“As a matter of fact.” Ian snaked his arm around my waist and pulled me into him without dropping his steady gaze from Jimmy. “Lauren has already moved on. Maybe it’s time you did the same.”
“Is this true?” Jimmy’s electric blue eyes met mine. “You are a one-man woman now?”
I opened my mouth to speak, but wasn’t sure what to say. Had Ian just labeled what we were to each other? Were we together, even though we hadn’t shared anything more than a few heated kisses? Or was this all an act to make Jimmy think we were together so he would back off?
“I don’t know.” The words fell from my lips when I couldn’t decide on anything else to say.
Jimmy smiled. “Then there’s still room for me in your life.”
It wasn’t a question. It was more of a statement, and I hated it. It was wrong. Anything with Jimmy was wrong. I could see that clearly now, thanks to Ian. Jimmy was the type of guy every girl should stay away from. He was the type that would wreck you in the end. No, there was definitely no more room for him in my life.
“No.” I shook my head. “There’s not a single inch of space for you in my life, asshole. Get off my concrete slab of a porch, and get out of my life.” I slammed the door in his face, and holy shit did it feel good to do it.
Ian wrapped his other arm around my waist, and pulled me into him again. “Well, that was blunt. Theatric, but blunt. I think you removed any lingering doubts with that goodbye.”
Shifting to look at him, I smiled. “Theatric, huh?”
“Definitely.” He grinned. “Straight out of a movie.”
Rising to my tippy toes, I planted a soft kiss on his lips. “So, what is this between us? What are we?”
I had to ask. Feeling as though I was hanging in limbo with him was going to be the death of me. A need to know if what he’d said was true washed through me. Did Ian think of us as a couple now?
“Together.” He brushed his lips against mine in a featherlight kiss. “Is that okay with you?”
“Perfectly fine,” I whispered, wishing his kisses would deepen a smidge.
“You’re sure?” he asked between teasing me with little nibbles along my bottom lip. “You ready to be a one-man woman for as long as you’ll have me?”
“I think I can manage that, as long as I don’t get bored,” I teased. His word choice had sent icy pinpricks of panic rushing through my system. They’d been too close to sounding like a marriage proposal.
Ian splayed his fingers and trailed his hands down to my hips. They moved around to cup my ass, and he pushed me against the wall. My breath hitched. I knew he was a little dirtier than he’d made himself out to be. All thoughts of his odd wording from a second ago slipped from my mind when he hoisted me up on him. I locked my ankles around his waist as our kiss deepened the way I’d wanted it to. The solid door behind me ground into my spine, but there was no way I was going to complain and cause this moment to end. I’d only ever seen things like this happen on TV. Never in real life had a guy scooped me up and pushed me against a wall. This was probably because I wasn’t the lightest girl on the block.
Dragging Ian’s bottom lip between my teeth, I let him know how excited this positioning was making me. A low groan spurred from his chest, and he hoisted me higher. Locking his arms in a solid grip around me, he started in the direction of my room. Panic swelled within me. I didn’t want him to drop me, but I damn sure didn’t want him breaking something or pulling a muscle along the way either.
“I can walk,” I whispered. I pulled away from his lips and trailed kisses along his neck.
“And I can carry you,” he said, his breathing surprisingly even. “You’re not heavy.”
Scoffing at his comment mentally, I ran my fingers across his biceps while continuing in my pursuit of his mouth. Veins bulged in his arms as he carried me across my apartment. His muscles were taut and flexed to the extreme beneath my fingertips. I found this to be sexy as hell.
Pushing my bedroom door open with his elbow, he stepped to the side of my bed and tossed me down on it. A single giggle escaped me. His mouth was on mine in an instant, and he forced my mind as far away from the thought of anything even remotely funny as possible. Pure raw need rippled through his touch, and slipped along the movement of his tongue.
