“How about we watch that movie now? I had such gentlemanly intentions for today before you made me lose control.”
Holy shit. I made him lose control? This man had me melting into a pile of goo and I never wanted to move. I shifted against him, and he wrapped his arm around my back, holding me tohim. I was half sitting, half lying on his chest, and I never wanted to move.
The movie played, but I barely even knew what we were watching. I was too busy memorizing the ridges of Dylan’s chest and abs, too mesmerized by the feel of his fingertips caressing my back and side, gliding over my hair, and teasing across my neck.
And kissing. Not quite like the first. Sweet kisses. Exploring. Promises of more to come.
Somehow, after a couple of hours of cuddling on Dylan’s couch, watching a movie and eating Chinese takeout, and lots of kisses and touches, I was more relaxed than I ever could’ve imagined. Snuggled against Dylan was my new happy place.
Our heavy talk before bowling, and the awkward first attempt at kissing, were almost forgotten, and it wasn’t like me to so easily forget things like that. But Dylan letting them go helped me to do the same.
Dylan ran his hand over my curls, brushing them off my neck, and tracing his fingers down my throat, sending shivers through my body. “I should take you home, Juls.” The reluctance in his voice eased the sting of his words.
I turned my head on his chest to look up at him with a mock pout.
“I know, but I want to be a gentleman. Can I see you again tomorrow?”
“Yes, I’d love that.”
“How about a hike?”
“Um, I’m not very good at hiking.”
“You said that about bowling, and we had a great time. I have an easy one in mind if you’d like to try it. But if you’d rather not, we can do something else.”
I loved being in nature, and I wasn’t against hiking, per se. I was against getting lost or limping back on a twisted ankle.
Dylan gently squeezed the back of my neck and patiently waited for my answer. And I knew down to my bones that he wouldn’t let anything happen. I’d felt it when he held my hand as we walked to that damned dinner, and I definitely felt it now with his strong, work-roughened hands on me. I was safe with him.
“I’d love to.”
“You sure, baby?”
“Yeah. I trust you won’t let me fall.”
“Damn right.”
11
Dylan
Juliette stared at me in surprise when I continued to look for a parking spot in front of her apartment. I ground my teeth, waiting for her to say the words I knew would piss me off.
“You can just drop me off in front.”Yep, there it was.
“No, Juls. I’m going to walk you to your door and make sure you’re safely locked inside, like a gentleman. If it’s okay with you, I’m also going to walk you in and kiss you goodnight in a very ungentleman-like way.”
Our intertwined hands resting on her thigh had been the best kind of tease, but now the feel of her thighs clenching led to a whole tsunami of inappropriate images flooding my brain.
Stop it, asshole. Just a kiss.
Juliette gave off the wildest mixed messages. She was eager and enthusiastic, but also nervous and hesitant. I couldn’t tell if it was uncertainty about being with me, or lack of experience, ormaybe with her dyspraxia, it was a lack of confidence. I didn’t know her enough to figure it out, yet, which was why I slowed things down after that first incredible, intense kiss. It was hard—almost as hard as my dick had been most of the night—to hold back when I was fairly sure she wanted more. But not sure enough to do anything about it.
Before we parted ways tonight, though, I was going to leave her with no doubt that I wanted her.
“Yeah, that’s okay with me,” she squeaked out.
Fuck, I loved her simple honesty.