Page 70 of Meant to Be
The fact that he wasn’t trying to get away or backtrack suggested the experience hadn’t been as emotionally charged for him as it was for her. That was good because if it had, he’d withdraw from her. But there was a part of her that was disappointed he’d been able to keep his emotional distance, that the feelings they’d had before hadn’t come flooding back for him like they had for her.
“Let me deal with this.” He rolled from the bed and pulled off the condom as he headed toward the bathroom. Sydney lay in bed, uncertain what to do. When she’d decided casual sex was okay, she hadn’t considered the logistics of it. She’d only experienced sex within a relationship where she cuddled and usually stayed the night with the man. How did it work in affairs? Was she supposed to go to her own bed now?
Realizing she was in his room, she looked around. It wasn’t very large, but it had all the necessities. The bed filled most of the space. There were two side tables and a dresser. The sliding doors to a closet took up one wall. Her closet in New York was bigger than his room, but then it was bigger than her room in the apartment she rented in Charlotte Tavern as well.
Noticing the knocked-over lamp leaning against the wall, she sat and righted it. Since she was sitting, she decided she should get up. Where was her underwear? She stood, looking around for any clothing. Then she remembered, by the time she got to the room, she was naked. Just like he’d promised.
“Going somewhere?” Mitch leaned against the doorframe, hoping Sydney wasn’t about to bolt from his room. If she tried, he’d persuade her stay. As far as he was concerned, they’d barely gotten started.
She looked at him. “I figured we were done.”
“Why would you figure that?” Was she regretting their tryst? God, he hoped not.
“You got up. That’s my cue, isn’t it?”
“Cue?”
She blew out a breath and sat on the edge of the bed. “You said it yourself, Mitch. I’m not an affair type of woman, so I’m not sure how these things work.”
He bit his lower lip to keep from laughing. Only Sydney would try to work out the rules of an affair.
Mitch entered the room and sat on the bed next to her. “There aren’t any rules per se. You go if you want to go, although, I hope you’ll stay. Maybe you can give me a chance to show some finesse.”
“Okay.”
“Do we need to talk?” God, he hoped not. She’d agreed to just sex. To this being about enjoying each other and nothing more.
“No. Talking will only mess things up, plus, I understand what all this means.”
Mitch frowned. She wasn’t wrong, but somehow, it sounded wrong.
“Actually, I think this will be good for me.”
One bronze brow rose. “In what way?”
“Being impulsive, spontaneous.”
“Doesn’t nearly getting killed usually make people plan more? Make sure they’re sucking all the nectar from life?”
“For some, I suppose. But my life before was planned. Down to the very last moment. For me to drink the nectar of life, I need to do the opposite of planning and live in the moment.”
“Well, then.” Mitch slid a hand up her abdomen and cradled a breast. “What shall we do in this moment?”
She turned to him. For a moment, her eyes were unreadable, but then her gaze drifted over him. It was a caress as surely as if she were touching him. His body responded, heating, hardening. When her eyes returned to his, desire clouded them.
She surprised him again by pushing him back and straddling his thighs. She raked her hands down his chest and over his abdomen. As her fingers drew lower, her gaze left his to focus on his groin. She licked her lips, and Mitch was sure he was a dead man.
“You know, I never really looked at you before.” Her finger slid along the length of him, swirling over the tip, where he was already leaking.
“Huh?” The blood was flowing away from his brain, making it difficult to pay attention.
“In college. I touched you but never really looked.”
He worked to focus his eyes, watching her hands work him. For the second time that night, she leaned forward, kissing the tip of his penis. And for the second time, he feared he would be done before things really got started.
He’d long credited himself with having ultimate control, being able to put off his pleasure for as long as it took. But Sydney sent him from 0 to 100 on the arousal scale with one touch. He’d hoped their fast and furious mating would take the edge off so he could take his time during their next interlude.
He was wrong. Her touch sent him reeling again and distracted him from his job. Wanting to remedy that, he levered up before she could suck him, and instead, kissed her, his hands finding and kneading her breasts.
