“What on earth are you wearing?” Marijke exclaims, inspecting his rip.
“Turnaround,” I hiss, spinning him by his arms.
“And who made it? I hope you didn’t let them charge you full price for last year’s novelty knit. It’s on sale at Fabric World,” shesays, raising a blond brow at the front view. “I can see why; it’s none too durable. You should have asked my advice.”
I dart in front of Tobin, my back to his mom, my cheek against his pectorals. “Good tip,” I squeak, voice artificially chipper. “Mrs. Renner, do you have our spare key?”
Her snort is legendary. “Oh, you’re embarrassed. North Americans are so prudish about sex.”
“Mom. We really need our key.” I’ve never heard Tobin use such a firm tone with her. Seeing him stand up for our marriage is extremely sexy, even if his seriousness is undermined by him hitching up his tail in the front, causing an unsubtle ripping sound from the back.
“I’m sure I have it somewhere.” Marijke makes no move to leave.
“You know what? I remembered we have a spare key around the side.” I telegraph Tobin a look that says “help.”
For a second, he doesn’t get it. We’ve leaned on each other lots of times to cover for our respective weaknesses. But we haven’t tried to solve our real problems together, in strength.
Now, with our bodies and souls on display, we need each other. Neither of us can make it out alone.
A light comes into his dawn-sky eyes. It shines right into my chest, where something pale and undernourished turns toward his sun.
Taking my hand, he guides it behind him, closing my fingers over one edge of his tail. Ah, I get it. I grab for the other edge. We both twitch when I brush high across his bare leg on the way.
Gripping a handful of tail, I shuffle forward, pushing him backward. All my senses, already on high alert after the last ten minutes of misadventure, snap to attention.
I could bury my nose in his skin for a hundred years and still not get enough of his smell, like clean earth and tropical nightsand some elemental note of Tobin. The flex of his thighs against mine, the shadowed ripple of muscle in his shoulders, the bass vibration of his chest as he bids goodbye to Marijke: all of it shakes a primal relic deep down inside me that awakens, stretches, and says one word.
More.
We hobble around the corner, welded into a single unit like we’ve invented a whole new three-legged race.
As soon as we’re out of sight, Tobin sags back against the brick, pulling me with him. “Did my mom just invite us to order cosplay gear from her?” His mouth twitches.
I snicker, only a little manically. “I knew when she moved next door we were gonna be close, but notthatclose.”
He waggles his eyebrows. “Your parents are only three doors down. Why stop at just one set of in-laws?”
“We should move to Linton. No, to Alaska. They can’t spy on us from there.”
He laughs openly. “Negative. They can drive to Alaska. We need something stronger between us, like an ocean. Hawaii!”
“Tobin!” I moan, seized with giggles. “Stop, I’m begging you. She’ll hear us.” I clamp my hand over his mouth.
And then I’m looking up at him, our faces too close, our gazes locking together so firmly I can almost hear a snap. Our hilarity dissolves and wafts away, leaving weightless, hovering anticipation. Every breath softens my belly against the pulse between his legs, brushes my nipples a fraction of an inch up his rib cage, then down. Fullness blossoms in my core, unfurling its petals one by one.
He blinks, eyelashes glittering, lowering his head until my fingers, still across his mouth, meet my own lips. Carefully, he draws my hand away, letting my thumb linger on his full lower lip, dragging it down with friction that flares into heat.
“What are we doing?” There’s a thrum in his words, longing mixed with throttled power. I’m the one pinning him in place; I can step away anytime I want to.
But I’m staying.
His sigh whispers across my lips. “Diz. I don’t want to… I won’t break your rules. I’m gonna assume it’s no—”
“Yes,” I say, too breathy, too helpless and soft. “Just this once.” We’re not ready to be together again. Not all the way; not yet. But we can have this.
He closes his eyes, throat working. His lower lip trembles like a glass of water inJurassic Park.
“You know what we need?” Tobin’s voice is low, rough, a little scratchy. “A new back door.”
