down my back, over my ass. A deep throb between my legs responds to his groping. I sigh into his mouth as Gage suddenly lifts me. My feet leave the ground and swing around his waist as he carries me toward his house. I cling onto his shoulders, still ensnared with the feeling of his lips and tongue, and the beautiful night sky.
He walks onto the porch and then flips the switch. The world explodes into light. Then I push against his chest, trying not to study his collarbone or how badly I want to run my hands all over his body.
“Let me down,” I breathe against his lips.
He reluctantly sets me down, but I’m still in his arms. There’s a wildness to his features. Maybe it’s the tousled hair or his bare skin. Or the way he’s looking at me. As though he wants to fuck my brains out. He seems beyond verbal communication. The feline smirk curves deeply into his cheeks.
“Come inside. Let me fuck you until your toes are numb.”
Jesus Christ.
Seconds hang in the air, each pressing moment more painful than the last. The throbbing pulse between my legs wants me to let him, but I know better.
I’ll just get hurt. “Gage—I can’t.”
“Sure you can,” he says with effort. “Just come inside, and then I’ll come inside.”
His voice strokes me like a finger in my pussy. I want him. My blood screams for him. But there’s fear, too. I won't get hurt again.
It’s impossible not to want him as he stands there, half-naked, his cock tenting his sweatpants. A blush hits my cheeks as I glance at it.
“You can have it all to yourself, sweetheart.”
“No, I won’t. I didn’t come here for this.”
“Yes, you did. You dressed up for it, remember?”
“That doesn’t mean I was expecting—”
“Well, I didn’t expect that I’d be banging my tenant, either.”
He is so damn arrogant. “I’m not banging you.”
“You will. It’s only been two days. How are you going to last weeks?”
Fuck. I don’t think I can.
The same realization seems to dawn on his face. “Face it, sweetheart. You’re no match for me.”
“I—I can’t get involved. There’s a whole life waiting for me in San Francisco.”
He shrugs. “So we’ll fuck around and then you’ll go back to the city. What’s the big deal?”
No. I’m not getting attached.
I pull back from his arms even though every cell inside me wants to shut the fuck up and hop into bed with the hot, incredibly rude mechanic.
“I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Disappointment hardens his eyes, but he quickly covers it with a smile. He leans in, his lips brushing my cheek, the polite gesture making me blaze.
“Goodnight, Olivia.”
Then he squeezes me one last time and walks back inside his house without a fuss, leaving me behind with an unrelenting ache.
Four
Olivia
It is not a date.
Why are you spending so much time on your makeup, then?
I bite my lip, smearing the gloss over my teeth as I gaze at my reflection. I’m wearing a thick blue wool dress that clings to my figure. The neckline swoops dangerously low. There’s no way I can go out like this. He’ll think it’s a real date.
Shit, what do I do?
The knock at the door saves me from making a decision. I clean the pink off my teeth and rub down flyaway strands of hair. Then a flurry of wings soar in my stomach as I spot Gage’s silhouette through the window. I shouldn’t feel nervous. It’s not a damn date.
My gladiator heels rap on the wooden floor as though punctuating my angry thoughts. I grab the door handle and twist.
A beautiful man I barely recognize stands in front of me. A sharp black suit hugs his wide frame, which is tailored to fit him perfectly. He wears a powder-blue shirt underneath with a darker tie. His normally wild hair is carefully styled to the side, his face clean-shaven. Playful eyes wander over my body. The mechanic is gone. In his place is a man who looks like he works on Wall Street.
Is it weird that I still prefer him covered in grease and oil? I want him raw and unfiltered, his tattoos shining in the sunlight. Even though this cleaned-up version of him is yummy, to say the least. He says nothing as he steps inside, the slight widening of his eyes enough to make me smile. Then he offers his arm, and I take it.
It’s a beautiful night. Balmy. The air is thick with the smell of trees. My heart thuds