Page 79 of In Step

I smiled and kissed him. “I happen to like you too. Far, far too much for my own good.”

He smiled a little sadly. “Yeah, we’re a couple of idiots. But that’s a problem for another time. Right now, I want you to fuck me, babe. Show me just how much you like me.”

I kissed his nose and then covered his mouth with mine as I slowly pressed inside. He groaned and tensed as I popped through the muscle, panting against my lips as he adjusted to the pressure.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck. Jesus, I’d forgotten... ugh, dammit.” He blew a few breaths and slowly, slowly relaxed, letting me slide a little further.

I fought the urge to thrust and inched inside as Kane swore threats into my ear, while at the same time digging his heels into my arse to pull me deeper. And when I was finally seated, he lifted his legs onto my shoulders, breathing hard against my face while I waited for the signal that he was okay. Waited and thought of anything and everything except the tight-as-fuck grip of his gorgeous arse around my cock.

“Okay, ready.”

And I’m pretty sure I wept in relief. The first couple of strokes were slow and easy, letting Kane adjust his position or let me know if there was a problem.

“If that’s all you’ve got, I’m gonna be hella disappointed,” he grunted.

I snorted and dragged my lips across his, hooking his legs a little higher. “Hold on, baby.”

He wriggled for a second, then paused and I took my cue, pulling almost all the way out before thrusting back inside, his dick squeezed between our bellies.

“Yes,” Kane hissed as he slammed his head back into the pillow. I repeated the deep-driving stroke again and again, watching his face, checking he was okay, changing the angle until he cried out with pleasure, then keeping that rhythm until he arched rigid in my arms, grunting his release, hot come shooting between us, the spasm of his arse around my dick enough to send my own orgasm exploding in my balls as I plunged deep inside him.

He groaned at the depth but held me in place as I shook and jerked with every wave of pleasure. And when I was done, his legs slid from my shoulders and he starfished on the bed. I went to withdraw but his arm tightened around me. “Stay a minute.”

And so I did, kneeling over him, my face buried in his neck, my cock in his arse, his hands tracing lazy circles on my back as he murmured who the fuck knew what in my ear—my brain still untethered somewhere in the ether. All that mattered was it was Kane’s voice, Kane’s arms, Kane’s body.

“Shh.” He petted my hair and rocked me slowly, and it was only then I realised I was shaking. “Let’s catch a few minutes’ sleep.” He turned enough that I slipped free, then he removed my condom and tied it off, dropping it to the floor. “Come here.” He pulled me into his arms, and my last waking thought was how much I loved his smell, loved that tang of salt mixed with the vanilla of his shampoo and the scent of our lovemaking.

Lovemaking.

Oh yeah, we were in trouble.

CHAPTERTWENTY-ONE

Kane

Abe snored softlyagainst my shoulder as he had for the last forty-five minutes or so, out cold, his arm wrapped tight around my waist like I might suddenly vanish.

I hadn’t even come close to falling asleep, my arse aching delightfully, every nerve jangling despite my jelly limbs, my heart too churned to settle, too happy, too soft.Everythingwas too soft.

And that was a problem. Abigproblem.

I dropped my book to the bed—a failed attempt at distraction—and tunnelled my fingers through his hair as I watched him sleep, the same question on repeat circling my brain since yesterday.What the hell were we doing?I’d asked Abe that same question by the river. I’d asked him after seeing that look in his eyes, after feeling the way he held me and knowing the way I held him, the way I knew I looked at him too, just like today as we’d... fucked.

Yeah, right. I snorted softy, watching a wave of his hair puff up as my breath caught it. What we’d just done had very little to do with fucking. I might know zip about relationships, but even I could tell the connection we had was a lot more than passing friends and fuck buddies.

I pressed my lips to his forehead and he stirred, his eyes fluttering open. He blinked and took a few seconds to focus, but when we finally locked eyes, he smiled and snuggled closer.

“I think I’ll stay right here the next year or so, if that’s okay with you? It’s a potential solution to our dilemma, right?” His breath washed hot across my throat, and the knot in my chest I’d carried ever since he’d slid from inside me finally loosened.

I should’ve known Abe wouldn’t run away, that there’d be no talk of regret or stepping back. We were clearly gonna face and deal with the mess we’d got ourselves into.

He lifted his head onto the pillow and once again tucked my hair behind my ears. It was an endless and futile battle he was seemingly happy to wage. “Hey, you.”

“Hey.” I skimmed my fingers along his jawline, relishing the rough brush of his short beard, long scruff, whatever we were calling it.

He yawned and rubbed his eyes. “How long was I out?”

“Forty-five minutes or so.”

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