Chapter 24: Boundaries and Breakfast

AVA

This man would be the death of me. I wasn’t sure how many more near heart attacks my poor body could handle.

I was just glad we were done with breakfast. I would have choked for sure if we were still eating.

Cyrus grinned slyly at me. “Those reactions will never get old,” he said. “You go get showered, love. I’ll wait here until you’re ready.”

I was blushing so heavily I felt like my face was on fire. I quickly turned around and started making my way back toward the bathroom.

“…For me to join you,” he added jokingly.

I squinted at him over my shoulder as I pulled my hair into a bun. I raced into the bathroom, grabbing clothes on the way there. I considered locking the door but ultimately decided not to.

I ran the water as I undressed— to get it heated up, but also so Cyrus would know I was likely not decent.

I got in and showered as quickly as I could. Luckily I didn’t have to wash my hair, and I wasn’t due for a wax for a while, so I was done in barely a minute.

I did make a point of brushing my teeth extra thoroughly though. I dried off and put on my underwear, my prettiest set, ~just in case.~

I threw on my button-down shirt dress— the one I’d been wearing the first time we met— and exited the bathroom, my legs still too damp to be able to put on my tights.

I found Cyrus sitting on the bed, leaning back on his elbows. His eyes raked over my body, making the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

He slowly got up and walked toward me until our fronts touched. It took everything I had not to run my hands over his gorgeous body.

Cyrus grabbed another fistful of hair and tilted my head to the side to sniff my neck.

“God, you smell good.”

This time I couldn’t help myself. My hands grabbed his sides automatically, and I leaned my face into his chest.

Cyrus wrapped his arms around me and pulled me to him. We stood there, pressed against each other, both ~clearly~ turned on.

“What are you doing to me?” he said.

He stepped back, hooked his thumbs into the waistband of his boxers, and dropped them down as he walked into the bathroom.

I was left staring at his backside, arousal surging through me, making my knees buckle so badly I had to sit down.

Cyrus showered and brushed his teeth and came back out of the bathroom wearing only the fresh towel I had laid out for him. He found me still sitting on the bed.

I jumped up, went into my closet, and came back out with a pair of clean boxers.

Cyrus held up his hands, his face dark. “I’m not putting on your ex—”

“They’re not my ex’s! They’re mine. I sleep in them sometimes.”

His face cleared, and he caught the pair of boxers midair. “Well, that changes things.”

He put them on under his towel. He then took off the towel and held it over the hamper.

“Or do you want to keep this?” he asked with a sly grin.

“Yes,” I mocked. “I was planning on putting it over my pillow and sleeping on it tonight.”

He chuckled lowly and walked back into the bathroom to hang it on my towel rail. I rolled my eyes at him.

“So…,” Cyrus said, walking closer to me until his crotch was at eye level.

I swallowed thickly and looked up at him. He let out a ragged breath and cupped my jaw in his hand.

“…What ~is~ happening here?”

I bit my lip. “Nothing. You’re just doing your job. I got hurt, and you made sure I was safe.” My heart ached as I spoke the words.

He ran his thumb over my bottom lip. “Yeah…fuck that.” He pushed me back onto the bed and crashed his lips into mine.

My instincts took over. My hands grasped whatever I could get a hold of, trying to pull him closer to me.

Cyrus lowered his weight onto me, crushing me into the mattress. His hand grabbed the back of my knee and pulled it up so our crotches were pressed against each other.

His groaning made me shiver with delight. When I broke away from our kiss, gasping for air, he growled, “Get back here,” and claimed my lips again.

I returned his kiss and softly bit down on his lower lip. His hands dipped under the thin fabric of my dress and slid over my body while his tongue slid over my lips and dipped into my mouth, finding mine.

I arched my back, and he bucked his hips slightly, pressing his hardness against my core.

“Cyrus,” I moaned breathlessly before I could stop myself.

He groaned and pulled my head to the side by my hair. “Again,” he growled, making me feel drunk.

“Cyrus…”

He ground his crotch into mine even harder. I was suddenly very aware of how little fabric there was between us. I was certain he could feel my arousal just as clearly as I could feel his.

His hands ran back down my body, stopping at the lacy fabric of my bra. He pulled his head back, breaking away from our kiss.

“Tell me to stop,” he said.

I scoffed. “Nope.”

He lowered his head down, resting his forehead on mine. “What are you doing to me, girl?”

He rolled onto his back, and I laid my head down on his chest. His strong arms reached down and pulled me onto him until I was straddling him.

“What are you doing to ~me~?” I said. “What are ~we~ doing?” I was trying not to get distracted by his hands grabbing my hips and grinding me into him softly.

“I don’t know. But let’s find out.”

We stayed in bed all morning, kissing and grinding on each other like horny teenagers, but never moving past that.

We both seemed a little unsure of the other’s boundaries, but we were perfectly content with what we were doing right now, especially after holding back for so long.

Plus, not rushing into things meant we could stay in this bubble of arousal for a while longer, and I didn’t mind one bit.

We got out of bed eventually—a little sore from grinding on each other—and made lunch.

Cyrus lifted me onto the counter, spread my legs, set the plate of sandwiches between them, and then sat down on the barstool between my knees.

“My favorite kind of lunch. Whatever is between your legs.”

I blushed, and we ate our food. It felt casual, familiar, perfect, like everything was the way it was supposed to be.

After finishing lunch, Cyrus lifted the plate from between my knees, pushed it off to the side, and pulled me down into his lap.

“Let me take you on a date,” he said, his lips against my scalp. “Tomorrow. I have an appointment tonight.”

“Yes, please.”

“God, I’ve been wanting to do this for so long.”

I leaned back a little, so I could look at him. “Then why didn’t you? Why were you being such a dick to me before?”

He sighed. “Because we shouldn’t be doing this.” I could see him starting to detach again.

“I know.” I pressed myself closer to him and kissed his lips softly. “I know, Cy. But let’s do it anyway.”

Cyrus deepened the kiss, grabbing the back of my neck. His kissing changed, became more feral, possessive. His breathing sped up, and I could feel his erection growing beneath me.

I slowly ground into him, feeling him twitch against my core.

He pulled away, looking at me, his eyes ferocious. “Tell me you’re mine.”

“I’m yours,” I said immediately.

I had been his from the start, even if it took me a little while to admit it to myself. We both knew I hadn’t stood a chance from the beginning.

“I wish I could mark you somehow”—he softly bit my earlobe—“show the world you’re mine and mine alone.”

I smiled, nuzzling my face into his neck. “Do it. Bite me. Brand me. Tattoo your name across my forehead.”

“Now, don’t give me any ideas.”

He winked, but then his face grew serious. “I see them all looking at you. I had to sit back and watch Tobias take you out on dates and August flocking you when he moved out of the way.”

I scoffed and rolled my eyes. “August is seeing someone.”

“Didn’t seem to stop Tobias before.”

“You knew about that?!”

“Not before you did.”

I winced. “Anyway, August’s love interest is six foot three and two hundred and fifteen pounds.”

Cyrus raised his eyebrows. “To each their own. But I bet he would make an exception for a pretty little brunette.”

“I doubt that, since his love interest is also a boy. And he only swings one way.”

He looked content with that answer.

“Still applies, though,” he said eventually. “With everyone else. I want them all to know you’re off-limits.”