Page 37 of Stick to the Plan
Brianna
The drive home is quiet. I can’t speak for Colin, but I keep replaying dessert over and over again in my head. I’m still pressing my thighs together at the memory of Colin licking the chocolate off his thumb. After weeks of sexual tension, my panties are uncomfortably wet. I am going to need a long bath and a session with my vibrator.
Colin meets me at the front of the car and casually rests his hand on the small of my back as he guides me to the front door. What is it about that small action that is so unbelievably sexy? A happy Riley waits for us in the entryway. First, he jumps at my leg with a joyful bark, and then scratches at Colin’s leg for a pet.
“Well,” I finally break the silence. “I should probably let him out and turn in. Thank you for dinner.” My stomach flutters and I cast my eyes down, not quite able to maintain eye contact.
“Brianna.” Colin reaches out and catches my wrist gently, stopping my escape. He tugs lightly until I turn back to face him, then shifts to hold my hands. “I think you are the most incredible woman I’ve ever met. You aresmart, beautiful, and caring. Any man who doesn’t realize how special you are is a fucking eejit. Don’t let him take your spark.”
He leans forward and gives me a kiss on the cheek near the edge of my mouth before straightening again. His eyes burn with emotion. I am caught in his gaze. Speechless and helpless to move.
With one last gentle squeeze of my hands, he lets go. “Sweet dreams, Brianna girl.”
I watch as he strolls to his room and gently shuts his door. In a daze, I go about my nighttime routine. As I sit on my bed in my favorite nightgown and robe, a novel forgotten on my lap, I try to make order of the swirling mess in my head.
Chris has scarcely been a blip in my mind the last year. At least not actively. Anna and Nic tried to talk to me about it many times, but I just wanted to move on with my life. Throw myself into work and the restaurant.
While I can’t deny the pull I feel towards Colin, I’ve done everything in my power to bury the attraction. From the beginning, I used my past with Chris as evidence that starting something with a coworker again is a terrible idea. After seeing the two men side by side, though, the excuse is wearing thin.
They are nothing alike. That is abundantly clear now. Chris is a user; he pushes and exploits individuals to meet his own needs. While Colin is undeniably charming, he is also genuine. A caring leader who supports and celebrates his team.
I fuss at the lace hem of my nightgown. Sure, mixing a professional and personal relationship can get messy. Haven’t we already blurred those lines though? The man lives in my house for god’s sake. Plus, he’s definitely spent more time with my best friends in the last few days than Chris had over a three-year relationship.
Why am I really fighting this pull to Colin? I rub my thighs together to relieve some pressure in my core as I replay his goodnight kiss. It wasn’t even on my lips, but the brief contact left me more aroused than any goodnight kiss I’ve ever had before.
Am I hesitating because I know he is leaving soon? Isn’t a guaranteed expiration date better? At least my eyes are wide open, knowing the end before we start. My head says I am going to get hurt. My ovaries say this is a brilliant idea. My heart - well, I don’t want to open that door, but my gut is strangely calm and silent on the matter.
I like the way I feel when he looks at me. How perfect his hand feels on my back. How comfortable I feel around him…safe. I want Colin McLeary, and for once I am going to do what I want instead of sticking to the safe choice.
Resolve firm, I stand and make my way across the house to his door. Before I can lose my nerve, I knock once. Not waiting for Colin’s response, I open the door.
He is sitting up in bed in gray sweatpants, chest bare. Reading glasses perch on his nose and he holds a tablet in one hand. I freeze at the sight of him, swallowing my instantly dry mouth. He is truly gorgeous and looks every bit like the cover of a romance novel.
As he looks up at me, his eyebrows pinch with worry. “What is it,a ghrá?”
I rush into motion, walking straight towards him with long strides. In a fluid motion, he deposits the tablet and glasses on the nightstand and swings his legs off the side of the bed. I step between his knees before he can stand. His eyes turn molten as they rake up my bare legs and slinky robe.
Cupping his sharp jaw in my hands, I tilt his head back sharply and lower my lips to his. He freezes for only a moment before I feel his hands gripmy hips. For a moment, I’m afraid he’s pushing me away. With a guttural groan, Colin stands, slanting his mouth to deepen the kiss.
His tongue passionately traces the seam of my lips, begging entry, which I eagerly give. Our tongues dance an intricate give and take. His hands lower, cupping my ass and squeezing a moment before he lifts my feet off the ground. With a gasp of surprise, I wrap my legs around his hips; the world falls away as I lose myself to his kiss.
Still holding me against him, Colin sits back on the bed so I straddle him. His cock is already hard beneath me. Desperate for some friction, I rub my aching center against him.
With a strained groan, Colin tears his mouth from mine. I whimper at the loss, but the sound rapidly becomes a moan as he traces kisses down my jaw and throat. Arching my throat back to give him more access, I spear my fingers into his thick hair and continue to work my hips against his. He keeps one arm banded around my ass as the other snakes up to support my neck. Tingles radiate from every contact spot and down my spine.
My name is both a curse and a prayer against my skin as he continues to leave open-mouthed kisses on my tender pulse point. My core clenches and my back arches at the waves of desire spreading through me.
“I want you.” My voice is a sultry plea.
I whimper as his hands still, and he removes his lips. Slowly, I open my eyes and look down to meet his gaze. I tremble at the heat I find in his eyes.
His pupils are so dilated they appear more black than green. His gaze intense, he fervently searches my eyes, trying to make sense of my sudden change. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. I’m tired of fighting this.”
He looks conflicted. “Brianna, I’m not gonna lie and say I haven’t pictured this dozens of times, but I’m not sure after the day you’ve had…”
I cover his lips with my hand to stop his words. “I’m sure. He’s nothing. You’re not him.”