While I fumbled with the button on his shorts, Ian slipped a hand down my hip in a slow, lazy movement. His fingertips grazed along the top of my thigh before inching to the inside. I nearly came undone when he slipped a single finger past the spandex material of my shorts and stroked along my panty line. Tugging at the back of his shirt, I forced it up and over his head. It fell to the floor, and I wasted no time before my hands were back on the firm muscles that made up his stomach. He lifted himself off me enough to be able to inch my shorts and panties down until they were tangled around my ankles. Kicking them off, I prayed Ian wasn’t going to be the type who asked me a million times if I was sure this was what I wanted. Shimmying his shorts and boxers down, I gripped the length of him in my hand to make sure that thought never crossed his mind. If this gesture didn’t say, “I want you, don’t stop,” then I wasn’t sure what would.
Ian’s breathing heightened, and a moan rumbled from the center of his chest. It filled the silence of my room and infused my movements. Sliding the fabric of my top over my head, Ian then unhooked my bra and tossed it to the floor in seconds. My hand went back to what it had been doing before the interruption. Ian moaned and reached around for his shorts. They dangled above me as he frantically pulled his wallet from the back pocket and removed a foil packet.
In just seconds, I would be having sex with a guy who could be labeled as nothing other than good. This was a first for me. I was sailing through uncharted territories and loving the freaking journey.
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
IAN
Never in my life had sex felt so good. I wasn’t sure if it was because all I’d had to compare it to lately was my hand, or if it was simply her and the way we fit together. Lauren snuggled against my chest, and I kissed the top of her head.
“You really know what you’re doing,” I said. It wasn’t what I wanted to say though. I wanted to tell her how fucking mind-blowing that had been, and how, in about ten minutes, I would be ready to have a repeat.
She chuckled and the vibration of it tickled my chest. “Thank you. I can say the same about you.”
Relief surged through me. I’d hoped she had enjoyed it as much as me.
A knock at the front door made both of us jump.
“I bet that’s the delivery guy.” I slipped out of bed and rummaged through our clothes pile on her bedroom floor until I found my boxers and shorts. “You stay there. I’ll be right back.”
I happened to glance over at her as I tugged my shorts on and walked out of the room; her head was propped up with her hand while she stared unabashedly at me as I dressed. There was a lustful gleam shining in her eyes, and I knew before the night was over, we would be going for round two.
I paid for the Chinese food, grabbed some paper towels from the kitchen, and prayed Lauren would still be lying naked in her bed when I came back. Thank God for small favors, because she was. Her hair spread across her pillow, the sheets pulled barely high enough to cover her, and a wide smile on her face. This woman was gorgeous.
“Dinner is served.” I held up the bag of food cartons and moved to sit on the edge of her bed.
“Nope.” She shook her head. “If I’m eating naked, then so are you. Get undressed, honey.” She took the bag from my hand and arched an eyebrow.
I smirked as I nodded. “All right, I can agree to that rule.”
She sat up and the sheet fell, exposing her bare chest. This would be either the quickest meal I’d ever eaten or the lightest, because there was no way I was going to be able to keep my hands to myself.
“I like your tattoo, by the way.” I smiled, unable to get my mind away from thoughts of her naked and spread beneath me.
“You do?” S
he eyed me.
The little four-leaf clover on her left hip flashed through my mind. It had been one sexy little surprise to find when I’d undressed her. Even though she’d mentioned once before she had a tattoo, I loved the way I’d found out what and where it was on her gorgeous body.
“Oh yeah.” I nodded. “Did you get it to bring you good luck?”
Her nose crinkled when she smiled. “Yeah, I guess. When I was little I used to search for hours trying to find one and was never able to, so when I got older, I decided I’d have one branded on me and see if it helped with good luck any.”
“And did it?” I asked.
She shrugged. “It’s still to be determined.”
“Ah, okay. Well, you’ll have to let me know how that all works out for you.”
