“What are you thinking right now?” he whispers and I lean in, pressing our foreheads together and closing my eyes. God, what wasn’t I thinking right now. That I love being with him like this in his bed, that I am so wrapped up in him and at certain moments, I think it might break me. That I’m scared, terrified of my feelings for him and his possible lack of feelings for me in the same way. I need to give him an answer so I do.

I open my eyes and connect with his. “That I’m scared I’m going to fuck this up,” I reply, so soft, so low that I think maybe he misses it, until his eyes widen. I swallow and continue. “I don’t really know what I’m doing. I mean, I’ve never done this before.” His hand brushes my hair back. “You make this look so easy and I just, I feel like I’m struggling.” My voice breaks at the end. I sound weak. Pathetic even. His silence eats away at me so I shift down a bit to lay my head against his chest in my favorite spot, nuzzling his neck. I need his scent right now. I am anything but relaxed after that admission and I know it will soothe me.

“I think you’re amazing,” he pronounces into my hair, his hands wrapping around my waist and holding my body against his. Amazing? At this? Really? I exhale slowly and feel all the tension leave my body. That is all I needed to hear. If he thinks I’m amazing at this, than I must be doing something right. Closing my eyes, I concentrate on his breathing and let his smell wash over me. His hands dip under his dress shirt and stroke my back lovingly, just like he did last week on his couch after our long talk. And once again, there is silence between us. But this kind of silence, the kind where no words are welcomed because just being together, holding each other is better than anything that could possibly be said. This kind of silence is perfect. And then I pass out from my favorite form of intoxication. Reese Carroll.

Fifteen

I’ve always slept soundly in my bed, wrapped up in my nine hundred thread count sheets and down comforter. My feather top mattress gave the illusion of sleeping on a cloud and once I lay down on it, I was out for the count. Dead to the world. I could usually sleep through anything except my daily 5:00 a.m. alarm. I once slept through the commotion of two fire engines and several ambulances when a building across the street caught on fire. I had no idea. When I eventually woke up mid-morning on that Saturday, I was shocked at how loud the sirens were that I had slept through. So most mornings even when I did have to wake up at 5:00 a.m, I felt extremely well rested and ready for the day. A good night’s sleep is very important for your body to properly function and I usually achieved one nightly. But this morning, as I slowly shift my head from side to side, eyes still closed and the feel of something heavy on top of me, I feel like I’ve been sleeping for days. I’ve never felt this revitalized. Slowly fluttering my eyes open, I spot a wild mess of dark brown hair spread across my chest. Hot breath blows across my breast, tickling my nipple, and it takes me a minute for process what’s in front of me, or really, what’s on top of me. My eyes shoot open and I turn to the alarm on the table next to me. 7:12 a.m. it flashes. 7:12 a.m.? Fuck!

“Reese. Get up.” I wiggle underneath him but he’s not budging. He’s not even shifting his weight at all. He’s clinging to me like saran wrap, his head nuzzling between my breasts and our legs tangling together in the sheets. I almost don’t want to move because being under and wrapped up in him this way feels amazing. But its morning, and I fucking slept over. “REESE.” Gripping his shoulders and snapping back into my sanity, I push with everything I have and he grumbles, rolling over onto his back and slowly opening one eye. That one eye scans my body and he smiles.

“Morning, love.” Whoa. I’m momentarily stunned by his deep groggy bedroom voice. Low and throaty, it sends a chill through me. I glance down quickly, noting that I’m still wearing his dress shirt that is completely open and my garter and stockings. Darting his arm out, he pulls me close to his body and wraps around me again.

“You look wildly sexy right now, in my shirt and in my bed.” His hand runs down my stomach and brushes between my legs. I involuntarily moan, knowing full well that I do not have time for this. But my body belongs to this man and I can’t help how it reacts. “You’re so wet. Were you dreaming about me doing this?” One finger dips in, then two, and I throw my head back and arch my body off the bed.

“Oh yes right there.” My head falls to the side and my eyes meet the clock again as his fingers move in perfect rhythm. It’s after 7:00 a.m. The bakery opened at 7:00 a.m. “Fuck. I’m so late.” I bat his hand away and try and sit up when he slams me back down, moving on top of me and pressing me into the mattress. “Reese, seriously. I don’t have time for this. Joey is probably freaking out right now.” He rolls his hips against my pelvis and I moan at the sensation. Bakery? What bakery? Who the fuck is Joey?

He kisses me hard, darting his tongue into my mouth and I taste toothpaste. Toothpaste? I shake him off me. “Hey, why do you taste like you’ve brushed your teeth? Have you been up already?” If he says no, then the man even has perfect morning breath which would not surprise me. My eyes widen as his smell hits me. It’s his usual decadent scent but it’s stronger. Fresher. His wicked grin beams down at me and I grit my teeth and grunt. “Reese, did you already take a shower this morning?”

“You’re not the only one that gets up at five and works out. And Joey is not freaking out.” He plants a quick kiss on my lips. “I called him and explained the situation.” Another hip roll catches my breath. Focus, Dylan. It’s just a penis. The best penis but still, just a penis.

I glare up at his giant grin. “Are you telling me that you got up at five and didn’t wake me? Do you not realize that I have a business to run? And what time do you have to go to work or are you that important that you come and go as you please?” I groan as he rolls again. “And stop doing that.” My hands frantically push against his body to remove him off me but nothing happens. Shocker. He leans off a bit and grabs my arms, bracing them on either side of my head. Dropping his head, he rests his forehead against mine.

“So feisty. You make me want to keep you here all day just to see how mad I can make you.” I open my mouth to protest and his tongue slips in, capturing mine and slowly sucking on it. Oh Lord, help me. I have no will power when it comes to him. He releases me all too soon. “But I won’t because I do have to make it into work sometime today. And just for the record, I did try to wake you up to go for a run with me but you were in a coma.” I grunt loudly and make a face at him. That I can definitely believe. I wiggle underneath him and he arches his brow, moving his hips up to rub his length against my clit.

“OhGod,” I whimper, clamping my eyes shut.

“Now, you have three options here. You get to pick how I make you come before I take you to work.” He wiggles his brows at me and I giggle. Playful Reese is impossible to say no to.

“I don’t have time for this,” I plead weakly. His eyes narrow at me and I issue him a smirk.

“Who are you trying to fool here, Dylan?” Hip swivel and I groan. “I could make you come in two minutes if I had to.” Yeah right. He’s good but not that good. “Hands, mouth, or me.”