reminder, I stepped close to her, resuming my gentle attack on her line of buttons. Pushing her shirt over her shoulders and down her arms, I stared at where she stood in front of me, in only a red lace bra and matching underwear. They were tiny.
“Tell me what you want,” I said, feeling a little desperate as I pushed her hair behind her shoulder so I could suck on her neck, her jaw, her ear. “My cock? My mouth? My hands? Christ, I’m doing it all tonight but where does one start? I haven’t seen you in months and feel like I’m losing my mind.”
I reached for her arm, urging her closer. “Baby, put your hands on me.”
She ran her hands up my neck and cupped my face. I could feel her shaking. “Bennett.”
Only when she said my name like this—like she was shy and maybe even anxious—did I remember she said she had something to tell me other than I love you. Something I wouldn’t like.
“What is it?”
Her eyes were enormous, searching mine and full of apology. “I just finished my defense, and—”
“Oh, shit. I’m such an ass. I should take you to dinner or—”
“—and I promised Julia and Sara that we would go out—”
“—maybe we could get some dinner after I make you come—” I barreled on.
“—for drinks after my presentation—”
“I just need to hear you come once and then we can go. Just give me . . .” I stopped, finally letting her words settle in. “Wait, what? You’re going out with Julia and Sara? Tonight?”
She nodded, eyes tight. “I didn’t know you’d be here. I can’t tell you how much I want to call and cancel. But the thing is, I can’t. Not after how good they’ve been to me the last few months . . . when you and I were . . .”
I groaned, pressing the heel of my hands to my eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me this before I got you naked? Holy shit, how am I supposed to let you go now? I’m going to be hard for hours.”
“I tried to tell you.” To her credit, she looked as frustrated as I felt.
“Do we have time to . . .” I shook my head, looking around as if the answer were buried somewhere in this ancient furniture. “I could probably get us both off in, like, two minutes.”
She laughed. “I’m not sure that’s something to brag about.”
The hell it wasn’t.
Her small gasp of surprise was stolen by my lips as I kissed her, tongue and teeth and not even caring if we only had a few minutes. I could do a few minutes.
I slid my hand over the racing pulse in her throat, between her breasts and lower, down the front of her stomach. I moved lower still, finding that familiar, favorite place where she was warm and slick, and the roof could fall in and I wouldn’t even notice because, God, nothing existed but her and her little sounds and quiet whispers to keep going, keep going.
“Bennett,” she whispered. “Please.”
I reached down for my own pants, and had just started to speak—
And was interrupted by a sharp knock on the door.
A familiar voice floated into her entryway. “We’re here, Miss Serious Business Graduate, and we’re ready for the drinking!”
“This is a joke. Tell me this is a joke,” I said, glaring at her.
She shook her head, biting back a smile.
“I am in no mood to share right now. You have got to be fucking kidding me.”
“I forget how much I love seeing you on an angry tear.”
She walked to the door in her fucking underwear, and opened it a crack before turning and sprinting into her bedroom, leaving me to greet the intruders.
What in the actual fuck.
“I’ll be out in a few!” Chloe yelled over her shoulder, her nearly bare ass disappearing into a bedroom down the hall.
Julia whistled loudly, stepping over the threshold, and then stopped, and broke into laughter when she saw me.
“Wow, I didn’t expect you to answer the door in your underwear, Chloe.” Sara walked in with her hands over her eyes, reaching out blindly. She grabbed a handful of my half-unbuttoned shirt