Page 52 of One Last Run

Pete was still laughingas she and Danica pushed open the door of the mud room on the lower level of the condo, even as Danica tried to shush her. They were wet from the snow they’d been throwing at each other on their walk back, cold from lying on the frozen pond, and yet Pete was sure anticipatory steam was coming off her skin. Danica paused in the mud room, stripping off her coat, then leaned on the wall to pull off her boots without sitting.

Danica’s white sweater looked soft and inviting, and Pete longed to touch her, to not be separated by coats and mittens and layers of clothing. Memories flooded her of the night before, of Danica’s warm, wet skin against hers in the hot tub. She pulled her own coat off, willing herself to not be such a horny teenager, but when she looked back up, Danica’s blue eyes were smoldering with what she knew were the same thoughts.

Danica’s lips parted as though she was about to say something, but no words escaped as Pete moved to take kiss her, crashing together in a kiss so inevitable and impatient that some magnetic force had to be at play.

Pete struggled to kick off her boots, laughing against Danica’s mouth as tried. Danica’s hands were in her hair, her entire body pressed against Pete’s with a kind of desperation that Pete mirrored. Pete lifted Danica into her arms, feeling Danica’s legs wrap around her hips as she held her, kissing her up against the wall.

“Do you think we can sneak up to my room?” Danica whispered.

“Depends on how quiet you can stay,” Pete said and Danica moaned into her mouth.

“You’re right. Bunk beds it is,” Danica responded, reaching for Pete’s mouth again, nipping her lower lip.

Still pressing Danica up against the wall, Pete sucked Danica’s lower lip into her mouth, teeth scraping her flesh.Danica crushed herself closer, her fingers tangling in Pete’s curls as she rocked her hips into Pete’s.

Pete let herself take everything Danica was willing to give. Every touch felt more urgent. She’d been waiting for so long that one more second might make her combust.

“We’d better get to your room,” Danica gasped in between kisses, and Pete gathered all of her resolve and self-control as she carried Danica toward her room, stumbling and trying to be quiet as they made their way down the hall. Pete shut the door behind them, immediately pressing Danica back against it.

Danica’s chin tipped up and Pete’s tongue found her skin, salty and sweet and irresistible. Her hands drifted lower as Danica’s legs unwrapped from Pete’s hips as they moved to stand. Pete’s knee pushed between Danica’s legs, her hands sliding past Danica’s waist toward her hips as Danica rocked against her knee.

An extremely sexy and quiet moan slipped from Danica’s lips as Pete held Danica’s hips tightly against her, leaning forward to nibble on her neck, her ear lobe, her jaw. She ached with need, her pulse throbbing in her ears, her mouth, her entire body.

Danica seemed to feel the same way, moving against Pete’s knee, making those quiet moaning noises that made Pete smile against her mouth as their lips met again. She’d missed this. She hadn’t let herself miss it until this very moment, but she’d missed everything about Danica. The way Danica’s soft hair felt wrapped around her fist, the frantic way Danica always chased release, the way her moans seemed to vibrate through Pete.

She wanted more of Danica. She was desperate to replace her knee with her hand, her tongue. She wanted all of her. If Pete wasn’t careful, she’d be taking Danica messy and eager and up against a wall.

Of course, that all sounded extremely appealing now, but she’d waited all this time. Now that she had Danica in her arms,writhing in expectation, she wanted to take it slow and savor every moment.

Pete’s hands moved to dip below the bottom hem of Danica’s sweater, pulling it over her head with an excited anticipation as though she was unwrapping a present.

“You are so gorgeous I can hardly think at all,” Pete said, taking in the thin, flimsy fabric of her bra.

Danica’s forehead pressed against Pete’s, her ocean blue eyes sparkling in the dim light. Pete ran her hands over Danica’s skin, so soft and perfect. She took a step back, taking Danica’s hand as she walked backwards toward the bed, unwilling to take her eyes off of the woman in front of her.

“Bunk beds are the least sexy bed choice,” Danica teased as Pete pulled Danica down to straddle her lap, careful not to hit her head on the bed above.

“I don’t know. They provide plenty of handholds,” Pete said with a wicked grin.

Danica raised a mischievous eyebrow, reaching forward to grip the frame of the top bunk. “They do, don’t they?”

Pete leaned forward to let her hands slide across the smooth expanse of Danica’s back, her mouth gently pressing against the thin fabric of Danica’s bra. She reached to unhook it, and Danica lowered her arms from the bedframe to let the straps fall. Pete discarded the bra and guided Danica’s arms back to the upper frame, grinning at Danica as Pete’s thumb brushed against her nipple, her touch sending thrill through her. Danica’s eyes fluttered closed and her back arched ever-so-slightly, a silent plea for Pete to continue.

Danica’s knees trembled as Pete dropped her head, her tongue and lips trailing down from her collarbone, wet kisses on delicate skin. Pete's lips enveloped Danica's nipple, causing Danica's skin to tighten and pebble. One of Pete’s hands slipped lower, following the curve of Danica’s waist and hip, over herthighs to tease against the seam of her jeans. Danica rocked into her, making a quiet, frustrated huff.

Pete turned them both, letting Danica fall onto the bed under her. Hands braced on either side of Danica’s shoulders, she skimmed her nose against Danica’s, their breath warm and smelling faintly of whiskey. Pete's tender, kiss-swollen lips tingled.

"I've been craving the taste of you for so long," Pete breathed, her voice more a growl than whisper. Taking delight in the way Danica’s eyes darkened with desire at her tone, Pete couldn’t help but grin again. God, she loved it when she could turn Danica on with just her words, like she had that night in the hall at the karaoke bar. Pete nipped at Danica’s lower lip. “Tell me you want it, too.”

The sheets twisted around Pete’s fingers as Danica pushed herself up, arching her back as if in a desperate need. “Yes. Please. Yes.”

CHAPTER 17

DANICA

As Danica said yes,Pete’s tense shoulders relaxed, and a sigh of relief escaped her lips. Like there was even an ounce of chance that she’d say no to Pete right now. As Pete's lips brushed against Danica's skin, a shiver of goosebumps erupted across her body. Pete’s lips and hands, moving with a gentle urgency, explored the curves of her body, leaving a trail of warmth in their wake.

Pete undid the button of Danica’s pants, sliding them down over a pair of fluorescent green knee-high ski socks. “Ooh, these are definitely staying on,” Pete teased, and Danica felt her cheeks grow warm as she laughed, tension coiling low in her belly.

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