Page 7 of Morning Walks & Midnight Talks

A scratch against the door made us both turn toward the house.

“It looks like Sora isn't the only one who knows when it's their human on the other side,” Matt stated, gazing down at the doormat and back up at me with a smile that made me want to break the rule I had just established and kiss him.

I thrust the key in the lock, turned it, and opened the door. Pounce stumbled back, his tail wagging as if he’d been counting the seconds since I left. “Hey, buddy,” I said, patting his head, “Look who I brought.” I pushed the door open a little wider, but before Pounce could look outside, Sora slipped past me and jumped at him with happy little yips.

“Wow, she missed her boyfriend more than I thought,” Matt said, watching Pounce endure the puppy kisses.

I stumbled over to the closet on the left and pulled out Pounce's leash. When I turned around, I noticed the playful turn of Matt’s lips. “Are you jealous that he’s getting kisses and you aren’t?” I teased him.

Matt looked up. “Why? You offering?”

“I’m gay, not a whore,” I replied, squatting down to attach the leash to Pounce’s collar. “But it’s been a while since my last date, so don’t blame me if I don’t say no to a proposed make-out session.”

“Yeah, I totally get that. I actually haven’t been with anyone since the breakup either. I had several chances, but...” He finished his sentence with a shrug.

My heart gave a nervous thud. “I guess I made it clear where I stand. All you have to do is ask.” As soon as the words left my mouth, I felt a flicker of disbelief twist in my chest.Where did I find the courage to be this open about it, like it was no big deal?I wasn't usually this forward, especially not with someone like Matt. Yet here I was, teasing and flirting without a filter.

Matt’s eyes narrowed, and an unbelieving grin spread across his face. “It’s that easy?”

“Not everything in life has to be complicated,” I replied, making it sound like the easiest thing in the world. But I had to pull the brakes now if I didn't want to watch the train derail. I stood up, looped the leash around my wrist, and nodded toward the door. “I’m ready.”

Matt didn’t move a muscle. His eyes remained fixed on me, unafraid, not even suggesting that he wanted to avert his gaze. “To make out?”

“Don't you have to return to work in ten minutes?” I said, trying to keep things from escalating. As much as I would enjoy going further, I wouldn’t want it to get awkward for him.

Matt’s chin dropped to his chest, accompanied by a chuckle. “You're right. If we're going to do this, I'd rather have time to enjoy it. Maybe we should come back here once I've locked up the bar?”

Something inside me flipped. Perhaps it was the way Matt didn’t flinch or how he met my teasing head-on, withoutretreating.Did he actually want this?Did he want me to bring out the big guns to see how far this would go?There was only one way to find out. I smirked and stepped before him, leaving barely enough space for air between us. “Are you sure?” I murmured. “Because if you’re not careful, I might take you seriously.”

I expected him to back down and step away with a chuckle, playing it off to save face for both of us. But he stood his ground. His eyes lingered on mine, only glancing down briefly to look at my lips. His breathing increased. “Maybe I don’t want to be careful.” He gulped. “Maybe I’ve thought about howopen-mindedI might be before, but never had a chance to act on it.” His lips parted slightly. “Maybe I feel comfortable enough with you to give it a try.”

“Is that so?” I whispered, still unable to fully comprehend what was happening.

Matt slowly nodded, his eyes twitching toward my lips again.

Without thinking, I leaned in and gently brushed my nose against his. “Would you like me to give you a taste of what it could be like?”

It was probably the dumbest idea ever, but the tension was just too intense to ignore.

A wave of heat washed over me, but I still somehow managed to slow down, stopping with only half an inch between our lips, giving him the chance to pull away.

But he didn’t.

He inhaled sharply, closed his eyes, and pressed his lips onto mine.

A sharp jolt raced down my spine, lighting up every nerve like a live wire. His mouth was warm and soft. My fingers twitched with the urge to grab hold of him and pull him closer. For a few charged seconds, however, we hovered in that perfect,breathless space, caught between restraint and the undeniable surge crackling between us.

His hand found my jaw, steadying me, drawing me in deeper.

I leaned into it,into him, into the quiet hum that had been building between us since we first met, cautious not to go too far too quickly.

And it was utterly, breathtakingly perfect.

A soft whine and a scrape against our legs made us both chuckle. We broke apart, our foreheads bumping gently as we glanced down at Sora, who was staring up at us with wide eyes.

“Maybe postponing this to after midnight isn’t such a bad idea,” Matt said, taking a step back. But his smile stayed with me. “If you want to.”

“You know where I live now. All you have to do is knock on the door.”

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