Foreplay (The Ivy Chronicles #1)(44)

Embarrassed, I mumbled a greeting and took a step back from Reece, tucking a stray hair behind my ear. His hand fell from my sweatshirt.

Reece scowled at his brother. “Yeah, after you finish busing everything to the kitchen.”

“Cool. See ya, Pepper.” With a wink, Logan headed for the kitchen.

“It’s late.” My fingers pushed at the hair that was already tucked behind my ear. “I gotta go.”

“I’ll walk you to your car.”

“Do you walk every girl that leaves this bar to her car?”

He fell in beside me. “First off, most girls don’t leave alone. They’re with a group. Secondly, you’re not every girl to me.” He paused and my chest tightened as those words sank in like ink staining my skin. “And I think you know that.”

The air rushed from my lungs. I couldn’t think of a single thing to say. We stepped outside into the chilly night and started walking across the gravel lot. The closer we moved to my car, the more I thought about the last time he’d walked me to my car. Our first kiss. And then that led to thoughts of the night in his loft, which consisted of a lot more kissing. And touching. I rubbed my suddenly perspiring palms against my thighs.

At my car, I unlocked the door. With a smile that felt strange and too tight on my face I faced him. “Thanks.”

He examined me for a long moment beneath the parking lot lights.

“So you just came here to apologize to me, Pepper? That’s all?”

I swallowed. “Yes?”

Why did the word come out like a question? And why did he look at me like he didn’t believe me?

“I thought you might have wanted to continue where we left off.” He slid his hand into his pocket and rocked back on his heels. “Pick up a few more tips maybe.”

There it was. The elephant in the room. No pretending it wasn’t there anymore.

“I think what we did was—” I stopped short of saying “enough.” Because did I really want it to be? Why not stretch this out a little longer? I’d only get better at the kissing and all the other stuff, right? Foreplay. That’s what I was after. Besides, it was weeks until Thanksgiving break and uninterrupted Hunter time. Even as a voice whispered through my head that this could get complicated, I ignored it. I wanted more. Plain and simple.

“Well, what’s left to learn?” I asked, mostly because I didn’t want to appear like an overeager puppy desperate for a treat. Even if I was.

He laughed then. The sound was low and deep and swirled through my belly like hot cider.

Fending off the delicious effect of his laughter on me, I demanded, “What?”

“Oh, there’s plenty left to learn. That question alone shows just how much you still don’t know.” He fell silent and considered me again. “I guess the question remaining is how far are you willing to go short of sleeping with me?” His mouth curved in a slow smile. “You’re still not up for that, right?”

I blinked. “No. I c-can’t. Not that.”

He chuckled softly. “Don’t look so scared. Just checking.”

My face felt like it was on fire. I shifted on my feet and dug the tip of my car key into the fleshy pad of my thumb. I moved my gaze to somewhere over his shoulder, staring blindly into the deep night. It was too mortifying. I couldn’t look him in the eyes as we discussed whether or not I wanted more lessons in foreplay from him and just how far I was willing to go.

Rather than answer him directly, I asked, “Isn’t your brother staying with you tonight?”

Yes, I wanted more. Yes, I was willing to go farther, but it didn’t seem like it would happen tonight.

“Yeah. He is. Guess our timing is off.”

I nodded, moistening my lips as I moved my gaze to his chest, to the curvy script that spelled out MULVANEY’S on his shirt. Easier than gazing into those brilliant eyes that seemed to have the power to hypnotize me.

Gravel crunched as he stepped closer. A hand dropped to my car door, partially caging me in. I followed the long stretch of his arm, scanning the inked-up skin until I was staring into his eyes again.

“Unless,” he began, “you’re inviting me back to your place.”

Holy hell. He wants to come home with me?

“You want to go to my dorm room?”

“Unless you have a roommate.” His lips quirked in that sexy half-grin. “That might make things awkward.”

“Um, I actually don’t. I have suitemates. I’m in the single. I have the room to myself.”

My words hung between us. The air crackled, alive with tension and something indefinable. And yet I recognized it. It happened around him a lot, buzzing over my skin like an electrical charge.

“That’s convenient,” he murmured.

I moistened my lips. It felt as though we had been staring at each other forever. Another second and I might splinter from all the tension.

“So.” He arched an eyebrow. “Are you inviting me?”

“Oh.” A short, nervous laugh burst from my lips. “Yes. Yeah. I guess I am.”

He smiled then, and I melted right there. I gripped the edge of my door to stop my knees from buckling.

He leaned forward, that one arm still close, partially caging me. “Okay. I’ll follow you.”