find something else to do or we can go back to my place...if you're still okay with staying over. If not, I'll take you home."
"No!" she blurts, whipping around to face me. "No, please take me back to your place...that's where I want to be."
Feeling like I've won the lottery, I don't waste a second starting the car and pulling into traffic. The drive home passes like molasses. Every mile feels like ten with her shooting me these nervous, coy looks, nibbling on her lip, and squirming in her seat.
It's obvious there's something on her mind, possibly even something dirty, but I don't want to push and risk her shutting down completely.
Once we’re safely inside of my house, I offer her some after dinner coffee, which she readily accepts. I'm starting to think she might be as addicted to caffeine as I am, if not more so.
"Do you want to drink it on the deck? I can light the fire pit."
"That sounds perfect." Her voice has an almost dream-like quality to it that sends an appreciative chill down my spine.
"Great. Do you think you can handle making the coffee while I start the fire?"
"Pretty sure I can handle your fancy coffee maker, Sterling. It's not exactly rocket science."
I laugh at her smart mouth, loving the little bit of spirit that's starting to break through.
She's no longer the subdued, meek little creature from the start of the semester, instead she's a woman with fire and sass and a will stronger than steel. I love the woman she's becoming, and I'm fucking thrilled that I get to be a part of it. It's an honor, one I'll never take for granted—especially since I know I don't deserve it.
The fire is lit by the time she joins me outside, and we decide to sip our coffee on the small loveseat facing the mountain peaks in the distance.
When I set up my deck, romance was the last thing on my mind, but suddenly I'm glad I let my designer do her thing. Because having Emmalyn this close has me feeling content in a way I've never known before.
"Are you sure tonight was good?" I know I'm a shit, fishing for compliments, but my ego demands it. Something about hearing her tell me it was good settles the part of my soul that screams I'm not good enough and don’t deserve her.
"It was perfect, Sterling. I'll be honest, I was really apprehensive, but you made tonight better than anything I ever could've imagined."
I nod my head, feeling proud that I was able to give her this, as small as it may be. "The next one will be even better."
"It's not a contest, stop trying to one up yourself. Honestly, I don't even think you could."
"Tonight was that perfect, huh?"
Her teasing smile turns serious. "Sterling, I need to ask you something."
Apprehension and dread collide inside of me in a head-on collision. "What?"
"Can I kiss you?”
"Baby, that's not something you ever have to ask for."
Her brown eyes glint in the firelight as she leans forward, setting her mug down onto the table. I place mine on the deck at our feet, waiting anxiously for her next move.
I'm expecting her to lean in for a gentle kiss, so imagine my surprise when she turns toward me and swings one leg over mine to straddle my lap.
"Fuck, baby," I groan, but she swallows the sound, boldly pressing her lips to mine, flicking her tongue against the seam until I open for her.
In the span of a breath our kiss goes from tame to heated, with her tunneling her fingers through my hair and rolling her hips against mine.
My hands roam her body, squeezing her ass. She trembles in my arms as I drag my hands across her hips and over the dips in her waist.
"Sterling," she moans, and I swear, between the sound of her voice and the way she moves against me, it feels like I'm in paradise.
But I'm worried she's not ready for where this is headed. "Baby." I move my hands back to her hips, stilling her movements. "Stop. Slow down. Let's talk about this."
But she doesn't let up. "I want this, I want you," she murmurs, her lips never breaking from mine.
"I want this, too, Emmalyn, but I also want to make sure we're on the same page."
The amount of self-control I'm displaying right now impresses even me. Because while I would love nothing more than to flip her onto her back and claim every