| |
Bodies pressed against me as I held onto Ami and moved to my own beat. She was right, I needed this. Nothing but the music filled my thoughts and I let go. A man managed to wedge himself between us, and he grinned down at me, showing two very sharp incisors. He wasn’t a vampire though, I could feel his energy nipping at my skin when he put his hands on my waist.
I returned the smile and he pulled me closer as we moved as one on the dance floor. My heart wasn’t in it though. I wanted Davies here, or even Rhett. I had a theory that Rhett had moves on him and was just keeping them from me.
After the song ended, the stranger realized he wasn’t going to get more than a dance from me and moved on. Ami came back.
“You need to loosen up,” she yelled in my ear. I winced. The music was loud, but she somehow managed to be louder.
“I am,” I said.
She rolled her eyes, and I laughed, shaking my head. “I’m going to go get a drink,” I said. My skin was heated from all the moving, though the club itself wasn’t hot. There was a simple spell in the air to keep it cool.
Ami nodded and managed to pull a man to her to grind against.
I pushed through the crowd until I reached the bar. When my eyes met with the cute bartender’s, I flagged him down.
“What can I get you?” he asked, voice husky.
“Mojito,” I said. He nodded. I would probably have normally flirted with him for fun, but my heart wasn’t into it. My heart wasn’t into the night’s festivities at all. Despite being surrounded by so many people, I still somehow felt lonely.
“Having fun?” a familiar voice asked in my ear, sending warm shivers down my body. I glanced over and smirked at Elliot, warmth flooding through me. He managed to look just like all the other twenty-somethings in the bar tonight with a black blazer over a gray t-shirt. I gave my eyes permission to drink him up and wander down to his black jeans that were nearly painted onto him. The man had serious definition and those jeans showed it off. Elliot was a runner and the thickness of his thighs as the fabric stretched over them proved that.
“What are you doing here?” I asked. “I thought you were working.”
He raised an eyebrow, his eyes knowing. “And you’re still nosing around the company,” he said.
The bartender slid my drink over, and before I could leave enough money to cover the drink and the tip, Elliot handed over the twenty, telling the man to keep the change.
“I am working,” he said and ran a hand through his dark brown hair, slicking it back away from his face. Elliot was a pretty boy with dark hair and gray eyes that looked into your soul. Eyes of the female population were drawn to his lean frame and lightly tanned skin. One thing I had learned about Elliot was that he cared deeply—deeply enough to sacrifice himself. I knew because he did that for me when he went up against the syphon. He’d do it again if given the option.
He looked past me briefly, and I turned to face the dancing crowd with my drink in hand. This allowed me to see what had caught his attention using my peripheral. There was a couple down at the end of the bar, flirting heavily with each other. The woman was drop dead gorgeous with long flowing red hair, light eyes framed by heavy makeup, and pale skin. The man was a typical clubber, taking on more than he could handle. I focused and felt the waves of lust coming off of him and disappearing into the woman.
“Ah, I see,” I said. Elliot was watching the siren. Sirens lured men to them and fed off their lust. The men would be fine, just tired afterward, and they’d never know that they’d made out with a woman hidden behind a glamor. Sirens weren’t always pretty. They ranged from beautiful to grotesque, and when they were hungry, they used glamor. Like how I used makeup to hide my own flaws.
The woman grabbed the guy and dragged him onto the dance floor. I grinned, seeing an opportunity and not afraid to take it. “Dance with me?” I asked, turning to Elliott.
“No, no way,” he said.
“You’re working,” I said. “You need to blend in and right now, you aren’t.”
“I’m talking to you, I think I’m blending in just fine.”
“Yes, but I’m about to go out there and dance. You’ll be stuck here, staring out onto the dance floor without a drink. That makes you a creep. You don’t want to come off as a creep.”
“Seriously?” he asked.
“Seriously.” I leaned closer to him. “Dance with me.” I lowered my voice, willing to share some of my emotions. “I’m lonely.”
His eyes flickered over my face, taking in my expression. I wasn’t sure what he saw, I just knew I needed time with him. If he was here working, why not get something more out of it? I got company, he got a better view of his target. It was a win-win.
“Fine.” He got up and held out his hand. I didn’t hesitate and grabbed it, dragging him with me to the dance floor. I finally had a chance with one of the guys, and I wasn’t about to waste it. I spotted Ami still at it with the stranger. She met my eyes and then grinned when she saw Elliot, nodding in approval.
