Page 68 of Last Fall

Oh my god he wasright.

Will he hurt melikeTony?

I feel good. Is that right orwrong?

“Which means if we keep going,” he said, cupping my face, “and do what we both want to do, we’ll have a good time, but it will be with his shadow between us.” His eyes dropped to my lips. “It won’t be nearly as good as itshouldbe.”

My knees nearly gave out. My head definitely spun. The barely restrained desire and frustration pulsing off of Erikconsumedme.

“What do I do? What if I can’t get him out of my head any other way?” It made sense, didn’t it? Erase the old with the new? Replace the bad memories withgoodones?

“Oh, I’ll get him out of there and when I do?” Erik leaned closer, his lips brushing over my ear, my cheek, my lips, “It will be so,sogood.”

Then he whipped off his shirt and handed it to me. “Bed.Now.”

I knew he said something but I didn’t hear any of it. I’d gone lust-deaf because standing in front of me was a very real, very shirtless ErikCassidy.

It’s possible I audibly sighed instead of the internal shriek of joy I was going for. I’d seen him shirtless from across the pool several times. I always, and I do meanalwayskept my distance at pool parties. I wasn’t stupid. If being near him was too much then being near shirtless, happy Erik was definitely waytoomuch.

And now, I had fullconfirmation.

My brain did not, in fact, work when he was halfnaked.

“Zoe?”

How could it? His skin was so smooth, so supple. It demanded I imagine five different ways to touch and taste it. He had magnificent abs and shoulders. His arms, when fully exposed, were a thing of beauty. And that way his happy trail disappeared into his jeans? It was like a neon sign directing my hands where togonext.

Unbuttonjeans.

Slidezipperdown.

Reachinside.

“Whoa! Zo,” he panted, looking up at the ceiling. “Your hands are warm andsoftand...”

Holy crap on a cracker.I was actually doing all the things I wasthinking.

I jumped back. “I’msorry.”

He lunged for me, grabbing my hands. “Don’t you dare be sorry.” Then placed my hands on his shoulders, eyes locked on mine as he stripped off his jeans, then started on mine. “You can touch me anywhere, anytime, in any way you want, Darlin’. I just wanted to warn you that you were about to get a very aroused man even morearoused.”

My cheeks burned. “What are wedoing?”

“Getting ready for bed.” My jeans slid free and hit the floor. “I like being here with you and the last time I checked, sex wasn’t required to spend time together. Or sleep in thesamebed.”

Sleep together. Did I want this? I scanned my body and...yes. Yes I wanted this very much. “You’re going to sleep over. Andthenwhat?”

He sighed. “Do you always thinkahead?”

“I’m aplotter.”

He cocked his head to the side, adorably confused by my writer-lingo. “What doesthatmean?”

“It’s a writer thing. Some write by the seat of their pants. They have no idea what will happen in the book until they write it. They’re called Pansters. But the rest of us plot our books. We think the whole thing through. Some are more thorough than others.” I pointed at myself. “I’m aplotter.”

He shook his head, laughing. “So you’re saying you’re always thinking about theendgame?”

He was so handsome. I ran my fingers through his stubble, cupping his face as my heart pounded in my chest. I was falling in love with Erik. After tonight there was no denying it. “Always.”