Caught Up: Chapter 21

This house is nice. Similar to Kai’s place, which is only ten minutes away, but a bit bigger. On the short drive over, I learned that the owners are a local NBA player and his fiancée, and that I’d also be meeting another guy who plays for Chicago’s NHL team as well as his fiancée.

I’m nervous.

I was hesitant to agree when Kai asked me back at the stadium, but those nerves have only amplified on the ride over here. Meeting the closest friends of the dad I’m nannying for doesn’t exactly seem like the no-strings-attached summer I planned for. In fact, this dinner feels very stringy.

At the same time, there’s an odd pressure sitting on my chest, hoping they’ll like me. I can’t recall the last time I was concerned about acceptance. I never stay in one place long enough to worry if I’ll make friends or not, but this feels different and I’m not sure why. It shouldn’t matter if Kai’s friends like me or not because, in less than a month’s time, they won’t remember me anyway.

Kai opens the front door without knocking, reaffirming how comfortable he is with these people, and I enter first with Max slung on my hip. But two steps into the foyer, when I hear voices, I stop.

“Go ahead.” He motions towards the back of the house. “I think everyone is in the kitchen.”

I don’t move.

“You okay?”

I nod.

“Miller Montgomery.” He turns toward me. “Are you . . . nervous?”

“No.”

He chuckles. “Oh my God, you are. Miss ‘grab my tits if it’ll help you calm down’ is nervous for a little family dinner.”

I can’t even get in on the joke right now. That’s how off I feel.

His face softens. “They’re all nice people, Mills.”

I straighten my shoulders, determination set between them. “I’m sure they are. Let’s go.”

Kai’s confused stare burns into the back of my head, but I’m not going to reveal that I’m nervous because I don’t really have friends. No need to explain that friendship leads to connection which leads to heartbreak when I inevitably leave for the next city. Because then he’d ask why I’d be nervous if that were the case and I’d have to try to figure it out for myself why I want his friends to like me of all people.

I’m the first to see everyone as I stand in the entryway to the kitchen with Max on my hip.

“Hi!” He waves to the four other people in the room, but I stay frozen in place when all eyes land on me. Then Kai’s hand finds the small of my back and an odd amount of peace washes over me from that simple gesture.

That’s Kai though. Stable. Dependable. Always there when you need him.

But this summer, he’s needed me. To help with his son. To make him let loose. And now, the tables have turned for the first time in our . . . whatever our situation is.

The group of four glance around each other in the kitchen, unspoken conversations taking place, before a tall man with a chain around his neck and tattoos decorating his arm splits into a cheeky smile. “Well, aren’t you three the cutest little family we’ve ever seen.” He finishes that with a few brow pumps aimed at the man at my side.

We do look domestic as hell, me holding Max, and Kai carrying the lemon meringue pie I whipped up.

“Miller, right?” asks a woman with blue-green eyes and curly hair.

I hold my hand up in a small wave. “That’s me. The nanny he wasn’t allowed to fire and is now sleeping with.”

A man with equally vibrant eyes chokes on his drink.

“Yep. I like her,” says the first man with the tattoos.

“She’s giving you guys shit,” Kai corrects.

A blonde woman with a spring in her step bounds right towards me. “It is so great to meet you! I’m Indy,” she says, gesturing behind her. “This is my fiancé, Ryan. Welcome to our home! And that’s my best friend, Stevie, and her fiancé, Zanders.”

I mentally engrain those names the best I can.

Man with ocean eyes and freckled cheeks: Ryan.

Woman with those same attributes: Stevie.

Tattoos and chain: Zanders

And the blonde ball of sunshine: Indy.

“Can I say hi to this little guy?” She holds her hands out for Max and he finds his way into her arms. “And let me take that from you.” She grabs the pie from Kai. “Did you make this, Miller? It looks amazing. Do you want a drink? I made margaritas! Come in, make yourselves comfortable.”

After hellos are said, the room seems to settle, giving us a moment to join.

I keep my voice quiet so only Kai can hear. “She seems . . . friendly.”

“She will make you her . . . bestie. Is that what you girls call it?”

