“Out where?”
“To one of my favorite places in the city. It’s old school Detroit, a classic.”
I clapped my hands. “The dress-up date?”
He nodded and took out his phone. “I should probably make a reservation, although on a Tuesday night, it won’t be that crowded.”
“Go ahead,” I told him. “I’m going to use the bathroom before we leave. And let me buy the drinks this time. You’ve been treating me long enough.”
“I enjoy it.”
“My turn,” I said firmly, pulling a twenty from my wallet. “Tell her to use this please.” I walked away before he could argue.
In the bathroom, I fussed with my hair in the mirror and wondered what I should do with it tonight. The dress I’d packed was strapless, and sometimes I wore my hair up when my shoulders were bare. Maybe I’ll ask Miles what he prefers. I got a little flutter in my belly thinking about getting ready for a night out with him—almost like we were back in school and he’d asked me to the Prom or something. Or like we were a married couple going on a date night.
Stop it. The more you fantasize about this stuff, the more disappointed you’re going to be when the magic wears off and you’re just friends again.
But the flutter stuck with me as I walked back through the bar, and intensified when I saw him stand up and wait for me. I couldn’t keep the smile off my face.
Then he handed me my twenty. “Here. Save your money. You need it for your loans.”
“Miles!” I slapped his arm. “You were supposed to use it for the drinks.”
“Well, I didn’t.” He tucked it into the back pocket of my jean shorts, taking the opportunity to feel my butt.
I giggled, pushing his hand away. “You’re terrible. There are people in here who don’t want to see you grabbing my ass.”
“Only because they are jealous.” He took my hand as we walked to the door. “Oh fuck, look at that rain.”
While we’d been inside, it had started pouring again. I looked up the street. “How far are we?”
He shrugged. “About a ten minute walk. And you’ve got your camera. Want me to call a car?”
“Nah. It’s in the case, and I like rain. Let’s just run.”
Suddenly his face lit up. “Remember the time we camped out in the orchard with your sisters and it started to rain?”
“Yes, and they were such babies about it and went inside and we stayed out there until my mom realized it was thundering and made us come in too?”
He nodded. “You were furious that your mom made me stay on the couch because you wanted me to sleep in your room.”
I laughed. “Yes! I totally remember that. We were what, like ten and eleven at the time? I didn’t understand why she wouldn’t let you.”
He leaned close. “But you know now.”
“Yes.” My cheeks warmed as I thought about our last few nights together, and a little rush of desire swooshed inside me.
“Then let’s do it. Because now I’m thinking about being in bed with you and your mom can’t tell us what to do anymore. Want to go get naked?”
I didn’t even hesitate. “Yeah. I do.”
Without another word, he grabbed my hand and we ran out into the summer rain, Miles groaning and me squealing as it drenched us in under a minute. We moved quickly, skirting Campus Martius and racing up Woodward hand in hand. When we got to his building, our shoes squeaked across the floor as we hurried for the elevator, both of us anxious to get up to his apartment.
Out of breath and soaking wet, we stood at the back as a few more people got on, and Miles brought our hands in front of his dick, pressing them not so subtly against his bulging erection. I gasped. To torture him—and myself—a little, I braved rubbing the back of my hand up and down on it, keeping my eyes straight ahead. Next to me, I heard Miles stifle a moan by clearing his throat, and I hid a smile.
When the doors opened on the twenty-third floor, he yanked me through the crowd and pulled me roughly down the hall. We barely made it inside before we went at each other, our mouths crushed together and tongues lashing inside, our hands tearing wet clothes off and flinging them any which way. Unable to wait, we dropped to the wood floor right there in front of the door.
He was inside me in less than thirty seconds, his cock driving hard and deep, his eyes dark and wild with lust. My head knocked against the door and I flattened my palms against it, pulling my knees up alongside his ribs and wrapping my legs around his back.
“This feeling,” Miles panted. “Right here. Being inside you after all this time, your legs around my body, your skin against mine, your pussy around my cock. Seeing you look at me that way. It’s all I want.”
“Me too.” I fought for control of my breath, of my voice, of my heart. It was pounding inside my chest, clamoring like a caged animal trying to escape—but I couldn’t let it. I couldn’t let it.
“What are you doing to me?” he rasped. “Why can’t I get enough of you? What is this?”
“I don’t know.” I bit my lip to keep from saying more. But I feel the same, and I’m confused and scared and it’s crazy and impossible and I’m out of control.
He brought his mouth to mine and I greedily sucked his tongue into my mouth. Faster and faster he drove into me, his cock grinding against my clit, until the world turned silver and started to hum.
No longer caring about my head banging the door, I grabbed his ass and pulled him into me, rocking my hips beneath him. He buried his head in my neck as he came, his body going still as his cock pulsed inside me, and my body answered in kind, contracting around him over and over again in blissful harmony.
When his body had gone still, I held him close to me, stroking his back, his hair, his neck.
“God, I’m going to miss you when you’re gone.” Still breathing hard, he picked his head up and looked down at me quizzically. “What the fuck is that about?”
I smiled, but a pang of longing shot through me. I’ll miss you too. “No, you won’t. You’ll have some other girl on your couch as soon as you’re back.”
He tipped his head to one side, like he was thinking about it. “Probably. But I’ll still miss you.”
I rolled my eyes to cover up how hurt I was before squirming out from beneath him. “I better go shower. We’ll be late for dinner.”
He let me go.
Fuck, I shouldn’t have said that to her.
After Natalie went upstairs to get in the shower, I pulled on my jeans and sat on the couch with my head in my hands, trying to regain my sense of balance, figure out which way was up. I knew I’d hurt her feelings just now, I’d seen it in her eyes, but fuck! She had me all out of whack. The entire day had been perfect, from the wake-up sex to the breakfast to the nap to the walk in the rain to the floor sex. Too perfect. So perfect I was off my game. She was making me FEEL things, and I was not OK with that.
For example, I felt like I didn’t care if I never had another girl on my couch if only I could have her forever.
WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK.
And I felt like I’d never get enough of her body, her face, her brain, her voice, her laugh, her cinnamon buns.
HER FUCKING CINNAMON BUNS.
I felt like I was ready to give up anything I had to in order to have a chance with her—and it wouldn’t even be a sacrifice.
I felt like I wanted her. Like I needed her.
Like I loved her.
I WAS MESSED THE FUCK UP!
As if I’d been caught doing something wrong, I jumped to my feet and paced in front of the couch. Now what was I supposed to do? I had no experience with Feelings. What if she didn’t feel the same way? And why should she? My timing sucked fucking hairy balls—she was just getting out of a relationship. And I’d told her she was too serious all the time and needed to just relax and have some fun. I fisted my hands in my hair. Why the fuck had I done that?
Because you were right. She does need time off from a relationship. She does need to have fun. What she doesn’t need is another guy telling her he loves her right away, putting pressure on her. Especially a guy like you who doesn’t want any of the same things she does in life. So slow the fuck down.