“Deal.” She dropped her eyes to the bag of food between us and grabbed a random carton. I watched her as she popped it open and glanced in at the contents. “Have you ever eaten with chopsticks before?”
Situating a few pillows behind my back, I reached for a carton of food and a package of chopsticks. “Never. You?”
“Nope.” She glanced up at me and grinned. “Out of all the times I’ve eaten Chinese, I’ve never once used them.”
“So do it.” I tossed a pack at her. “I dare you to eat your entire meal with chopsticks.”
Her head fell back and she laughed. “You dare me, huh?”
“That’s what I said and I didn’t stutter,” I teased.
She stopped laughing and opened the chopsticks. “You’re so unexpected.” Her words were soft.
I narrowed my eyes at her. “Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”
“Good, definitely good.” She pinched her chopsticks between her fingers and looked down at her carton of food. “I thought you’d be something totally different than what you actually are. You’re better.”
“Are we talking about how I am in bed or just in general?”
“Both, definitely both.”
“Okay, well, let me just say you’re exactly what I figured you’d be.”
Her head fell to the side and she stared at me. “Are you saying I’m predictable, Ian Mason?”
A small smile twisted the corners of her lips. She was struggling not to laugh. I inhaled slowly, loving this moment.
“Exactly.”
“I am not predictable.” She kicked me in the leg.
“Mean.” I chuckled. “I knew you were violently mean. Thank you for proving the point to me even further.”
“Whatever.” She rolled her eyes and crammed a large portion of rice noodles into her mouth.
“Let me prove it.” My heart hammered in my chest, but I couldn’t let this moment slip by me. This might be the only chance I got to ask her to dinner tomorrow night with my family without it seeming awkward or too soon. “I already know your answer to a question I haven’t even asked will be a silent no.”
“A silent no?” Her eyebrows drew together. “Well, what’s the question?”
“Will you come to Sunday dinner at my parents’ house with me tomorrow night?” The silence I’d expected built between us. I took another bite of my chicken fried rice, stretched my legs out in front of me, and then crossed my ankles. “See, I knew it would be a silent no. Lauren Myers, I deem you as so predictable.”
“Yes,” she said, surprising me. “I’ll go. It’s just dinner.” She shrugged.
I stopped chewing. “You’ll go? For real?”
She nodded. “Yeah.”
“Okay.” I flashed her a devilish smile as something to lighten the mood flashed through my mind. “Thanks, by the way, point proven.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Lauren sat up in bed and gathered a pillow to cram behind her back. Pulling the sheets up over her lap, she set the hot carton of food down and narrowed her eyes at me, obviously waiting for my response.
“That you’re still predictable. I knew you’d say yes if I first told you you’d say no.”
Her jaw slacked. “You mind fucked me?”
“Sure did, sweetheart.” I took another bite of my rice and grinned. Damn, that was good.
* * * *
At quarter till six, Lauren and I pulled into my parents’ driveway. Both of my sisters’ cars were already taking up space in the driveway. I’d figured they would probably come thirty minutes early to talk about how I was finally bringing someone home again. Hilary had been the first, and I’d assumed she would have been the last, but apparently, fate had other plans for me. Glancing at Lauren in the passenger seat, I was finally okay with that.
“This is a cute house,” she said.
“Thanks.” I shifted into park, but didn’t cut the engine.
I was unsure if Lauren was an incredible actress or if she seriously wasn’t nervous about meeting my family for the first time. Either way, she sounded perfectly at ease. I would shit a brick if the shoe was on the other foot, considering we’d only been dating for a month or so by my count. My chest caved in. This was too soon. Way fucking too soon. Why had I gone through with asking her? I should have made my mom wait until at least the six-month marker, right?
Lauren reached for the passenger door handle and shifted in her seat. It was too late to pop my truck in reverse and hightail it out of here. She hopped out of the truck and walked to the front before I could blink. I was still sitting behind the wheel, unmoving and barely breathing, wondering what in the hell I was thinking bringing her here.