I rolled my eyes before turning to Elliot. My heart fluttered looking at him. The flashing lights danced across his skin and highlighted all his features. The slight curve of his nose—broken once upon a time—the broadness of his jaw, defined cheekbones, the softness in his face that most beings never had, that only he could have because of his humanness. He wasn’t baby-faced, he was handsome, manly, but the lack of otherworldliness made him come off as softer.
Elliot shifted closer and leaned in until his lips were by my ear. “You’re staring,” he said, resting his hands on my hips and pulling me closer.
“I can’t help it,” I replied. “I haven’t seen you in over a week. I haven’t really seen any of you guys since we got back.” My words held a bitter bite to them.
Elliot pulled back with a frown. “No dates?” he asked, and I could barely hear him over the music.
I shook my head. “No, so dance with me.”
His frown deepened, but he caved and moved. I matched his movements until we were one, pressed against each other. His heat seeped into my skin, and I enjoyed the fact that there wasn’t any magic or energy coming off him. It was all him, making my body come alive.
Elliot’s hands slipped lower on my hips, his fingers finding bare skin where my shirt had risen, and I grinned up at him. He glanced at me briefly with a goofy smile before returning his focus to his target.
“If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you weren’t interested,” I said.
His eyes met mine. “I’m always interested.”
I narrowed my eyes in challenge. “Really?”
He moved us, no doubt to keep eyes on his target. “Laila, you’re an attractive person and your confidence draws men in, including me. It’s like your complete belief in yourself knows no bounds.”
I had to keep from biting my lips because his description of me didn’t feel right. I was pushy, I knew that. The world I grew up in demanded that I be pushy in order to survive.
“I’m surprised Davies or Venni hasn’t taken you out on a date yet,” he said.
“Yeah, well, all of a sudden the company got hit hard with requests and everyone’s been working since.”
“Including you,” Elliot said.
“Now who’s nosing around the company?” I asked.
He snorted. “I care about you, Laila. Of course I’m going to keep tabs on you, make sure you’re at least taking care of yourself.” His hand went to my right arm, fingers skimming my bare skin, leaving a trail of goosebumps following in his wake. He trailed down the length of my arm before stopping at my hand. He lifted it and turned it over so we could see the slight redness. I didn’t feel any pain, and by morning, there wouldn’t be any signs left of my stupidity.
Elliot kissed my palm with a feathery light touch.
“Wh-what are you doing?” I asked.
“You haven’t been taking care of yourself.”
“I’ve been doing fine.”
He pressed his lips against my palm again, adding a little more pressure. “This says otherwise.” As he talked, his lips moved against my skin and lit it on fire. I shivered, wanting more from him, needing more. He made me feel alive with such a simple move.
“And are you going to be the one to take care of me?” I asked, moving closer to him until my breasts pressed against his chest.
The strobe gave me enough light to see the way his eyes darkened as he focused on me. “Always.” He leaned forward, but paused when something in my expression clued him in. “You’re angry.”
I opened my mouth to lash out at him and paused, reassessing. My heart twisted, and I looked away from him, unable to meet his eyes. “I am. I’m also hurt. But I’m so used to it, to not feeling wanted or needed, that I can’t even face those emotions properly. You guys told me what you wanted and then everyone disappeared.”
His hand cupped my face, and he forced me to meet his eyes. “That shouldn’t have happened.”
“So you say.”
“I’m sorry, Laila. That shouldn’t have happened. I know some of the guys had plans to go out with you.”
I glared. “If they did, then they went without me. I haven’t seen anyone in weeks, Elliot. Weeks. If I even get a moment with someone, it’s while they’re running out the door.” I swallowed hard, and not wanting him to see the pain in my face, I pressed my head into his chest. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me tight into him. “You’re all liars.”
“We aren’t. I promise we aren’t,” he said, kissing my forehead as we swayed, not caring about the beat of the song anymore. “I want you, Laila. I’ve only been thinking about you and when I’ll finally have time to take you out on a date. Believe in us, please. This wasn’t supposed to happen.” Frustration slipped into his voice. “We had a plan and somewhere along the way it got fucked up. Let us fix it.”
“Fine,” I said, relaxing into him. I tilted my head up and pulled away so I could see the sincerity in his expression. It was there, deep in the regretful lines framing his mouth and eyes. If he said it hadn’t been intentional, then I needed to believe that.
