My heart slams in my chest, beating wildly. My fingers grip the front of his button-up shirt, needing something to hold onto, wanting to keep myself anchored to him in this moment.
He’s still wearing the dress slacks he wore to the funeral earlier. My body is pressed against him, and I swear I can feel his arousal growing between us. I rub my legs together, and the slightest of movements causes Merric to groan.
“It’s not wrong,” I whisper. “I’m here, Merric. I’m not going anywhere.”
He grunts, his fingers digging into my hip, the other tangling into my hair, pulling me into him. Desire burns in his eyes. The heat in his stare is so intense, I have to remind myself to breathe.
When he leans in to kiss me, I lose all sense of reality. Right and wrong. Good and bad.
Nothing in this moment matters but me and Merric. When his lips connect with mine, I tell myself there’s nothing in this world I wouldn’t do to live in this moment with him forever.
He breaks our lips apart, his forehead pressed against mine, and we struggle to catch our breaths.
“I’ve never craved someone as much as I do you,” he moans.
I reach my hand up, dragging my nails through his hair, pulling him back to me. This time when he kisses me, I tell him without words he’s not alone.
We’re engulfed in sin together, and Lord help me for loving how good it tastes.
Chapter One
“C’mon, you stupid… piece… of crap!” I huff an exasperated sigh, tugging the suitcase out from beneath the pile of clothes and boxes stacked in my closet.
I’ve never claimed to be the most organized person in the world. Speaking truthfully, I’m the complete opposite. I’m always losing things, waiting until the last minute to get anything done, and I’m usually the last one to arrive. I’m constantly in a rush. I’m a mess of chaos, and most people in my life have come to accept that it’ll never change.
This is precisely why I have no time to be dicking around right now. I’m running late, and I don’t have the time to spend digging out my suitcase. Merric will be here in less than ten minutes, and I can picture the fury on his face when he finds me not ready to leave.
Sweat drips from my brow, using my hand to fan my face. The heat in my dorm room is set ten degrees higher than it should be, adding to my frustration.
I heave the suitcase on my bed and toss in everything I’ll need over the next week, from my makeup bag to my toiletries, extra clothes, and a few pairs of shoes. I almost forget my dress shoes, adding them to the pile.
Supermarket Sweep is airing old episodes on Netflix, and somehow, over the sound of cheering, I’m able to hear the distinct yet muffled sound of my phone ringing.
“Shit… where are you at?” I blurt out to no one but myself. I lift the blankets and suitcase on my bed, running my hand over my mattress, feeling around for the vibration. It’s about to hit my voice mail when I spot it between my bed and nightstand.
I swipe the screen to answer. “Yellow?”
“Oaklyn? Are you all right?”
“Hi, Mom, nice to hear from you, too. I’m fine.” Gripping my shirt, I shake it, trying to create some airflow to cool me off.
“You sound like you’re out of breath. Were you jogging? You do realize Merric is going to be there soon, right? Did you even start packing yet?”
I want to roll my eyes at her question. She has so little faith in me. Of course, she’s calling to check in, assuming I won’t be ready. We both know it will only piss Merric off more.
“As a matter of fact,” I boast, smiling to myself at the chance to prove her wrong. “I was just finishing up as you called.”
“Really?” Her response is a mixture of surprise and uncertainty.
“You should have more faith in me, Ma! I’ve been living on my own now for what, three years? I think I’m finally starting to get a hang of this whole adult thing.”
Considering I called her two days ago to ask her what would happen if I washed a shirt that said, “dry clean only,” it may be a bit of a stretch to be asking for faith, but she seems to let it go.
She chuckles. “Well, I’m glad because I spoke to Merric earlier this morning when