“No. You’re the first man I’ve ever woken up next to besides my ex.”
His tongue wet his bottom lip, and I swore his chest moved a little faster. “It’s really been five years since a man has touched you? Kissed you?”
I gripped the hem of my shirt and nodded, watching his eyes darken like he wanted to consume my soul. Heat flared between my legs, and I could feel my nipples hardening against my shirt.
“All this time, you’ve never wanted to take someone home? Just one night to release all that stress and tension I see in your shoulders every day?”
Without meaning to, I huffed a laugh, and he quirked an eyebrow in response, waiting for my answer. “Sex…” How did I explain this? “Sex has never been much of a stress reliever for me. So no, I’ve never wanted to take someone home.”
Although, with the way he was looking at me, I was second-guessing that thought process.
He took a step closer until his stomach brushed against my peaked tips, and my lungs started working double time. “You don’t find yourself ever needing release at all? Needing someone to help you find that sweet spot and press it over and over again?”
My legs were full on shaking now, and I had to squeeze my thighs together to control the throbbing that was taking over every thought in my head. The hint of a smirk on his lips let me know he hadn’t failed to notice.
It didn’t matter, my voice gave me away a second later anyway. “In another world maybe, if anyone other than me could find it.”
His head pulled back, an incredulous look in his eyes. “Wait, you don’t mean—as in, ever?”
I looked away, knowing every visible inch of my skin was vibrant red. How the hell had we even gotten here?
“As in ever. My body doesn’t work right, I guess. I enjoyed sex just fine, but I had to, you know, handle things myself later.” I waved it off like it didn’t bother me to have spent my entire adult life feeling like I was broken.
He heaved out a sigh, brushing the pad of his thumb across his bottom lip. “I can’t decide if I want to go find that bastard all over again for ever making you think it was a you thing, or if I want to spread you out across that mattress and show you how goddamn wrong you are.”
Could you orgasm from just verbal stimulation? Because if you couldn’t, I was about to be the first. I’d break the fucking records. “You want to have sex with me?”
“I want to do a lot of things with you.”
He reached out to wrap his hands around my waist, but I stepped back out of reach, watching his eyes immediately shutter.
“I don’t know if I’m ready for a relationship, Garrett. I wasn’t lying that day to Layla. I don’t have the time a relationship deserves.”
His features relaxed. “I know you’re new to the idea, but you don’t have to be in a relationship to enjoy the feel of someone’s skin, Maddie.”
Looking toward the door, I rubbed my palms down my thighs. When had I started sweating? “So, you mean friends with benefits. No feelings.”
His eyes flared as he approached me again, brushing his lips across my cheek. “I promise not to catch feelings if you don’t.”
I shuddered, goosebumps covering my neck and arms. My body had never reacted like this to someone before, and the thought of this man touching me had me wanting to climb to the rooftop and agree at the top of my lungs.
I cleared my throat, then swallowed. I opened my mouth to say something I’d probably regret, only for a light, rhythmic tapping on my bedroom door to pull me back to the present.
Jamie. My kid was here. This is why dating was off limits for me. I couldn’t be thinking about Garrett’s chest, and thighs, and the hardness I’d felt, and fuck. I was in so much trouble. I put a large amount of space between our bodies, turning toward the sound.
“You need something, bud?”
“I woke up on the couch and you were gone.”
I shrank in on myself. And the most self-centered parenting award goes to? “I’m sorry if I worried you, I was going to let you sleep while I took a shower.” Which was kind of true, at least.
“Okay.”
It was silent for a moment, and then I heard the sound of his door. I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. When I looked up, Garrett was smiling down at me, his dimples on full display, like he knew exactly what I’d been about to say before the interruption.
“All right, you go jump in the shower and get ready. I’ll make coffee and find some breakfast for J-man.”
A large finger pressed on my lips, stopping the reply from exiting my mouth. Taking his time pulling it back, he pointed to the bathroom. “Shower. I’ll whip something up for you too.”
Satisfied with my silence, he ripped back the covers and wrapped those bulky arms around my miniature dachshund, cuddling her to his chest, and left.
I watched him amble out and pressed a hand to my chest, wondering how much this dream would hurt when it crumbled all around me.
Chapter Twenty
It was Saturday. Another game day. Jamie jogged out of his room in his uniform, cleats hanging from his hands. I looked over his thin, short-sleeve top and blew out my cheeks.
“Dude, you can’t go in that, you’ll freeze. Go get the long-sleeve undershirt I bought you.”
He groaned, throwing his head back and wiggling his body around like an inflatable tube man. But he listened, dropping his cleats to the floor, and trudging off.
I shook my head, turning to the two people standing by the door. Jamie had asked both Garrett and Layla to go today, so we were all piling in and heading there together.
I’d legitimately feared for Aaron’s life when I’d told Layla what had happened that night. She’d nearly clawed my arm off in her haste to snatch my phone and call him. I’d had to tackle her and threaten to give her a wet willy before she conceded defeat. The woman was crazy, but I loved her for it.
She was now leaned over, talking nonsense and rubbing Sadie’s back. My lips tipped up at the sight but faltered when I glanced at Garrett to find him looking at me. It’d been a few days since I’d woken up next to him, and in that time, he’d had dinner with us twice.
One night I’d cooked, and the next time he’d brought over Chinese. His proposal hovered over us like an elephant in the room—an overly large elephant wearing stilettos. Every time he said my name or brushed a little too close to me, the urge to say yes would whisper in my ear.
He didn’t bring it up again and neither did I, but every time he looked at me, I felt like he was undressing me. My body would tighten, my heart pounding in its cage while the air around us thickened to an unbearable degree. It was exactly what was happening now, and it was maddening.
“Ya’ll are making me wish I was headed to Rick’s rather than a soccer game.” Layla had straightened up, and she was fanning herself, looking back and forth between us. “Holy secret tension.”
“Oh, it’s not a secret. She knows.”
If I could have been a turtle, I’d have popped my head right into my shell. They were both looking at me, Garrett with self-satisfied humor, and Layla in wicked delight.
“I’m going to warm up the Jeep,” I muttered, slipping past. I could barely handle Garrett’s persuasion, but if Layla jumped on the bus—which she would—I wouldn’t stand a chance.
About five minutes later, the remainder of the group climbed in with me, Garrett up front and the other two in back. From the sounds of it, Layla was mid-way through an aggressive pep talk.
I rolled my eyes, backing out of the drive once everyone was buckled. The woman was incredibly competitive. Jamie would be lucky if she didn’t end up shooting to her feet, yelling, throughout the game.
Hearing Layla finally wrap up her speech, I glanced in my rearview mirror. “You get all that, bud?”
“I guess.”
I held a thumbs up behind my head, “Cool. Now chuck it all out the window and pretend you didn’t hear it because if you take any of her advice, you’re bound to get kicked out.”