Page 101 of Too Safe

His Adam’s apple bobs as he swallows. And a lump of uncertainty forms in the pit of my stomach. Confusion swirls with desire as I try to work out what this means.

He clears his throat, then repeats himself, as if he knows I’m doubting what I heard. “Stay with me, Josephine.”

My head is swimming. Anxiety churns in my gut, and my whole being is off-kilter. Literally.

One second, my hand is pressing down on the door handle, and in the next, I’m stumbling farther into the closet.

Decker catches me as I trip over my own feet, and he doesn’t let go.

Big hands smooth up my legs, grazing over my hips and connecting along my low back. He spreads his legs and pulls me in. I have no choice but to go where he guides me. My body is so close that my knees bump against the milk crates he’s sitting on.

I feel him—the heat of his fingers splayed on my low back, his forehead resting against my stomach. I smell him—sea salt and amber. His scent wafts over me, coming on just as strong as when I’m swathed in the hoodie I’ve been secretly sleeping in all week.

Pushing away all thought of the consequences, I lean in closer and drape my arms over his shoulders. Then I get to work massaging the back of his skull in the way I know he likes.

He groans, so I press harder.

I tell myself I’m trying to relieve his headache. I pointedly ignore the part of my brain that accuses me of wanting to run my fingers through his hair and scrape my nails against his skin.

We stand like that for several minutes. Him holding me. Me holding him.

In increments, the comfort of him against me transforms into heavy tension.

The care and concern of thirty seconds ago has suddenly morphed into need.

A pang of desire. An itch that burns with how desperately it wants to be scratched.

I run my hands through his hair mindlessly, letting my fingertips skim down his neck and trace his throat. In turn, he rubs up and down my back, his touch more pointed and exploratory as it crosses the invisible boundaries it maintained a moment ago.

The darkness makes us bold. We’re both guilty of lingering touches and brave caresses we’d never allow in the light. Every time I push the limits, he responds with a more brazen caress.

We’ve been stripped away of all excuses, reduced to nothing but sensation.

I skirt my hands up his chest, tracing up his neck until my fingertips find his lips. He covers my hand with his, flattening it to his mouth and exhaling before placing the softest kiss on my palm.

“Josephine.”

My name is a caress, warming my skin and sinking into the marrow of my bones.

It has to be the darkness. The sensory deprivation. No light. Nothing but silence. It heightens the intensity of every touch. I would stand to forget my own damn name in this moment if he hadn’t just whispered it in reverence.

The way he’s holding me against his body fills a need I didn’t know existed until now.

The way I’m desperate for him to never let go scares the shit out of me.

I startle when his breath ghosts over my lips. I wasn’t even aware I was bending down. It didn’t take much, given our height difference. Decker cranes his neck, his mouth so close to mine, the tip of his tongue teasing me as he licks his bottom lip.

The door flies open, and light floods in, blinding us. I jump back, then instantly regret it when light hits Decker right in the face.

He holds both hands up and winces on reflex. Shit. I’m sure that did wonders for his headache.

Misty stands in the doorway, hands planted on her hips. “There you are! They’re getting restless. And the next time you want to take a break in the middle of an engagement, we need to discuss it beforehand so I can…”

She drones on as she hurries down the hall, confident we’ll follow. I step fully into the light, peering over my shoulder to gauge Decker’s reaction to that near miss.

He’s still seated on the milk crate, half his face cast in shadow. The heated look he gives me with the single eye I can see is all the answer I need.

He doesn’t move. Neither do I. We face off for several seconds until a shrill voice rings out down the hall.

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