They wanted me.
Now I needed to feel like they wanted me because I hadn’t felt that in a while. As if sensing what I needed, Elliot moved closer.
He leaned down and I shifted so I pressed up against him again. Our lips met and nothing else mattered. Elliot took charge with his kiss, moving his lips against mine, nipping at me, tasting me. I followed after him, desperate for more. His hands moved to my lower back and pulled me closer as I groaned into his mouth. The benefit of making out with a human was that it was all real; the tingles I felt didn’t come from magic or energy, just from him kissing me. There was a reassurance in knowing I could feel sparks without the assistance of magic, and I needed all the reassurances I could get. I pushed into him, wanting more, my body flaring to life. I ran my hands up his shoulders as I opened my mouth.
Elliot didn’t hesitate as he dove right in and deepened the kiss. I responded fervently, wanting more from him, needing more. This. This was what I missed, what I needed. The hardness of a man against my softer body. The taste of him. Knowing I drove him mad with a touch.
My hand went to the back of his neck, and my fingertips trailed against his skin. He shuddered against me as his kissing turned insistent. He so easily stole my breath, claiming it as his own.
When we pulled apart, both of us had to catch our breaths as we stared at each other, the strobe lights flashing across our faces. Nothing mattered, not the music or the bodies around us. I just saw Elliot and possibilities. It both scared and excited me. I could have something with him and I wanted to. I really did.
Fear tried to claw its way out, but I managed to smash it down. Now wasn’t the time to run away from commitment.
Elliot rested his forehead against mine and moaned. “Laila, the things you do to me without even trying. I’m completely at your mercy right now.”
I smirked, pulling together all my confidence. “Then maybe we should continue.”
He shook his head and pulled away. “Not tonight, we shouldn’t. That’d be a really bad idea. I’m in this for the long haul, and until you understand that, we can’t go further.”
“What do you mean?”
He sighed. “I mean no rushing. Let’s take our time with this.”
I tried to understand his words, but for some reason I couldn’t quite grasp what he was saying.
“You won’t have sex with me because you want to take this slow?” I asked.
“Exactly. I want what we will do to mean something, really mean something. I refuse to be just a fling with you.”
“I don’t get it,” I said. “I don’t understand this devotion you have, this need to go so slow. We like each other, why can’t we enjoy each other then?”
“Because, Laila, you’re used to fast, and we want to teach you there is more than just jumping into someone’s bed.”
I winced at his words, a sharp stab of pain going through my heart. Without using such words—because he’d never use that kind of language—he’d called me a shallow whore.
“Shit,” he said and ran a hand through his hair. “I’m saying this all wrong.” He glanced into the crowd and frowned. “And now I need to get moving.” He turned back to me, his expression insistent. “Dr. Laila Porter, I want you. Don’t ever doubt that. I want you now, and I’ll want you months from now. That isn’t going to change anytime soon.”
“How can you be so sure?” I asked.
“Because I paid attention to you. To what you show the world and what you hide from it. I like you, with all your faults, and all your strengths. I love your need for control, to understand everything, to always challenge yourself. I love that you can walk into a room and so easily demand attention without really asking for it. People willingly want to give it to you. I love how you fight for what you think is right, even when you’re wrong.”
I snorted, and his grin widened.
“Don’t doubt us, Laila. I’ll fix this. Just enjoy the ride. For now, I need to go before I lose my target. I’ll call you later tonight, and we’ll make plans for dinner.”
He gave me a quick kiss on the lips before squeezing me to him and then letting me go. By the time I collected myself, he was lost in the crowd and most likely already out the door.
“Damn, that was hot,” Ami said, coming over with a wide grin. “That man knows how to turn up the heat.”
I smiled back, my lips still tingling. “That he does.”
She laughed and pulled me deeper onto the dance floor until we were completely surrounded by other dancers and then we let the music move us.
We went through another two songs before someone wrapped their hands around my waist. I reacted and slammed my elbow back. Whoever grabbed me grunted and let go. I turned to glare at the idiot who’d decided to just grab me from behind and blinked a couple of times.
“Davies?” I said and then began apologizing. He leaned over slightly as he rubbed his stomach.
“Damn, Babe, you know how to throw an elbow,” he said before straightening and grinning at me.
“What are you doing here?” I asked. “Are you working too?”
I pulled up everyone’s schedule from my memory.
