Page 37 of Top Shelf

“Everything okay?” Levi asks.

“We saw Jackass leave,” Lo says. Levi shoots her a look and rolls his eyes.

“Yeah, we’re good,” I say. “We’re gonna head out, though. Thank you for everything, Levi. We’ll talk about more of the logistics of the game and the votes next week, yeah?”

Levi nods, clasping my hand and pulling me in for a hug.

Lo kisses us both on the cheek, and we wave goodbye to a few people who are around before making our brisk exit. The valet has my truck pulled up in a minute’s time, and we’re on the way back to Crooked Creek. The ride is quiet for the first few minutes, but then I turn to her.

“So,” I say, “where am I taking you tonight?”

I try not to sound overly eager. But God I hope she says with me.

“Your place, if that’s okay?” she asks timidly. I smile and pat her leg, giving it a little squeeze before I remove my hand.

“Of course,baby,” I say.

A few minutes later, I pull into my driveway and put the car in park. Things are still quiet, and I find myself wondering where her head is. We get inside, and she kicks her shoes off immediately. I smile when she shrinks three inches. She walks through the house, Odie following her faithfully, and she flops onto the couch. I smile as I watch her, Odie climbing up and plopping his head on her lap as they both let out a long sigh.

I walk toward her and pat her foot.

“Don’t get too comfy,” I say. Her eyes shoot open, and her eyebrows knit together. “You can’t sleep in that. You’re gonna be uncomfortable.” She smiles back at me, and I can’t help but soak in this moment. Her and I. The dog that feels like “our” dog now. This house that she has grown increasingly more comfortable in every time she comes in. I love how this feels.

But I need to be careful.

It’s all pretend.

Right?

I hold out a hand for her, and she takes it. I pull her off the couch, but as she stands, I bend over and pull her over my shoulders. She lets out a squeal, and I laugh as I carry her up the steps two-by-two. She pats my ass playfully as I set her down in my room and flick on the lights. I walk to the dresser and open up the drawer full of t-shirts, tossing her one. She smiles as she catches it, holding it to her nose and taking a long sniff. I laugh and shake my head.

“I need to start leaving stuff here so I don’t have to steal yours,” she says. Then she catches herself. We both do. Her eyes go wide as they meet mine. “Sorry, I didn’t mean— Of course I was kidding, and I—”

I take a step toward her, nice and slow. She swallows as I put a hand to her face, gently rubbing her cheek with my thumb. I put my other hand around her waist and pull her into me.

“Leave as much as you want here,” I whisper, bending down to place a kiss on her jaw. “Leave it all here,” I whisper again as I kiss the other side of her jaw. “Stay with me, baby.”

Until now, it’s been a little bit of a joke, me calling her that. At least, I’ve tried to make it seem like it was so she didn’t think I was crossing any lines. But right now, I don’t care. I look down at her and tilt her chin up to me, and then I kiss her, soft and long but not too intense. I want to feel her out first. Her eyes open gently, and she grips my wrists.

“Are you sure you want this, Ty?” she whispers. “I don’t want you to feel like I dragged you into anything. I don’t want to make you feel like I’m trying to blur the lines.” I smile as I stroke her cheek again.

“Baby, we’re way past lines,” I say. “If you tell me you don’t want me as badly as I want you, then I’ll go right back to pretending. Just say the word.”

There’s a little bit of a pause, and we both stare at each other for a moment.

“I need you, Ty,” she finally whispers. “And I want to stay with you.”

I dive in again, kissing her more intensely this time, letting my tongue explore her as I pick her up off the ground. I set her back down and spin her around, unzipping her dress and letting it fall to the floor. I’m pleased to report that she has no bra on, and her nipples are already hard. I kiss her shoulders, the back of her neck, her arms, before I spin her around again. She’s standing in front of me in a nude thong, and I slide my fingers between her thighs. I can feel how warm and wet she is through her panties, and it makes me so unbelievably hard that I think I might explode.

“Mmm, baby,” I whisper, sliding my finger underneath the fabric and through the folds of her pussy, letting it glide through her juices. “You’re ready for me?”

She nods and bites her lip.

“I’ve been ready for you, Tyson,” she breathes, letting her head drop back. I groan and scoop her up, laying her back on the bed. I reach up and slide the panties down her legs, throwing them onto the floor behind me as she lies there in front of me, completely naked and completely beautiful. Fuck, I need her.

I slide my hands back up her legs, moving my face up to her center. I let my tongue trace her every outline, lapping up her nectar as I go. She claws at the bed and sheets with one hand, the other lost in my hair, guiding me to where she needs me. Her hips start to buck after a few minutes, and I pick up on the rhythm they’re moving with. I move my tongue with her in long, slow strokes, then faster as her grip on my hair tightens. I squeeze her thighs, and she rides my tongue, over and over, until finally, her whole body goes rigid and then collapses around me. I pull back, licking my lips and smiling.

“God, I fucking love the way you taste,” I say, and she moans again as she catches her breath. After another moment, she pushes herself up off the bed and begins tugging at my slacks.

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