is to try to replace Ankh. I know that’s impossible—and it’s not something I would ever want.” Mal sighed. “He was my friend, too.”
Only when they eased did I realize how tense my shoulders had been. “It’s hard being without him.”
“Yeah,” Mal agreed. “And—you may have noticed this, but I don’t have a whole lot of experience in the serious-relationships field.”
I snorted, grateful for a little bit of lightheartedness. “Yeah, I’ve noticed that.”
“I don’t think either of us want to jump into anything serious. At least, I’m definitely not ready to commit to anything serious. But… what’s the point of avoiding what’s between us?” Mal asked. “We’re responsible adults, as far as I can tell.”
“Most of the time,” I agreed. “So…what are you saying?”
Mal smiled warmly. “We’re attracted to each other. We’re good friends—we trust each other. We respect each other. I think we’re both capable of talking about what we want—and need. Without having it become such a huge deal.”
I nodded in agreement. “That sounds right.”
“So maybe we should just…try it and see where things go,” Mal said. “You don’t need to worry about me trying to replace Ankh—or getting jealous of what you two had together. And I’m not going to pressure you for anything more than what you want. No hard feelings. I think we both deserve a chance to feel good, you know?”
It sounded so simple when he put it like that. “Taking care of each other,” I said.
“Exactly,” Mal agreed. “We’re friends first. We know best how to take care of each other.”
“Yeah,” I said. Having Mal this close to me was making me dizzy with desire—here, in my dark room, in my bed, Mal was telling me he wanted to take care of me. He understood what I felt for Ankh—and how this was different.
And I wanted it. I wanted him.
“Yeah,” I repeated. “Yeah, I want that.”
Mal reached out and set his hand at the slight curve of my waist, then leaned in close. He didn’t close the distance between us, though, just lingered close enough that I could feel his warm breath ghosting over my lips.
He was letting me decide. He wanted me to be the one to close the distance—giving me another chance to change my mind. He was so kind. Gratitude warmed my chest, alongside the heat of arousal low in my gut as I leaned forward and pressed my lips to his.
To start, it was a barely there touch of lips. God, it’d been so long since I’d been kissed that I couldn’t hold back my surprised inhale at the contact. It made my lips part, which deepened the kiss; Mal caught my lower lip between his and sucked gently. Oh, I wanted more of that—more of him. I reached blindly for him, fisting my hand in the front of his shirt to tug him closer. I tangled our legs together, opened my mouth wider, and Mal chuckled into the kiss at my sudden passion.
He stopped laughing as I deepened the kiss even more, though. I slid my other hand under the hem of his shirt, skating over the defined ridge of his abs, as I slipped my tongue into his mouth. He kissed well, hot and demanding with an edge of teeth, and as we traded sloppy kisses back and forth, my desire only increased. God, I wanted him. It felt as if every nerve in my body was suddenly reawakened after years of numbness. Mal’s hands and his mouth sent tingles racing across my skin, and I moaned into the kiss as I tried to pull him even closer.
“God, Priest,” Mal groaned as he slid his hand from my waist to my ass, then dug his fingers into the muscle. The sensation made me gasp.
I broke the kiss, but only to exhale hard against his jaw, savoring the scratch of his slight beard. “Wow,” I said, a little breathlessly.
“Wow what?” Mal asked. He tipped his head back, his hand still kneading at my ass.
“Didn’t know I could still feel like this,” I admitted. I kissed his neck.
Mal sighed. “Pretty good, right?”
“I feel like a goddamn teenager,” I said, then smiled against his skin.
“I’m that good, huh?” Mal teased.
“Or I’m that desperate,” I joked back.
“Doubting my skills?” Mal asked with a grin.
Then in one swift movement, he put his hands on my shoulders and pinned me flat to the mattress. He kissed me hard and passionately, taking control easily. I was used to being the one in control in