Page 38 of The Science of Attraction

Oh boy.I stood and swept my hand toward the door. “Lead the way.”

* * *

When we arrived at Laura’s cottage, she shoved me through the back door and into the kitchen like the previous eight years had never happened. She smelled and tasted just like she had back then—the same light floral perfume, the same lush tang of her favourite lemon-strawberry lip gloss.

As I lifted her onto the breakfast bar, she wriggled against me, her nimble fingers delving down the back of my jeans and into my crease. She was a pint-sized Energizer Bunny with few inhibitions, loads of imagination, and she tasted great.

And yet?—

Citrus and pine, the mineral tang of glacial melt, earthy back notes of trout and smoke, and something uniquely?—

Her nails scratched down my unshaved cheeks and I desperately buried the thought.

“This is a new look.” She kissed me long and slow and then licked a path along my jaw. “Keep it. It’s sexy.”

It was... the rough scrape of stubble on my palm, the soft brush of a beard on my lips, the desperate clash of lips, tongues duelling for control.

Jesus, stop.

I cupped her face in both hands and ran my nose up into her hair?—

Longer than his, thicker, a different shampoo.

Heat simmered in my balls but without the crack of fire.

“Let’s get these off.” Laura worked the buttons on my jeans.

His leg wrapped around mine, our bodies locked, my hard cock pressed against his stomach—no hiding how much I wanted him—while he rode my thigh with equal urgency.

“I want to suck you off.” Laura began to push my jeans down my hips.

“I want to kiss you.”

“Then kiss me.”

The sound of a river, the bluest sky, a cock riding my thigh.

“You’re killing me here.”

Fucking fuck, fuck.

“St-stop.” I grabbed Laura gently by the wrist and took a step back.

She stared at me, confused, panting, blouse askew, wild arousal in her eyes. “What’s the matter?”

“I, um... shit. I can’t do this.” I released her hand and began buttoning my jeans as she watched. “I’m sorry.” I sank onto a barstool and dragged a hand over my mouth. “Jesus, I’m so sorry. It’s nothing to do with you.”

Laura slid off the counter and put a gentle hand on my shoulder. “Hey.” She began rubbing small circles on my back. “It’s okay. You wanna tell me what just happened?”

My thumb tracing slow circles on the back of his hand?—

“Is there... is there someone else? You should’ve just said.”

I jerked around to face her. “You know I would never cheat onanyone.”

Her eyes grew soft. “I know that. But I’m not about to have a fit of the vapours because your heart’s taken.”

My heart?

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