Page 24 of Resonance
“I don’t know the size of it yet, because you’re holding out like a prim old Victorian lady.” Okay, maybe I was pretty hammered, but it wasn’t like I was comatose. I was definitely capable of consent.
“It’s a solid piece. How about that?”
I just bet it was. Something about Dan had me of two minds about him. On the one hand I could see him being gentle and attentive and on the other, merciless and rough. Both possibilities excited the hell out of me. The prospect of sex with him was like my own personal Forrest Gump box of chocolates; I had no idea what I’d get, but it was chocolate either way.
“So you say.” I shrugged and examined my hands. “’Course ‘solid’s’ not much good if someone doesn’t know what to do with it.”
Dan shocked the hell out of me by laughing outright. Loudly, too. “Shit. I’ll give you points for trying, but it’s not gonna work.”
I huffed in frustration, sliding off the dresser and straightening my clothes as Dan ran a hand over his mouth, then through his hair, and eyed me thoughtfully until I said, “What?”
He canted his head. “I don’t know. Just wasn’t expecting all that out of you.”
“Really? Even after that night outside the club?”
“That’s not what I—never mind.” He waved his hand and went to pick up his boots, setting them neatly alongside his duffle bag. “Gonna take a shower.”
“Yeah, I’ll bet.” I let the sarcasm slather thick over the words, and he laughed again. He peeled his shirt off and didn’t seem to care that I was staring. Of course, what else could he do? Tell me to stop? He’d just had his tongue in my mouth while his cock ground against mine. I figured I’d earned that liberty, and I wasn’t entirely sure that extra roll of his shoulders that conveniently contracted his abs wasn’t for my benefit.Tease. He sauntered into the bathroom and shut the door, and as soon as I heard the shower turn on, I unzipped, grabbed a tissue, sat on the end of the bed, and took care of myself lickety split. Totally not the happy ending I’d been hoping for.
By the time Dan emerged in a cloud of soap-scented steam, I was picking a couple of pillows off the bed and tossing them onto the little pallet I’d made in front of the TV from an extra set of sheets and a blanket I’d found in the closet. The blanket was more fuzz pills than actual fluff, but at least it smelled clean.
Dan rubbed the ends of his hair with a towel, and I fussed with the blanket some more so I wouldn’t be tempted to keep staring at his chest. The chest I’d been touching a half hour before. The one I’d gotten denied touching anymore.
Didn’t that qualify as cruel and unusual punishment somewhere?
“Gonna take the floor, then, huh?”
“Looks like it. Concession to old age and all. Can’t have you waking up stiff tomorrow. Or any stiffer than you already are.” I smiled to myself and glanced up for the waft of soap that tickled my nose as he walked past.
“Uh-huh.”
He watched me a moment longer, one hand on his hip, the other stroking lightly over the hair on his pecs. Then he sighed and pulled back the covers on the bed before making an impatient gesture. “C’mon, then. You don’t need a stiff neck, either. We’ve got a lot of shit to get through tomorrow.”
“I was just messing around. I don’t mind sleeping on the floor. Promise. I’ve done it plenty of times before.” I’d long learned to make friends with hard floors and a couple of blankets. I could just call it nostalgia.
But he kept on staring at me—not exactly impatient, just firm—until I picked up the pillows, tossed them back on the bed, and crawled in after them. Screw nostalgia.
The mattress sank as Dan sat down on it, then twisted the switch on the lamp. Darkness fell swift and thick. The bed squeaked as he got settled and let out a long breath. A faint tinge of whiskey filtered through my next inhale.
I laced my arms behind my head, a smile spreading over my lips as a faint sense of vertigo tilted the edges of my vision. “What happens if someone tries to cuddle you? Do you have a perimeter alarm? Do you zap people when they get too close with affectionate intent? Ohhh, how about a force field? That would be awesome. Like, people just bounce off of you?”
Dan groaned. “Are you kidding me right now? Go to sleep.”
Squishing the lumpy pillow under my head, I rolled onto my side. Dan’s profile was rimmed in the yellow glow of light seeping in from a crack in the curtain. “But seriously, do you even cuddle?”
“Try and find out.” His murmur was drowsy and muffled, and I was just tipsy enough to think that was a fine idea.
I reached across the mattress and had barely skimmed my hand over what I thought was his arm when…
“BZZZZT!”
“Jesus!” I snapped my hand back as my heart thundered. I’d been prepared for grousing or for him to swat me away, but not him actually playing into it.
Dan’s laughter boomed off the walls around us, hearty and humored and so fucking smug. I sulked for all of a second before I joined in.
We tapered off gradually and then he sighed. “Fuck, I shouldn’t have had that last whiskey. Now go the hell to sleep.”
Chapter 9