“I just finished and rumor said you were here, without a male companion. I’m surprised Elliot left you hanging.” Davies shook his head.
“He’s not the only one who left me hanging,” I said, some of the anger slipping through. He was one of the guys who had insisted on having a date soon after we returned. He winced and rubbed the back of his neck.
“I deserved that. Why do you think I’m here now?”
He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close until my nose brushed his chest. I looked up at him as he swayed us to the music, not quite on beat since we were moving too slowly, but still, this moment was up there with the dancing with Elliot.
“Do you think Ami will hunt me down tomorrow if I take you away from here?” he asked.
I smiled. “Depends, why are you whisking me away?”
“So that I’ll have you all to myself, with no interruptions.” He squeezed me tighter. “And you won’t be able to get away from me.”
My body heated, and my brain briefly sputtered as all the dirty thoughts flashed through my mind. I liked the way he thought. Elliot got me worked up, but it seemed Davies had no problems alleviating the need for me.
“I think she’ll be fine with it,” I said
“Good.” He grabbed my hand and pulled me through the crowd. We walked right by Ami, and she grinned as she gave us a wave and knowing smirk. I rolled my eyes as I waved back, and then we were gone.
We exited the club at the front and only had to walk a block before we reached his car. He opened my door for me.
“Milady,” he said with a slight bow.
I held in a giggle. How did he manage to so easily make me feel like one of those annoying preteen girls? While I buckled in, he got into the driver’s seat and turned the car on.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“Since this is unplanned and all the best dates usually are, we’re going for a late dinner at my favorite place. I think it’s time I introduced you to Auntie.”
“Auntie?”
He nodded. “Not by blood, but if I try to call her anything else, she tends to start hitting, so she’s Auntie. You’ll have to call her that too.”
I narrowed my eyes. “This isn’t a prank, is it? She won’t hit me if I call her Auntie, will she?”
He chuckled. “No, you’ll see.”
We drove for about ten minutes, conversation light as we talked about what we’d been up to the last few weeks.
“I swear,” Davies said. “You’d think the company had got as busy as it was going to get, but you came into the picture, and we hit a new level. Then you went and made friends with a dragon, and blew the company’s limit to hell.”
“I’m sorry?” I said sheepishly.
He snorted. “No, you’re not. But that’s why we’ve been so damn busy. People keep flocking to us to fix all their damn problems. I’m going to scream if I have to do another babysitting job.” Davies’s face scrunched up. “I don’t do kids.”
I grinned. “You’re good with kids. Don’t think I haven’t seen you mess around with them at the park during lunch breaks.”
He smirked. “Stalking me, Babe?”
“Shut up,” I said and laughed.
Shortly after, we pulled into a driveway in front of a small diner with a twenty-four hours sign flashing green in the window and bright lights showing the booths and tables set up inside.
“This is where Auntie works?” I asked and got out of the car.
After closing the door, I went around to the front to meet Davies.
“She’s going to love you,” he said, flinging his arm around my shoulders. We walked with me tucked into his side. When the door opened, a bell rang to announce our presence.
“Just sit wherever,” an older woman called, her voice smoky as her eyes stayed glued on the customer she was talking with.
“Will do, Auntie,” Davies called out.
The woman’s head swung and widened when she found Davies. Her dark eyes flickered from him to me, and then back to him.
Davies ignored her scrutiny and led me over to a booth away from the other customers. I glanced at Auntie, who was still staring at us. When I sat down, I did everything I could to prevent fidgeting. She was burning a hole through me all the way across the diner and I could practically taste the disapproval from there.
I sighed. I hadn’t even talked to her yet, and she didn’t like me.
“Relax,” Davies said and passed me a menu that had already been on the table.
“She hates me.”
“You haven’t even met her yet. She’s awesome.”
I looked down at the items on the menu, not reading anything. A few minutes passed before she finally came over. Her skinny frame was wrapped in a red shirt and black pants, gray-blonde hair pulled back in a tight bun.
She scowled at me before focusing on Davies, her expression transforming instantly into someone kind and loving.
“Davies, why has it taken you so long to come visit me?” she asked.
“Been busy at work,” he replied, grinning up at her. “Nothing else can keep me away from your delicious lemon tart, you know that.”
She huffed. “Same old, I reckon?”
He nodded. “Laila, what do you want?” he asked, looking at me.
