okay.” Her heart hammered as a million images of what he meant taunted her simultaneously.
He tugged her shirt over her head and tossed it aside. “No bra. Makes this easier.”