Page 62

“Hmm, it does, doesn’t it?” She lifts her arms, wrapping them around the back of my neck before pulling my face down to hers. My mouth crashes into hers, the taste of lemon and sugar on her tongue as mine immediately sweeps against hers.

Her lips are soft, moving and melting with mine. Her warm body presses against me and I breathe her in. Tongues tangling with an electrical current sizzling between us. My hands begin to drift, sliding down the sides of her neck, along her collarbones. My fingers catch the straps of her dress and I slip them over her shoulders, feeling her skin beneath mine.

“Carson,” Andi murmurs against my mouth, a soft giggle escaping her. “Matteo’s awake downstairs.”

“Shit,” I mumble, nipping at her bottom lip. “He’s too old to take a nap, isn’t he?”

She laughs again, pressing her lips to mine before pulling back. “Yes, he would not be okay with either of us telling him he needs to take a nap.” She untangles her arms from behind my neck, taking a step away as she adjusts her dress. My cock is already throbbing in my pants, but I ignore it for the moment. “I’m not busy later. You know, if you want to pick up where we left off.”

“Done. Sold.”

“Your room or mine?” She questions, turning away as she grabs her things from her small suitcase and begins to put them back on top of the bed.

“Mine,” I tell her, walking up behind her to press my lips against the side of her neck. “This is just a guest room. You belong in my bedroom with me.”

This is exactly where she belongs—I just need to figure out how I can make her see it too.

And somehow work past my own reluctance of being in a real relationship.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

ANDI

Matteo’s bedroom door is ajar and the soft sound of Carson’s voice drifts through the gap. I can’t make out the words he’s saying, but the melody of his tone slides like a calming breeze, immediately tangling in my soul. A smile lifts the corners of my lips and I idle outside of the door.

Through the space between the door and the jamb, I watch Carson and Matteo together. Carson sits on the edge of Matteo’s bed, Matteo’s head resting on his lap as Carson reads a book to him.

We’ve been doing the whole bedtime routine together most nights, but I said goodnight to Matteo a bit ago so they could have this time together. I love these candid moments, seeing the two of them like this.

The growing bond between them lights my heart on fire.

The easy rise and fall of Matteo’s chest tells me he drifted to sleep, yet Carson doesn’t bother to move. After a minute, he must notice that he’s asleep as well. He gently closes the book, laying it on the bed beside them as his hand smooths Matteo’s tousled hair along his head.

My heart crawls into my throat and I linger for another moment, watching the two of them before turning away. I pausein the hallway, outside of the door to Carson’s room, unsure of what I’m supposed to do. I’ve been sleeping in his room, but all of my things are still in the room that was designated as mine.

“You look lost.”

His voice knocks my heart into overdrive. Inhaling deeply, I slowly turn around to face him. My gaze meets his and there’s an inquisitive look in his eyes as a ghost of a smile dances across his lips.

His footsteps are slow, yet his strides are long as he walks across the hallway, closing the distance between us. “Do you need help getting to where you’re going?”

I swallow. “I think I might.”

His hands fall to my hips, pulling me flush against his body. I tip my head back, lifting my chin to look up at him.God, he’s so tall.His legs press against mine, inching me backwards until we’re stepping into his bedroom. He lifts one hand and slides it through my hair as he cups the back of my skull.

“Fuck,” he groans, the sound rumbling in his chest as his face dips down to mine. “I’ve missed you.”

His mouth crashes into mine, his lips claiming mine. I lift my arms to link them around the back of his neck and kiss him back. His lips are soft and tender, kissing me with a sweetness that has me ready to come undone. His tongue is urgent, sweeping along the seam of my mouth, but when I let him in, it’s like he holds back.

It’s slow and torturous, and he takes his time, touching and tasting, teasing me with his tongue as he explores my mouth. My toes curl, back arches, and I’m swept up in him. My fingers slide through his silky hair as I grip the back of his head, needing and wanting more.

“Six years,” Carson murmurs, his breath soft against my lips. “Six fucking years that I’ve been dreaming of feeling you again.” He pauses, pulling back as his eyes search mine. “I want you,Trouble. Fuck,” he groans while he presses his hips against me, letting me feel his erection. “I need you.”

Untangling my hands from his hair, I drop them down to the bottom hem of his shirt. As I push it up his torso, he breaks away, just long enough for me to strip him of his shirt. He reaches for mine, doing the same before wrapping his arm around my waist and pulling me back to him.

He nips at my bottom lip. We’re panting and pulling at whatever piece of clothing our hands could find. We crash back into each other, stealing the air from each other's lungs before breaking away again. We repeat, stripping and kissing until there’s nothing left to strip away.

He doesn’t take his eyes off mine as he pushes me closer to the bed and lowers me down onto the mattress. I scoot back, my legs splayed as I lie in the center of his bed. Heat spreads through my body, lighting my nerve endings on fire as his gaze rakes over every inch of my flesh.