“Be careful, freckles,” I warned. “I think we should just cool it and talk—”
“I don’t wanna talk.” She cut me off. “I wanna kiss ye’, to touch ye’ ... I want ... I want to get into trouble with ye’.”
“My God.” I put my face in my hands. “You aren’t a sex only girl, Lana. You’re the flowers, chocolate, cuddle nights in, and steady boyfriend kind of girl. And I love that about you, but I can’t give you that.”
She frowned.
“Don’t look at me like that,” I said, flustered. “I’m trying to do right by you. I’m trying to convince myself that you don’t really want me like this—”
“I do,” she interrupted. “I know your situation, and I’m not a fool. I know it’s just sex with you, but I want ye’ so much that I’ll take it.”
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
She was saying exactly what I wanted to hear, but it still didn’t feel right.
“This was a bad idea. I shouldn’t have brought you in here.” I began to pace back and forth. “I just wanted to talk to you, but damn, you look edible, and you smell and taste so good. It’s all I can do to stay on this side of the room.”
“C’mere to me,” she beckoned. “Don’t think about the after, think about now. If I’m angry later, it’s on me. This is probably a stupid idea, but I’ve never needed someone like I need you. If this is a mistake, let me make it and learn from it.”
Christ, she wasn’t making this easy.
“You’ve been drinking,” I said flatly. “I tasted it on you.”
“I’ve sobered up a hell of a lot since ye’ told me I was trouble.”
“You are trouble.”
“Prove it,” she challenged.
I took a step forward, then hesitated before I said, “Let’s just chill and talk for a while. Just ... just to see if this is what you really want.”
The words were hardly out of my mouth before she turned and scrambled up the bed, flopping onto her back.
“What are you doing?”
“What d’ye mean?” I asked, holding my position. “I’m chillin’.”
Amused, I folded my arms across my chest.
“You usually chill on a bed with your thighs parted?”
“This is how I lie on me bed. It’s kind of ... freein’.”
I dropped my gaze to the middle of her legs even though I told myself not to. I quickly crossed the room, turned my back to Alannah, and sat on the edge of the bed. Without turning around, I patted the spot next to me, and said, “Come here and talk to me. I want to hear your voice.”
She moved to my side an instant later, and it made me laugh.
“What d’ye want me to say?” I said, a little breathless.
I turned my head and stared into her whiskey coloured eyes, and said, “Say anything. I just want to hear your voice. I love your voice.”
“Ye’ do?”
I shuddered. “Yeah, I hear your voice even when you aren’t around.”
“Ye’ do?” she repeated.
“I hear you when it’s quiet,” I said, my eyes lowering to her lips. “Really quiet.”
I followed the movement and bit the inside of my cheek to remain still.
“What do I say when ye’ hear me voice?”
I huffed a laugh. “You don’t want to know, freckles.”
She scrunched up her face in displeasure. “Why d’ye call me that?”
I lifted my hand, and with my pinkie finger, I ran the tip over her nose and underneath her eyes.
“You have a splash of freckles right here.”
“If ye’ say ye’ think they’re cute,” I grunted. “I may slap ye’.”
I simpered. “Cute is not a word I associate with you.”
Alannah leaned toward me.
“What word do ye’ associate with me?”
“I have a few,” I replied. “Smart, funny, hardworking ... beautiful, elegant, sexy as sin.”
She gasped. “Ye’ think I’m funny?”
I almost instantly burst into laughter.
“Hell yes, you’re funny.” My shoulders shook as I laughed. “Out of all the words I said, you picked funny.”
Alannah blushed. “No one has ever said I was funny before.”
“Well, you are.”
She leaned in a little closer to me. “Ye’ think I’m beautiful and elegant?”
“And sexy as sin,” I rasped. “Can’t forget about that.”
Alannah smiled, stood from the bed, and then kicked her heels off before she turned to face me. She groaned and looked down at her feet as she wiggled her toes.
“Jesus, it feels good to take those hell blocks off.”
“Hell blocks?”
“Until ye’ve walked in high heels”—she playfully glared at me—”ye’ll never understand how much they hurt.”
“It’s a good thing I’m tall then.”
She hummed. “It’s definitely a good thing that you’re tall.”
“You’re looking at me like you want to pounce on me, freckles.”
“I do.”
My whole body tensed when she stepped forward, parted my thighs with her knees, and stepped between them.
“Alannah, what are—”
She brought her mouth down on top of mine and kissed me with raw hunger. She lifted her hands, thrusted them into my hair, and curled her fingers around the strands as she tugged at it.