Page 139 of Not In The Contract

She shook her head abruptly, moving a few paces back. I immediately missed the closeness but knew better than to follow.

“If you’re going to say no, then spare me the soft landing, please,” she said. “I’m a big girl; I can take it.”

“I want to be with you, more than anything,” I explained, despite her appeal for the opposite. “I just also think it’s best if I take this time to finish my studies first.”

Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. She prepared for it, but definitely wasn’t expecting me to refuse her offer. “Uh… okay…”

“It’s important to me that I have this accomplishment for myself,” I went on, determined to have her see my reasoning as something positive and not a rejection.

To my relief, Alex’s expression softened. “You’re right. I didn’t mean to push. I just-”

But the rest of her sentence fell away, leaving us standing in the silence of several things we both wished we could say out loud.

“I’m also thinking about you,” I blurted out, causing her to meet my gaze with a puzzled one of her own. “You’ve only just started working on your relationship with Jamie, and you two need time to get that established.”

“What do you mean?” She was genuinely curious. “I’ve set boundaries, and she’s respecting that.”

“Alex, I know she’s important to you.” I took both her hands in mine to make sure she’d look at me. “I need to know that when I become a permanent fixture in your life, it’s the right time. I don’t want Jamie or your relationship with her to be threatened by that.”

She interlaced her fingers with mine, her touch reassuring. “Thank you, Devon. That means a lot to me.”

My heart swelled with affection. We’d come so far in such a short time, and it was beginning to look like we could be hopeful for even better days ahead.

“Of course, Alex. What’s important to you is important to me,” I said.

She dropped her gaze to our fingers, her thumb gently stroking mine. “Just one more thing…” A playful smile spread across her face. “You don’t have to move back just yet, but you’ll still shadow me until you’ve finished your thesis. That’s the only condition I have.”

“Condition, huh?” I returned her smile and stepped into her, pressing my body tightly against hers.

Alex let go of my hand to snake her arms around my waist, keeping me in place. Her warmth radiated through our layers of clothing until it took me over completely.

“The only one, yes,” she replied, placing a soft kiss to the corner of my mouth. Then another on the other side. “I’d like to have you be a part of my days again, and I’ll take whatever I can get right now.”

How was I supposed to argue with that? I let out a fluttering laugh and stroked her cheek. “Well, when you put it that way…”

“I’m glad we’re on the same page.” Her voice got caught in the shock from my touch, and it sparked my own arousal.

There was little in the world that turned me on more than seeing her turned on.

“Me too,” I whispered, the tension between us ramping up to the point where it was hard to breathe. Again.

Our faces were inches apart, the air heavy with the promise of the thing we both wanted more than anything. What we’d been wanting for the entire time we’d been on opposite sides of this distance.

Before I could process any more of what was happening, Alex’s lips met mine in a kiss that was both soft and fiery, a merging of longing and pent-up desire. I melted into the taste of her, my fingers coming up to tangle in her hair as she tightened her hold on me. The world around us faded away, leaving just Alex and me, lost in the intoxicating rush of each other’s presence. Our kisses deepened, igniting a fire that had been simmering, aching to boil over.

With a sense of urgency, Alex’s lips left mine, trailing a blazing path of heated kisses along my jawline. My breath hitched as her lips found the curve of my neck, her touch leaving me achingly aware of every nerve ending on high alert.

“Alex,” I managed to breathe, my voice thick with need and longing.

She met my gaze, her eyes dark with desire, and her hand slid up my thigh to tug at the hem of my shorts. Then it inched higher, until it came to rest against my hip. A shockwave of pleasure shuddered through me and I leaned into her, craving the closeness I’d had to do without.

“Oh, Devon…” She murmured my name with both hunger and reverence.

As we shared whispered promises and breathless confessions, our hands explored each other’s bodies with a newfound craving, a deep need to make up for the time we’d lost. I managed to lead her to my bedroom without once coming up for air—that happened while we desperately rid ourselves of our clothes.

Naked, sweating, my trembling body met hers in a sweet union that did nothing to ease the ache between my thighs.

“God, Devon, I’ve missed you.” She settled on top of me, using one hand to push my knee so that I’d open wider.