I unlock the door to my apartment, the hairs on the back of my neck standing to attention, screaming,Nick’s right behind you!
But when I open the door, my apartment’swayworse than I thought.
‘Ohgod,’ I groan to myself.
I drop my purse on the counter and rush around the living room, grabbing the most offensive items – including the bra I took off when I was watching TV and tossed behind me, where it landed on my nearly dead ficus.
‘It’s not usually like this,’ I say over my shoulder as I pick up a mug with something growing in it. I take my haul into the kitchen and dump everything next to the sink – even the bra.
I face him, feeling the heat radiating from my cheeks. I’ve imagined our reunion a hundred times since I got home, but my imagination didn’t stretch to me looking like I’ve been on a bender, standing in the ruins of a ransacked apartment.
‘I’ve shared a room with you, remember?’ he asks. ‘I know you’re ordinarilyverytidy.’
‘I am.’
‘And that you’d never,everchuck your bra onto a pot plant.’
‘Never,’ I agree with a shake of my head.
‘And there’s no way thatthatpizza’ – his eyes dart towards the empty box by the trash – ‘was anywhere near as good as the ones we had on Capri.’
‘It was shit,’ I whisper, becoming aware that while we’ve been talking, we’ve been edging towards each other and now we’re only a couple of feet apart.
‘Delaney, there’s so much I want to say to you – so much to explain – but right now, Ireallywant to kiss y?—’
I don’t let him finish, launching myself at him. He catches me in an embrace, lifting me off the ground as I fling my arms around his neck. Our mouths collide, so hungry for each other – tongues tangling, our breaths mingling. His lips are insistent, possessive, almost animalistic – and I am here for it.
I want him.
He sits me on the kitchen counter, his hands moving down to cup my ass as I wrap my legs around his waist, locking my ankles behind his back.
The kiss deepens. And it’s even more intense than our moonlit kiss on Capri was – it’sunrestrained, making it sexy AF.
His lips break free from the kiss and I moan at the injustice, until he dips his head and presses his mouth to my neck, over and over, sucking gently, licking. My moan becomes something guttural, a talisman of unfettered desire, as his lips ignite my skin, the heat spreading down my neck, along my spine, and pooling between my thighs. I tighten my grip on him with my legs and he grinds into me.
‘Nick – bedroom,’ I murmur.
He looks up, his eyes boring into mine, and slowly shakes his head. ‘Not yet.’
Never has being toldnobeen so hot.
He grabs the hem of my T-shirt and whips it over my head – a slick move that leaves my hair mussed and my boobs exposed.
His eyes rove my chest, then he meets my eye, his eyebrows lifting in surprise and his mouth stretching into a sly smile.
‘I couldn’t find my bra this morning,’ I quip. ‘Lost track of which plant I hung it on.’
‘I would have assumed you’d have more than one,’ he says, cupping my boobs and thumbing my nipples in tight circles. They harden under his touch and I gasp, my eyes closing involuntarily. ‘But I’m glad that’s not the case,’ he adds. He takes one of my nipples into his mouth, his tongue taking over from his thumb, and a long, low groan escapes my lips.
Right now, I will literally do anything he tells me to.
He takes his time, releasing the nipple with a smack. He drops a soft kiss onto it, his lips pillowy soft, then moves to the other one.
‘Oh my god.’ I lean back, my palms flat on the counter behind me. His hands hook under my waistband at the back, his fingertips grazing the top of my underwear.
What underwear am I wearing?I think with a jolt.
Nick misinterprets the jolt, yanking me closer and sucking harder on my nipple. My mind splits into two states at once – ecstasy and horror – ecstasy for obvious reasons and horror because I’m wearing ratty, period-stained underwear with broken elastic.