My gaze went to Auntie, noting the way her lips thinned. Her smile faltered when she met my eyes.
“Just a turkey club with water,” I said, reading the first thing I saw on the menu.
“Chili fries too,” Davies said.
Auntie didn’t write anything down. She only nodded her acknowledgment before disappearing. When she got behind the counter, she shot me a dirty look.
“Why are you looking like that?” Davies asked when I faced him. His smile slipped away into a worried frown.
“Like what?” I asked, trying to push away the dirty looks.
“Like you just ate something sour.”
I shook my head. “Don’t worry about it,” I said. “Just my own hang-ups.”
He leaned forward. “Tell me”
“No.”
“Laila.”
“No,” I said.
He looked disappointed and leaned back, staring out the window for a moment. “I need to do this right,” he mumbled.
“Do what right?” I asked.
“You.”
Both my eyebrows rose. “Excuse me?”
He blinked in surprise and then laughed. “No. No, that isn’t what I meant. I just meant wooing you. I can’t fall behind.”
“Now you lost me. You don’t woo.”
“Exactly, but don’t worry. I’ll fix that.” He grinned and leaned back when Auntie brought our drinks.
“Thank you,” he said to her. She smiled back, her expression soft, and patted his shoulder.
“Stop being a stranger, hun,” she said. “My old bones missed you.”
Davies reached up and grabbed her hand, kissing the back of it. In his hand, hers looked so small and frail, the blue veins sticking out. “Your old bones are stronger than ever. You’ll live to be a hundred and fifty,” he said.
She laughed. “I’d rather see Bennett instead,” she said. “Your food will be out in a couple of minutes.” She walked over to another customer and Davies sighed.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“Auntie’s getting old. I can see the difference every time I come here.”
“She’s human, right?” I asked.
He nodded. “She should have stopped working years ago, but she keeps going. I’m worried about her. She’s all for dying. At least she’ll be with her husband again.”
“Bennett?”
He nodded, his expression darkening. “A dark mage killed him about five years ago.” He shook his head. “I didn’t bring you here to talk about something heavy,” he said.
“Then why am I here?” I asked, leaning forward.
“I wanted you to see a piece of me. You only know me at BMS. You don’t know me outside of it.”
“I have a pretty good idea,” I said, glancing at the older woman. She met my eyes and her expression darkened. “You care, Davies. You care about everyone. You wouldn’t be at BMS if that weren’t true.”
“I thought I was there because I’m an adrenaline junkie.”
“Don’t forget your stubbornness too. You have a need to prove a human can be just as good as a supernatural and that’s pretty darn amazing.”
He chuckled. “Someone has to be there to knock them down a peg when they begin thinking they’re better than everyone else.”
When our food came out, Auntie brought it over. She dropped mine harder than she should have and it clattered.
“Oh, sorry,” she said, her eyes cold. She turned and walked off.
I sighed and fixed my sandwich. Davies didn’t seem to notice, but then again, it was always easier to overlook a loved one doing something bad. People had a need to dismiss the bad when it came down to someone they cared about.
“She’s prejudiced against magic-users,” I said observantly, not meaning to say it out loud.
Davies’s head lifted, and he frowned at me, a huge burger in his hands.
“Auntie? She’s not prejudiced,” he said.
I smiled. He could only see the good in her. I couldn’t blame him.
The rest of dinner flew by as we talked. Auntie came by a few times to refill our drinks, but for the most part, she reined in her hatred of me and stayed away. When we left, Davies went over to pay the bill and gave her a big hug. I noticed the way she blinked one too many times, fighting back her tears. When she did that, any negative feelings I had for her disappeared. She was just a woman trying to make do with the life she was given, and it was unfortunate that it was the kind of life where she lost a loved one to magic. If anything, it only cemented my need to create Magic Be Gone.
The drive to my condo was too quick, and I didn’t want the night to end.
Davies opening my door, pulling me out of my thoughts as he helped me out. He escorted me to the entrance of my building, the walkway lit up well enough to push all the shadows back into the hedges set up around the property.
“Thank you for tonight,” I said.
Davies smiled. “Anytime. I enjoy spending time with you.”
“Enough to come upstairs?” I asked, desperately hoping he said yes. I wanted to spend more time with him, preferably in my bed, but if he wanted to hang out on the couch, I could do that too. I wasn’t picky where.
He groaned and stared up at the night sky. “You make dating you so hard.”
