He pulled his arm away so he could turn back to the laptop screen, but settled his hand on her leg. “Give it a try, keeping in mind you’re supposed to laugh.”
She rested her fingers on his. Had they always been this physical and intimate, even as friends? The question came from nowhere, and she pushed it aside. “All right. I’ll try.”
He glanced at her. “Just remember, if any of the intense battles get to be too much, I’m here for you.”
“You’re such a gentleman like that.”
Intense battles. Dork. Still, it gave her an idea. He let his attention drift back to the show, and she did the same. Her opportunity was coming soon. The music and creepy feeling on the screen helped the cartoon-tension build.
The moment the villain burst onto the scene, flamboyant and sparkling with black glitter, she screamed and buried her face in his chest.
He jumped. “Holy shit.” His heart beat out a frantic rhythm. “You scared the crap out of me.”
She laughed, face against his ribs. Warmth seeped into her ear, as she listened to his racing heart. She inhaled softly, breathing in the comforting scent of body wash and deodorant. “Sorry.” She didn’t sound remotely apologetic. “You sure you’re not the one who needs a place to hide?”
“I’m good like this.” His voice took on a husky tone, and he trailed his fingers through her hair.
She pulled away, retort catching in her throat when she saw the way he watched her. Heat spread over her face. She adjusted her weight on the futon, turning to face him. Snippets of the day before flashed through her mind, making her body tingle. She kissed him, not resisting when he ran his hands up her arms and then held her in place by the back of her neck.
She broke away, loving the question and want in his eyes. Smirking, she trailed her finger down the side of his face. She shifted into his lap and straddled his legs. “Getting comfortable.”
He moved his hands to her lower back, pulled her close, and returned the kiss, scraping her bottom lip with his teeth and not letting her go.
She pressed her chest against his, their thin tees not providing much of a barrier. His heat mingled with the brush of fabric on her nipples, and she moved against him to build the friction.
He slid his hands to her ass, making her arch her back. She broke away long enough to look him in the eye, her breath coming out in needy bursts. “We seem to be making a habit of this.”
He nipped at her lower lip, and then glided his mouth down her jaw, until his lips found the hollow at the base of her neck. “It’s because you’re so addictive.” His words vibrated against her skin.
Desire thrummed through her, leaving every nerve ending screaming for more. Heat pulsed between her legs. She didn’t want to interrupt the moment, but she had to know what this was. It would be all right. He’d confirm they were still friends and give her a hint of where this was going, and they could keep making out. “For how long?”
“I don’t... I mean...” He pulled away, uncertainty marring his smile.
That’s not how he was supposed to respond. She went rigid. “I shouldn’t have said that.”
A frown slipped in to obliterate his amusement. “We’re just fooling around. That was the deal.”
“Yeah, of course.” Her heart thudded in her chest like a rock grinding against her ribs.
“I didn’t realize things had evolved. Do you want more?”
Why had she let her heart wander down this path? He was supposed to be happy about the question. Tell her he felt the same way. That she wasn’t the only one falling hard and fast.
Wait.Falling?She knew better than to attach herself to a guy because she slept with him. “Of course not. Forget I brought it up.” She extracted herself from his lap and stood in front of him.
“Riley.” He grasped her fingers, holding her in place.
She stared down at him, hating the hope that surged inside and mingled with desire. Did this mean more than flirting and getting off? Would he say it?
He looked away, dropping her hand. “I don’t know what to say.”
Damn it. Hurt throbbed in every muscle. It really was a game to him. “It’s cool.Friends with benefits—that’s all this is.” She shifted from one foot to the other, frowning deeper when she caught a glimpse of something leaning against the far wall. How had she missed that before? “Is that my sketchpad?” She grabbed her beloved book, her confusion growing.
“You kept forgetting to pick it up.”
“You changed the subject when I asked for it.”
“You didn’t complain at the time.”