But there’s a little extra gel in his hair, the hallway lighting is doing him all sorts of favors, and he’s smiling. That same half-smile that breaks me down is on full display.
“Can I come in?” Erik asks, letting out a breathy laugh, and I realize I’m standing like an inconvenient statue in the doorway.
“Oh, yeah, of course, sorry,” I say. Erik finished playing three periods of hockey an hour ago, but it's like I’m staring at the goddamn CEO of Attraction Inc. “I made pizza and it’s in the oven. It should be ready in a couple of minutes.”
Erik finishes taking his shoes off and stands frozen in the hallway, his expression soft. “You made pizza? Like, from ingredients?”
“Yeah, I didn’t have much to do at work, so why not?”
Correction: I worked overtime yesterday so I could go all-out for Erik today.
“Oh, wow, that’s really nice of you,” Erik says, shuffling to the fridge. “I brought beer, can I put it in the fridge?”
“Right, yeah, of course.” I stick my arm out to open the fridge and our fingers brush. And they linger.
And then we’re kissing. Soft, gentle, and so damn hot. Keeping my eyes closed, I bring my hand up to twist through his soft hair, and he groans.
Fuck, if I wasn’t falling for him already, that would have done me in. But Iamfalling for him, hard, so all it did was push me deeper.
The oven beeps, snapping us out of our haze, and I pull the pizzas out. After setting them down to cool on a wire rack, I grab two of my cold beers out of the fridge and hand one to Erik.
“Now, where were we?” I say, running a finger along his jaw.
He leans back, away from my touch.
“You good, Erik?” I ask, caution creeping into my voice.
“Things got pretty intense back there,” he starts, pausing to take a breath. “But I was really looking forward to hanging out tonight. Before getting physical, that is.”
Oh, I have got to be dreaming right now.
Erik continues. “Like, don’t get me wrong, I’m so attracted to you, but I also want to spend time with you otherwise and…”
I put a hand on his shoulder, and he trails off. “Yes, of course we can hold back,” I say, offering a smile. “You don’t have to be scared to ask for that.”
He sighs and his body softens. “I’m not scared.”
The way he’s digging his fingers into his beer can says otherwise.
“Well, maybe I am a little because I’m way out of my element with dating,” he continues. “Fuck, I never talk about this, sorry.”
“That’s okay, you don’t say anything you aren’t comfortable with.”
Erik puts his beer down on the counter before immediately picking it back up. “Yeah, I’m pretty reserved, and I could pin this on hockey or moving all the time, but I can’t really change it. You’re the first guy who’s stuck around long enough for me to warm up.”
“Are you saying that guys didn’t even give you a singledayto get comfortable?” I ask. “Because that’s how long it took before you started chirping me to death and getting all horny on me.”
He snickers at that last comment while shaking his head at the same time. “No. I’m comfortable with sex, but that’s all anyone has let me have.”
Jesus Christ. “That’s not fair,” I say without thinking. “Hooking up is always a little weird. Those guys were assholes, seriously.”
Setting my beer down, I lean against the counter. “For what it’s worth, Erik, I don’t want to do that to you. You’re fun to be around, and I like getting to know you.”
Erik is holding his beer in front of his stomach, and I nudge his hand up, prompting him to take a sip. “Come on,” I say. “If I didn’t make it clear, I’mcrazyabout you. Drop your armor, drop your pants, whatever you want. You’re here to have a good time tonight.”
That earns me a light chuckle, and that little grin he has is enough to make me disintegrate. Changing the topic seems like a good idea, so I bring the pizzas over to the table and we settle down.
“This smells so good,” Erik says.
