“Yeah, it’s me.” He let out a breath and I did the same. It was such a relief to finally be with him, even if it was just on the phone.
“Did you read my letter?” he asked.
“I did. Three times.”
“And?”
“And it made me cry and fall in love with you and hate you and wish I’d never met you and then thank God that I did and want to call you and punch you and kiss you and fuck you.”
He didn’t say anything right away.
“Can you come downstairs?”
I sat up.
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve been outside your building trying to talk myself into going up for about two hours, and if I’m not careful, I’m going to get arrested for acting like a creeper.” I vaulted out of bed and ran from my room to the elevator. It didn’t matter that I was wearing a pair of shorts and a tank top and no bra or shoes. It didn’t matter that I didn’t have my key to get back into my apartment. I ran through the lobby, out the front doors and right for him, diving into his arms. Luckily, he was ready and he caught me. I wasn’t the only one wearing their pajamas. We were a matched pair.
“Oh, Sunshine,” he said before our lips locked and I never wanted to let him go.
Thirty-Three
Now, having sex on the sidewalks of Boston was generally frowned upon, but Lucah and I were pretty close to going ahead with it anyway.
“Come home with me,” he said into my mouth.
“Okay,” I said and he waved his arm for a cab before he picked me up in his arms. “I don’t want you to hurt your bare feet,” he said as he put me inside. The cabbie had probably seen a whole lot weirder things than a girl wearing her pajamas and no shoes. Lucah gave him the address and then pulled me onto his lap and held me close while he kissed me. His hands started moving under my clothes and I didn’t care there was a cabbie just a few feet away.
I let him touch me and it was the best cab ride ever; even better than the first one, when I’d “kissed” him.
He carried me out of the cab and through the empty lobby of his apartment. He didn’t even set me down when we were in the elevator. I was worried about him getting tired of holding me, but he didn’t seem to mind. I didn’t know if this was because I wasn’t as heavy as I thought I was, or maybe he was just really strong.
My feet didn’t touch the ground at all, even when he unlocked his door. He’d mastered the art of holding me and using his key at the same time. This was a valuable skill to have.
Instead of throwing me on the bed, he set me down slowly, as if he was afraid I was going to break. He was rarely this gentle with me, and it was almost like he was hesitant. Like I was going to run away if he pushed too hard.
“I’m not going anywhere,” I said as he lay down over me, careful to hold the majority of his weight with his arms.
“You’d better not, Sunshine,” he said, giving me another light kiss. What the crap was up with that? “Remember that first night when I said we would take it slow? Well, we never did, so I think tonight is going to be a slow night. We are going to make this last.” I had a feeling he was talking about more than just the sex, although I was fine with making that last too.
“Make it last. I like that,” I said as he started kissing from my lips to my cheeks and then down the side of my neck. Soft kisses, barely there kisses that were somehow just as thrilling.
Inch by baby inch he kissed his way down my body, all the way to my feet before he lifted my shirt an inch and kissed my stomach. Then another inch. By the time the damn shirt was close to my breasts, I was wound so tight that I was ready to lose it.
I got frustrated when I tried to touch him and he wouldn’t let me. I pouted and he just laughed.
“Slow. We’ll take care of you first, Miss Clarke.” I guess I couldn’t argue with that, really.
Once I was completely undressed, he sat back on his heels and stared at me, shaking his head. The suspense was killing me.
“What’s the face for?” I fought the urge to cover myself with my hands, or at least move a little. It wasn’t like he hadn’t seen all of it before, but when someone looks at you like that and you are naked at the same time, you FEEL naked.
“I’m just trying to freeze this moment in my mind so I never forget it. I never want to forget how I feel, and how you look, right here, right now. Naked in my bed and ready for me.”
“I am ready for you. I’ve been ready for a while. Not that I don’t love slow, but can you go slow while you’re inside me?” I reached for his boxers, and he was about ready to bust right out of them.
A slow smile spread on his face and I swore that his eyes darkened.