I chuckle. “I don’t fucking know.”

“Well, she will make you her friend even if you try to resist, so my advice would be to just go with it.”

A small curve settles on my lips at the idea of that.

Kai’s thumb rubs a circle against my lower back in his naturally soothing way. “Do you feel a bit better now?”

“They called us cute.”

“How dare they.” His head jerks back. “The last word I’d ever use to describe you is ‘cute’.”

“Exactly. God, you know me so well.”

“Stevie, how’s the senior dog center been?” Kai asks.

“It’s been great. With the team’s partnership”—she points at Zanders—“donations have been amazing and adoptions have been consistent.” Her brow raises. “Why are you asking? Are you looking to adopt?”

Kai chuckles. “One day, I promise I will. Once I officially retire from baseball, you’ll be my first stop.”

“Deal.”

Indy uses her fork to point to the almost finished lemon meringue slice on her plate. “Miller, I’m going to need this recipe. Actually, I think I’m going to need you to just come over and teach me sometime. I’ve never gotten meringue right.”

“I’d love to. Teaching is one of the favorite parts of my job.”

“Perfect.” She brings her margarita to her lips with a smile. “We’ll make a girls’ day out of it. Stevie, you in?”

“Absolutely.”

I sit back in my seat with a smile on my lips, and Kai’s palm slides over my thigh under the table, giving it a squeeze. When my attention drifts to his face, he’s got a soft grin on his lips and shoots me a discreet wink.

Tonight has been great. The nerves disappeared almost immediately.

It also helped when Rio, Zanders’ teammate, showed up and brought the humor. It’s my favorite way to break the ice.

But it’s been especially great because Indy and Stevie are nice girls, and it’s comforting to see how much the guys care about Kai and his son. Ryan was even the one to take Max upstairs and put him down for bed in one his guest rooms where, apparently, they keep a crib for nights like this one.

“And the wedding?” Kai asks Ryan and Indy. “How’s the planning?”

Ryan slips his hand into Indy’s, looking right at her when he says, “Great. We’re getting close. September twelfth.”

“Miller, will you still be in town?” Indy asks, pumping her brow in Kai’s direction. “Kai has a plus-one.”

“Okay, matchmaker,” he mutters under his breath.

I freeze for the first time at the table because dinner with his friends already felt too intimate and attached but attending his close friend’s wedding is a whole other category.

“I won’t be, unfortunately. I leave at the end of August.”

My eyes flick to Kai and he’s not smiling.

“Speaking of marriage and husbands,” Rio begins, starting on his second slice of pie. “Miller, are you looking for one?”

“No, she’s not,” Kai quickly declares at my side.

“Dang, Daddy, I just meant because the pie is so good, I’d marry her for it.”

Kai leans close to me but speaks loud enough for Rio to hear. “He didn’t mean that because of the pie.”

Rio sighs. “You’re right. I didn’t. I just want to find somebody to love me. Is that really so much to ask for?”

“Aw, Rio,” Indy coos at my side. “I love you.”

“Thanks, Ind. At least somebody does.”

“So do I,” Stevie pipes up.

“I love you too, man,” Zanders adds from the head of the table.

Rio looks right to Ryan. “And Ryan, what about you?”

Ryan glances around the table, pretending to have missed the entire conversation. “What are we talking about?”

Indy playfully smacks him in the chest and while more laughter and conversation flows around us, Kai reaches between us and pulls my already close chair even closer to his.

“Having fun?” he asks in a hushed tone.

We lean into each other, each of us resting our cheeks on our palms and looking at one another.

I nod with a smile. “I am. Thank you for bringing me.”

He watches my lips as I speak, tucking his lower one between his teeth.

“Thank you for coming. I think this is my favorite family dinner yet.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“Yeah. Mostly because of the pie.”

I give him a gentle swat on the upper arm.

“And because of the girl who made it.”

He looks at my lips and I look at his before the front door opens, breaking our moment.

“Isaiah?” Kai asks, when his brother comes waltzing in.

“Sorry I’m late!”

Indy stands from her chair. “I’m so glad you made it! Let me get you a plate. We had tacos. You good with everything?”