My smile slipped, and I hit his arm. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
He grinned, a wicked gleam in his eyes. He leaned forward so his lips touched my cheek. “It means, Laila, that I want to ask you to let me walk you up to your condo and maybe I don’t leave until the morning.”
I pulled away far enough so I could meet his eyes, stepping up to the challenge. “Then why don’t you?”
His eyes closed briefly. “Believe me, I want to. I’ve wanted to for a while now, but not yet. I want to show you pleasure that you’ve never experienced before, and to do that, you need to have deeper feelings.” His hand pressed against my chest, just above my breasts. So damn close. “You need to feel me in your soul. This isn’t a fling.”
My core burned for Davies, and he hadn’t done a damn thing to me except make promises that had me wanting to run in the opposite direction and at the same time pull him closer.
When he saw the conflicting emotions, his smirk turned feral. “Exactly. You’re not there yet. You’re not ready.”
I drew in a shaky breath, slowly collecting my thoughts into a coherent argument. Fuck the slow. I wanted him hard right now. I wanted to burn under his touch now. “Sex is a good way to learn about each other,” I said breathlessly. “It’s a good way to learn if you’re as fun and goofy in bed as you are in public, if you’ll be controlling, and if you can handle me. I vote now.”
Davies shook his head, but his eyes were so dark. I just needed to push him a bit more.
“Oh, Babe, I assure you, I’m better than you think. I may be human, but my shifter ancestor at least left us a present when he married into the family tree.” He pulled away, putting distance between us. He chuckled at some thought he wasn’t sharing with me.
“And what exactly did he give you?” I asked.
“As a lion, he had gifted his descendants with the ability to go long and go hard. I bounce back fast, Laila. By the end of the night, your voice will be hoarse from screaming my name.”
Damn...
My mouth popped open, and I was ready to drag him to my apartment to test him out and see if he spoke the truth. My brain began to overheat with all the dirty images, so I said the one thought I could grasp onto. “I figured your ancestor would have been a wolf since you get along with Venni so well.”
Davies stared as I effectively destroyed the mood we had built up between us. He broke out into booming laughter and shook his head. I sighed, disappointed with my mouth for speaking without my permission. It was probably for the best since Davies was getting me worked up, and he had no intention of doing anything about it. I’d need my toy tonight, or a really long, cold shower. Most likely both.
“We haven’t always been like that,” Davies said as he calmed down. “Lombardi tossed the two of us together. And I swear he just did it for the hell of it. Our work ethics are the opposite, and I’m more relaxed than that old wolf. Venni had to learn to accept my awesomeness and just go with it.”
“Huh,” I said. “You guys are practically inseparable.”
“The power of teamwork. We balance each other out and challenge each other to be better, but our awesomeness is only from the last year.” He looked me over. “Probably since you joined the company. If you want,” he said, his voice going low and smooth, “we can give you a demonstration of our teamwork.”
The intensity had me blushing, and I glanced away as I fought through images of being between their hard bodies as they touched me.
Goddess, save me. I was going to become a very naughty girl if Davies kept this up.
Davies sighed, looking slightly pained. “Not yet, Laila.” He shifted closer and pulled me into a hug. “But soon.”
Feeling bold, I tilted my head back. “Do I at least get a goodnight kiss?” I whispered, wanting at least that.
“Fuck yeah,” he said. “You don’t ever have to ask.”
He claimed my lips, and I got a taste of how he would be in bed. Davies was a playful kisser, nipping at my lips. I opened my mouth, wanting to taste more of him as my skin blazed at his touch. He teased me before finally giving me what I wanted. I moaned, loving the taste of a mixture him and the lemon tart he ate at the diner. I didn’t need to order one anymore, I could taste it for myself, and it was fucking delicious. He was fucking delicious.
All too soon, he pulled away, drawing a whimper from me. I hadn’t had enough. “See you tomorrow, Laila,” he whispered, his voice thick with his need.
“Night.” I wasn’t sure how I was able to even respond.
He grinned, leaned over, and kissed my forehead.
His ass, and the way the jeans wrapped around it, kept my attention as he walked away. When he got to his car, he leaned against it, arms folded over his chest. I just stared at him.
“Go inside, Laila,” Davies called out.
Heat filled my cheeks, and I did as he said. Walking away from him was one of the hardest things I’d had to do in a while. I definitely didn’t like this going slow thing. Why were they all insisting on doing it?
