Page 106 of Like You Want It

And then I strike, flying over the couch, causing her to shriek out with surprise and laughter. I manage to catch her within two seconds, wrapping my arms around her and taking her down to the carpet.

To be completely honest, I barely touch her. Just give her a few squeezes around her hips, where my dad used to tickle my siblings and I when we were kids.

But Carly, doubles over, laughing with such intensity, I worry slightly that she’s having trouble breathing. A fact proven true when she quiet laughs for way too long and then drags in a breath on a deep inhale. Then exhales with more laughter.

I let go of her, just staying propped up on one arm above her, watching with a small smile as she shakes with hilarity on the floor underneath me. God, her face is so red right now. My eyes drop down slightly, catching the flush in her neck and chest, too.

I’ve never known someone to laugh so regularly, smile so consistently. Carly is an enigma. And I love being constantly stumped and confused and surprised by her actions.

I also can’t stand it. Because I’ve gotten used to the expected. I used to count on consistency. And having her throw it all into the wind and make me see things differently? I’m not sure how I feel about that. At all.

Her laughter finally tapers off, and then she looks up at me, a soft, vulnerable smile on her face.

“We keep finding ourselves here,” she says, her voice throaty from having laughed so intensely.

I nod, stroking the hairs at her temple away from her face. “We do.”

She sighs, and turns her head to the side, her gaze focusing back on the kitchen.

I allow myself a stolen moment, let my eyes drift from hers and down the side of her face, over the line of her jaw and down along her neck.

God, she’s so beautiful.

“I don’t know if we should hang out alone,” she says, then looks back at me. “I don’t know how much more clear I can be that I want something from you. But I don’t think you really know what you want.”

I stay silent.

“To be honest, I’m not even entirely sure what I want either. Dina said I should just have casual sex with you and enjoy the orgasms.”

I burst into laughter. “She’s a smart woman.”

Carly rolls her eyes, a smile on her face. “Fin, I really care about your sister, and I get the feeling that her friendships are precious right now. So I need to be careful about this.”

I nod.

“If I would ever consider talking to her about this, to get her permission to… I don’t know. Spend time with you or whatever, I would have to know we’re on the same page. So I’ll ask you again. What do you want?”

I continue to stare down at her, my brain feeling like scrambled eggs that I just can’t seem to sort through.

“I don’t know,” I whisper. I lean closer. “I know I want you and I don’t see that changing. But I also don’t want anything serious.”

She lifts her head slightly and places a soft kiss against my cheek, then drops back down. She opens her mouth like she’s about to say something, then closes it.

“Let me think about it,” she finally says.

With that, she rolls out from under me and pushes to standing. Then she gives me a small wave, grabs her purse and heads to the door, closing it softly behind her.