“You’ll get them... as soon as we’re alone.” I felt his exhale on my lips, and my knees weakened a little. We’d barely spent a few minutes together, and I was already completely wrapped up in him. His eyes were just molten hot, and so was his body language.
We bought burgers and fries from a food truck next to my building. My apartment seemed even smaller with Cole inside it. I hadn’t finished doing the laundry, and the mess made the space even smaller. I placed the bag with food on the chair by the entrance.
Cole was behind me. I felt his hand at the side of my waist, pulling me against his back.
“So my apartment is pretty small.” It felt so good to have Cole here. He fit right in with that charming smile.
“I just want to spend time with you, Laney. I don’t care about where or how.”
His hot breath on my ear, and the possessive grip on my waist was too much. I let out a low sound—a whimper. Instinctively, I covered his hand with mine, pressing his fingers against my waist. I just needed to touch him... more than that, I needed him to touch me.
The next second, he whirled me around and claimed my mouth. Feeling his lips against mine was exhilarating. I whimpered again at the first touch of his tongue. Heat coiled through me slowly, from my toes up my body, until it was unbearable. I fisted his shirt. He deepened the kiss, walking me backward until I felt the edge of some furniture against my ass. Cole lifted me up on it the next second. Now I was slightly towering over him. I loved this new angle. I placed my hands on his neck for leverage. He smelled amazing. He hadn’t worn any cologne in Rome, but now he did: it was a mix of cypress and lemon.
Cole’s fingers skimmed my upper thighs and came to rest on my hips. He slipped one thumb under my shirt. My skin broke out in goose bumps. I moaned against his mouth, pressing my knees at the sides of his torso. When he feathered his fingers down my thighs, I moaned again.
“Fuck, I love kissing you,” he whispered against my mouth. I curled my hands in the collar of his shirt, swallowing hard. I’d missed kissing him too. Cole took a step back, watching me intently. I blushed.
“You look pretty up there. Thoroughly kissed.”
“Look at me. A few minutes with you, and I’m already being kissed up against my shoe cabinet. I don’t even remember how I got here.”
I placed my hands on his cheeks, smiling against his lips. I felt so light, as if Cole’s kiss had set something inside me free. He was pulling me out of my shell. I wasn’t even sure how it was happening, but I wanted to continue down this road. It felt even more right than before that he was here in my apartment. I jumped back down, smoothing my palms down my skirt. My stomach rumbled.
“Let’s eat,” Cole said.
I yawned as we entered the living room. There was a real danger I might fall asleep the second I sat down.
I felt the tiredness creeping up on me.
“Sit. I’ll take care of everything,” Cole instructed.
Oh, wow. “Okay.”
I was in danger again, albeit of a different kind. I was close to swooning. I was also close to spontaneously combusting. How the man could make me feel so many things at the same time, I had no clue, but I had to give credit where credit was due.
I sat down on the couch, folding my feet under me, looking at Cole put the food on plates. The kitchen was tiny, and he found everything within arm’s reach.
“Is this a bad time to admit I’m swooning?” I asked as he handed me a plate, sitting next to me. I answered my own question. “It is. I’m giving you too much ammunition.”
He leaned closer, brushing his lips across my forehead. “Just sit back and relax.”
We both practically inhaled our burgers and fries, not speaking one word until the plates were empty. We set them on the small table next to the couch.
“You totally deserve the charmer nickname,” I informed him.
“Is that so? What made you change your mind?”
“All this take-charge thing you’ve got going on. It’s very hot.” I covered my mouth. “Shouldn’t have owned up to that yet.”