Me? Tempting?
This man clearly needs to look in a mirror. He is the most tempting thing I’ve ever seen. I need him closer to me, not pulling away. I let out a soft whimper, which pulls a raspy chuckle from his throat.
“Fuck mopping. The floors will just get dirty again tomorrow. Let’s get out of here.”
He grabs me for one more steaming kiss, before dragging me toward the door, leaving the cleaning supplies scattered where he left them. Whoever opens tomorrow is going to be pissed, but I can’t find it in me to care. I need him, and tonight, I’m not going to let him push me away when things get hot and heavy—I’m going to be enough for him.
Chapter 26
Kori
Gage’s apartment is a comfortable place for me. It’s a bit antiquated—Gage would say it’s fucking old—but it’s far homier than the sterile white fluorescence of my dorm room. It could use a splash of color, maybe some bright blankets to break up the dingy browns and beiges, but his overflowing racks of plant life do a decent enough job. It’s charming in a way that no amount of plushies or posters or extra-fuzzy blankets can bring to my dorm room.
I like it, or maybe I merely like it because it’s his. Either way, I think this place is turning into my second home, a place where I can let my walls down fully. But for the first time, the apartment feels daunting, and that has everything to do with the nervous ball of anxiety beside me.
He fumbles his keys to the ground as he goes to unlock the front door, and he bends down to get them with curses on his lips.
“Sorry, Low,” he says with a sheepish smile as he picks up the keys.
Okay, so nervous Gage is kind of adorable. He’s been fidgety since we closed down Cutter’s. Hell, he even rambled on the way over, telling me all about the kids in the classes he coached this morning, and he never rambles.
He tries to unlock the door again, and this time, it swings open with ease. He moves to the side and falls in step behind me as I walk through the door, into the dark. I’m only able to make out the outlines of furniture from the glow of the porch light creeping in from the doorway, but Gage’s large frame blocks most of that from getting through. The room grows pitch black when he shuts the door behind us, and my heart thunders in my ears.
“Gage…” My voice is shaky as I choke out his name.
“Shit. Hold on. I’m fucking this all up.”
His movements are lost in the shadow, but I can hear every scrape and rustle as he stumbles around behind me. The noises sound louder than they likely are with all of my senses on high alert. After a few long seconds, he lets out a satisfied grunt, and the room floods with dim warm light from hundreds of fairy lights strung up in crisscrossed patterns between the walls.
I blink as my eyes adjust, and when they focus, I realize that isn’t the only change. The couch has been pushed to the far wall, and Gage’s mattress has been dragged out in its place. More blankets and pillows than I thought he owned are piled on it, making a bright, eclectic nest of mismatched colors and fabrics in the center. Yellow flower petals decorate the floor around the bed, and at the foot is a large flower arrangement with matching blooms.
Tears burn behind my eyes, but I blink them away before they can fall. There is no way I’m letting him make me cry twice in one night. I can’t believe he did this for me—nobody has ever cared about me enough to go to these lengths.
“Surprise,” Gage says as he steps forward to wrap his arms around me from behind. His low voice is thick and raspy as if this is affecting him the same as me.
I relax back into his hold, and I swear nothing has ever felt more right. He holds me tighter and tucks his face into my hair. I think he’s saying something, but I can’t make out the words over the roar of blood in my ears.
“When did you have time to set this up?”
His arms squeeze me tighter as he shrugs. “I was pretty confident in my ability to get you home with me.”
“You didn’t need to do this,” I say once my voice feels steady enough not to break.
“You’re right. I didn’t need to do anything, but I wanted to. I know I can’t give you everything you deserve, but I wanted to do something to show you how much you mean to me.”
His words cause a flurry of unfamiliar sensations to ripple through me. The feeling is an all-consuming, almost painful ache in my chest, although it’s not necessarily unpleasant, just more than I can handle. It’s a deep-seated need that only Gage can satisfy. Even being in his arms, there is too much distance between us; I need him closer like I need the air I breathe.
I twist in his embrace and seek his lips with my own in a sloppy, desperate kiss. He doesn’t protest; instead, he groans and devours me with the same burning intensity. My hands find the hem of his T-shirt and slip underneath. His skin is hot and smooth under my fingers, and I can only imagine what it will feel like pressed against me without these layers of clothes between us.
It’s time I find out.
I tug at his shirt, trying to pull it over his head without breaking our kiss. Unfortunately, I don’t think that’s possible, and I let out a frustrated huff against his lips.
“Fuck me, Low,” he groans as he pulls away.
“I’m trying,” I huff.
He smooths his shirt back down, and I damn near growl. I want more of him, not less, goddamnit. I reach out again, this time going for his belt, and I can feel he’s just as aroused as I am. My hands drift south to cup his bulge, but he stops me, catching both my wrists together in his giant hands.
