Page 97 of Crash & Burn

“It’s taking everything in me to take this slow with you, but, if you keep doing that, all bets are off.”

“Who said we’re taking things slow this time?” I challenge, alluding to when he made me come with just his fingers in the green room.

It isn’t like we just met. We’ve known each other for a year.

Tension has been building for months with no talk of what we are or what we want to be until tonight.

I’m done waiting.

Eddie laughs against my lips, sending a shiver down my spine right down to between my legs. He pulls me in, kissing me harder this time, taking my breath away. His hands find my ass, no longer letting me control the rhythm of my hips. He pulls me into him, and I gasp as the perfect amount of pressure hits me in the perfect spot.

I feel his lips curve before he kisses me again, repeating the same move, and I don’t even care that we are dry-humping in the front seat of his car.

I have no shame.

He pulls his lips away but his grip on my ass tightens.

“What are you doing to me?” he asks.

“Walk me to my apartment?” I breathe. A minute ago, I was sure I was the one calling the shots, but now? I can’t even catch my breath.

“Only to the door.”

What?

I lean back to see him more clearly because there is no way he just said that.

“What do you mean ‘to the door?’” I ask.

“We can’t do this until we talk about how we’re going to make this work. Trust me, baby, it is taking all my strength to be the one to say this right now, but you know I’m right.”

I do, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.

“Plus, I’m 99 percent sure I’m going to wake up tomorrow morning, and this will have all been a dream,” he adds as his fingers graze my cheek, gently tucking a piece of my hair behind my ear.

I want to scream and pull my hair out and kiss every inch of his body all at the same time because he is right.

We do have things we need to talk about before we move forward. But he also never misses a chance to knock himself down a peg.

“I’m the one living the dream, raindrop. You know how many girls fantasize about hooking up with their brother’s hot, off-limits best friend. There are books written about this right here.” I gesture between the two of us.

“Oh yeah?” He smiles, his hands settling back on the tops of my thighs, which are now completely exposed from my skirt that is basically resting where a belt should be. I should be embarrassed, but I’m not. Being with Eddie is as comfortable as being home.

“Yeah,” I reply. “I’m the lucky one, really.” I grab his face between my palms and pepper kisses all over his face, adding extra along his scar and on the dimple that made an appearance as his smile widened.

“Plus,” I add, “last time you made me come in about five minutes. Think of what you can do with more than just your fingers.” I do my best Eddie-wink before I climb off him, demonstrating a not-so-graceful transition back to the passenger seat, and situate my skirt before grabbing my camera bag.

I glance to my left seeing I rendered him speechless, which was my very intention, and the blush on his cheeks is so pink, I can see it in the dark.

Before I can reach for the door handle, Eddie comes back to earth and uses his Edward Cullen vampire-like speed to have my door open and his hand out to help me out of his truck before I can even pull the door handle.

I grab his hand as I step down, but I don’t let go as we walk into my apartment lobby. We wave at the security guard in the front lobby and turn the corner to walk to my unit.

The stark difference between the first time we were both here to now is apparent, and I can’t help but giggle at the memory of seeing Eddie leaned against my door that night while Mateo was ready to kill me for punching that guy.

“You know,” Eddie starts as we pause at the door, letting go of my hand so I can grab my keys. “You were wearing that skirt that night when you came home from the bar.” Eddie’s mind was right where mine was.

“You remember?”

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