“Aren’t you coming?” she asked, pausing at the front of my truck. An impish grin stretched across her face. “Or are you going to back out now?”
My lips twisted into a smirk matching hers. The moment still held the challenge within it from last night for her. Maybe I was taking this all too seriously. “Nope.”
“You sure?”
Pulling my keys from the ignition, I opened my door and climbed out. “Let’s do this.”
Lauren wrapped her arm around my waist and leaned her head against my shoulder. We hadn’t made it to the front door of the house before my mother opened it. From the look on her face, you would have thought I’d never brought someone home before.
“Hey.” Mom beamed. “We’re just about to set the table and eat.”
After handing out unnecessary introductions on my family’s part—considering they all knew who Lauren was, thanks to Cassie’s big mouth—we all sat at the table and proceeded to dish out food. Cassie had cooked for us again, which meant it was health food that was barely recognizable. This time there were gluten-free rolls on the table. The joy that surged through me at the sight of something resembling bread was unimaginable. Grabbing one, I slathered some heart-healthy fake butter over the top and took a bite. The urge to spit out the gummy, flavorless bite in my mouth was nearly overwhelming.
“What’s the matter, Ian? Don’t care for the roll?” Lauren called me out.
I shifted my eyes to her, and then to Cassie in a quick motion. “They’re not my favorite, that’s for sure…but at least I tried one.” I shrugged, praying Cassie wouldn’t be pissed. She was getting sensitive about our reactions to her cooking lately, stating that she was just trying to create healthy meals for us all to enjoy and she wished we would stop acting like she was trying to freaking poison us during Sunday dinner.
Cassie narrowed her eyes at me and took a bite of her roll. “What are you talking about?” she muttered. An expression similar to the one that had passed across my face flitted over hers. She hated them too. It was plain to see. “They’re awesome.”
“They’re not too bad,” Toby said. “If you like the taste of Play-Doh. I like the taste of Play-Doh though. I eat it all the time at school.”
The entire table erupted into a fit of laughter, even Cassie.
“That was a good one, little man.” I nodded in his direction. Toby grinned as our laughter continued to fill the dining room.
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
LAUREN
Dinner with Ian�
�s family was a blast. It wasn’t until afterward—when the cleanup had commenced and we were hanging out in the living room—that the awkwardness set in for me. Thank goodness his younger sister, Cassie, started rambling about some inspirational seminar regarding thinking positive, eating healthy, and being in the present she’d attended at a college two towns over.
“And then he said a quote he’d heard somewhere that really resonated with me: We all tend to clutch onto the past, and because of it, we cause our minds to be unavailable in the present. This is man’s greatest fault.” Cassie said the words dramatically and with enough pauses in between to give the quote more impact.
It wasn’t needed. The quote would have gripped me anyway. Goose bumps prickled across my skin as I replayed her words in my head. I’d never heard something so true. Cassie was exactly the type of person I needed to be around at this point in my life—she was positive, health conscious, and spiritual. All things I wished I could be more of.
“I really like that,” I said. “I can see the truth in it.”
“Right?” She beamed. “The entire seminar was spot on. If he wasn’t fifty-eight and happily married, I’d marry him so I could bask in his wisdom every day of my life.”
“That statement is wrong on so many levels,” Ian muttered from beside me.
Cassie continued with her rambling without acknowledging Ian. I listened to her, hanging on to her every word, soaking it all in because I felt it was everything I needed to hear right now.
When Aubrey and her husband announced they were leaving about an hour later, it was like a chain reaction among us all—Cassie said she had to go too, and Ian asked me what I wanted to do next now that I’d survived dinner at the Masons.
“Head back to your place, I guess.” I smoothed my palms down the length of my shorts. “I’m sure we can find some slow-moving zombie movie to watch together before I need to head back to my apartment and get some laundry done.”
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