Instead of You(31)

All it took was the palms of my hands against his chest with the slightest of pressure and he lifted off me, panting.

“I’m sorry,” I said immediately, realizing I was embarrassed that I’d let it get that far, that I’d brought him to that point then pushed him away.

“What?” His voice was full of confusion. “What are you apologizing for?” His face was far enough away from mine that I could see his eyebrows pulling together, watch his hair puff out every time he exhaled, still winded. I opened my mouth to provide an answer, but I couldn’t find the words. I was too embarrassed. “Hey,” he said, bringing one of his hands to my cheek. “If you tell me to stop, I’m going to stop. Every time. It doesn’t matter why, and it doesn’t matter when. You tell me to stop, you push me away, I’ll always respect that.”

His eyes were sparkling with sincerity, and I felt even dumber.

“I’m sorry” was the only thing I could say back, this time apologizing for not having an answer for why I was apologizing.

“Babe, stop it.”

If I hadn’t already been burning up, he’d have noticed the flush to my cheeks at the nickname.

“Tell me what’s going on in there,” he said, nodding toward my head, still hovering above me. I got the feeling he wasn’t planning on going anywhere, or letting the issue drop, before I answered him.

“Um,” I stammered, trying to find the least embarrassing way to explain my situation. “It’s just never felt… or I mean… never been that, uh, intense before,” I said, and cringed as soon as the words left my mouth.

“You’ve never had an orgasm before?” His question wasn’t to tease or patronize me; he asked the question with so much earnestness, it nearly made me cry.

“I think I have, just, uh, not with anyone else around.” He nodded at my response. “It was just overwhelming, and your mom’s upstairs, and I just….”

“You don’t have to give me a reason, Kenz. I’m glad you gave an explanation as to how you were feeling, I want to know those things about you, but you never have to explain why you want to slow down or stop.” He leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss against my lips. I appreciated his understanding, but the soft kiss only made me miss the hungry ones I’d put a stop to.

“Okay,” I whispered.

“Can you stay for a while and just watch a movie with me?”

“Yeah.”

He pressed another small kiss to my lips, then rolled to the side, squishing himself between me and the back of the couch, his front to my back. He reached for the remote, switched on the TV, then draped his arm over my waist. I relaxed into him, not caring what he picked to watch, just content to be cocooned by his warmth and let my body come down from the new high I’d found with him.





Chapter Twelve


Hayes


I startled awake to the sound of my phone alarm, but I was instantly aware that I wasn’t in my bed. I was also instantly aware of McKenzie’s body against mine, the slow rise and fall of her shoulders with her breath, the soft sounds of sleep coming from her. I moved slowly, reaching over her to grab my phone from the table, and couldn’t keep the smile from my face.

I’d spent an entire night holding McKenzie Harris. Only in my wildest and most sadistic dreams had I allowed myself the privilege of thinking about what I never imagined was possible. And then I was gifted with the pleasure of something so breathtaking—watching McKenzie Harris slowly wake. She stretched, a low moan escaping her as her arms stretched awake. Her eyes fluttered, slowly opening, and after a short moment, they met mine.

I was propped up on an elbow, looking down on her in all her messy-haired-but-impossibly-beautiful glory.

Fucking gorgeous.

“Morning,” I said, lifting my hand to her shoulder and running it down her arm.

“Morning,” she responded, obviously confused.

“We fell asleep.”

“Oh.”

“C’mere,” I said as I rolled her toward me. When she was facing me, her arms crossed between us, I pushed her crazy hair out of her face and kissed her. Nothing crazy, just the simple good-morning kiss I never thought I’d be able to give her. The joy of being able to kiss her was only surmounted by the fact that she kissed me back. When she pulled away she wore a sleepy, dreamy look on her face that left me feeling proud.

“What time is it?” she rasped.

“Six thirty.”

“Six thirty?” she exclaimed, shooting off the couch like a rocket. “My parents are awake already. They’re going to wonder where the hell I am.” She ran around the living room searching for her shoes then grabbed her phone, which I assumed was dead by the look on her face when she tried to turn it on.

“Didn’t you tell them where you were?”

“Well, yeah, but what am I supposed to say? ‘Sorry, I fell asleep on the couch with my new boyfriend after he nearly had me coming harder than I ever have’? They’ll take that really well.”

“I’m your boyfriend?” My question made her stop in her tracks, a newly panicked look coming over her face. “And that would have been the hardest you ever came?” The second question made the panic retreat while irritation stole over the sexy features of her face.