Page 56 of Everything In Between
In the back of my mind, I can’t help but wonder why he stopped me. The twinge of worry returns.Why doesn’t he want to have sex with me?
He takes his time, and those worrisome thoughts dissipate as he slithers down my body with his tongue, tracing every curve and divot, paying special attention to those places that make my breath hitch.
When his tongue finds my center, all thoughts that don’t revolve around him leave my brain. All that matters now is Hayes and the way he’s working my body. He’s a quick study, hitting all the places he knows where best to tease me and draw out the sensations of his masterful ministrations.
Closing my eyes, I let myself be present in this moment, all other coherent thoughts disappearing as Hayes follows through on his promise, worshipping me into oblivion.
After Hayes givesme not one buttwoorgasms with his tongue and fingers, he disappears downstairs for a while, letting me bask in my post-orgasmic state. Mere moments pass before he returns with a glass of water and an Oreo covered in peanut butter forsustenance.
“Don’t you have to be at practice?” I ask him, accepting the Oreo offering.
He shakes his head and settles on the bed next to me. “Tuesdays are typically our off day during the week. I’ll still get a workout in, probably review some film.” He shoots me a cheeky grin. “Spend some time with my girl.”
I beam at him. “I like the sound of that.”
“Working out?” he winks.
“Noo.” I laugh. “Being your girl.”
His amber eyes soften and he leans down, kissing my cheek tenderly. “Me too. More than you can possibly know.”
I run my fingers over his face, loving the prick of his stubble against the sensitive pads of my fingers. He sighs and closes his eyes, letting me soothe him. I take the opportunity and thread my fingers through his hair a few times.
“I’ll give you ten years to quit that,” he says. When he opens his eyes again, they’re filled with regret. “But I better get this workout done. There are protein pancakes downstairs my chef made earlier this morning. Help yourself. I shouldn’t be too long.”
My lower lip juts out in a pout when he pulls himself away from me, and I watch him shuffle around his bedroom, sliding his sweats off and trading them for a pair of gym shorts. He pulls a sweat-wicking shirt over his head, which hugs his muscled chest perfectly. My belly clenches with desire as I take in the muscled greatness that is this man.
Hayes’s lips pull into a one-sided smirk. He braces his hands on the mattress and leans over me until his face hovers above mine.
“If you keep looking at me like that, there’s no way I’m going to get to work.”
“Oh darn,” I whisper, leaning up and pressing my lips to his. Those questions from earlier return.Why doesn’t he come back to bed and fuck me?
He makes a low sound in his throat, and I waste no time wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him onto me again, hoping he’ll give in this time. He kisses me back for another minute before regretfully untangling himself, and I can’t hold back any longer.
“Hayes...” I begin, feeling embarrassed. He tilts his head, questioning. My cheeks flame and I turn my eyes away from him. “Why don’t you want to have sex with me?”
Time stands still for a moment and then Hayes reaches for me again, cupping both of my cheeks and drawing my attention back to him. “There isnothingI want more than to be buried deep inside of you and hear you screaming for me.” My lower body heats. I like the sound of that. “But this isn’t just about me, and I want you to know that you mean more to me than sex andphysical intimacy. I want to make sure you’re taken care of and comfortable and fullyminebefore I fuck you. We don’t have to rush into anything, but don’t think for a moment it’s because I don’t want you. I want you more than anything, and when we do cross that line, it will be mind-blowing.”
My lower abdomen tightens, and I gasp right as Hayes leans forward and claims my lips, kissing me with a ferocity that reassures me of everything he shared. When he pulls away, his lips are as swollen as I suspect mine are, his eyes gleaming with arousal. Meanwhile, I’m falling deeper than I ever thought possible, plummeting head over heels into my infatuation with him.
Kissing my nose one last time, he straightens and takes a heavy breath. “You’ve got me under your spell, Jersey Matthews.” His eyes trace over my figure one last time, and then he takes another reluctant step back. “Okay, I actually have to leave now.”
“If you insist.” I bite my lip as I stretch my arms out over my head, jutting my chest out in a way I know will drive him crazy.
Hayes groans and turns around before he can give in to my temptation. I laugh to myself, loving the way this man makes me feel so powerful. I watch him walk out of the room, straining my ears to hear whatever he’s muttering to himself on the way out.
I lay on the bed for a few minutes, considering what he confessed to me. I can’t help but think I’ve found one of the good ones in him.
Reaching for my phone on the side table, I dial Bethany’s number, clicking the option for FaceTime.
“Hey!” Her smiling face greets me. “How’s it going?”
I can’t fight the matching smile off my face, and Bethany laughs. “Wow, that good, huh? I can’t remember the last time I saw you smile like that.” She pauses her lips twist into a slyposition. “Oh wait, it was exactly three weeks and one day ago, when Hayes was here. Surely that’s a coincidence.”
“Absolutely a coincidence.” I play along, sinking into the pillows again. “Everything going okay there?”
She shrugs. “As well as you can imagine. Cal keeps emailing me with revisions for your new—compromised—schedule once you get back. I’m doing my best to keep it as manageable as possible. He’s relentless.”