“You’re an angel, Ind. Thank you.”

Isaiah goes around the table, swinging his arm around Ryan, Zanders, and Rio as he greets them all, then pops a kiss on Stevie’s cheek as he walks by.

“Stevie, you’re looking beautiful.”

“Get your own girl, Rhodes,” Zanders reminds him.

Isaiah takes a seat on the other side of Kai. “Working on it.”

“What are you doing here?” Kai asks.

“It’s family dinner.”

“You haven’t been to one in weeks. And why are you so late?”

Isaiah leans in closer, for only me and his brother to hear.

“Did you know that Kennedy isn’t wearing her ring anymore?”

“What ring?” I ask.

“Ken used to have a giant diamond on her ring finger,” Kai explains. “It hasn’t been there all season.”

“You knew? Why didn’t you tell me? And how the hell did I not notice until today? I stare at that girl all the time.”

“I figured you saw.”

“Well, I did today, and now you’re looking at a changed man.”

Kai and I both burst out laughing.

“Excuse me, I’m serious about this.”

“That’s why you’re here,” Kai realizes.

“I’m a family man now. All these years, I didn’t really have a chance in hell because she was engaged, but now, I have a shot.”

“You technically have a shot.”

“This is happening. As of today, you’re looking at a one-woman man. I was just filling my time all these years, waiting for her to be single.”

“And by ‘filling your time’, you’re referring to filling your bed?” I ask.

He gives a quick nod of his head. “Yes, exactly.”

Kai and I are wearing fully amused grins, watching his playboy brother turn into a love-struck yet hopeful idiot.

“You can’t blame me for doing my thing when she wasn’t available, but now that she’s single . . .” Isaiah shakes his head, pointing at himself. “Changed man.”

Indy puts a plate of tacos down in front of Isaiah before giving his shoulders a squeeze. “Happy you’re here, Isaiah.”

“I’ll be here every week!”

I lean into Kai. “Where’s the restroom?”

He points behind us. “Down that hall. Second door on your right.”

“I’ll be right back.”

Ryan and Indy’s home is stunning, modern, and clean, but with plenty of bright pops as well. I take my time looking at the artwork on the walls as I walk down the hall. I use the restroom, and as I’m washing my hands at the sink, I can’t help but stare at my child-like grin in the mirror because tonight was fun. These people are fun. I couldn’t tell you the last time I had dinner around a table where the conversation was about something other than menu changes, seasonal fruit, or current food trends.

It was nice to have a meal where I was simply Miller instead of Chef.

Turning, I dry my hands on the small towel when my attention drifts to the framed piece of cross-stitch hung on the wall. The embroidery on the crisp piece of linen is bright and feminine. The lettering is done in cursive, using a dark pink thread and surrounded by tiny flowers and hearts.

Please don’t do drugs in our bathroom, is hung proudly on display.

It’s so out of place in this dark and moody restroom.

I love it.

On my way back, the conversation continues in the dining room so I slip into the kitchen to grab another margarita. For being in a stranger’s home, I feel oddly comfortable enough to help myself. Kai’s friends are laid-back and easy to be around, and it’s comforting to see how much they’ve welcomed both him and Max into the fold.

I give the blender a quick pulse to re-mix the frozen margarita before opening the cabinet to grab a new glass. Except, the shelf at eye level is empty and the only available cups are up high, almost out of my reach.

Lifting on my toes, I stretch as tall as I can, tension pulling the straps over my shoulders and causing my cutoff overalls to ride up my ass. My fingers graze the bottom of the shelf I need to reach and I use my other hand to push myself off the counter. I’m so close to getting my hand around a glass when a vein-corded arm reaches over me.

“I’ve got it,” Kai says before his hand stills on the cup, both of us suddenly hyperaware of our proximity.

His body crowds mine from behind, enveloping every inch of my skin, and when he finally takes the glass from the shelf, he sets it down, but doesn’t back away. He keeps his stance, bracketing his palms against the counter on either side of me.

Dropping back on my heels, every inch of his front touches my back. “Thanks,” I somehow say.

“Mm-hmm.” His chest rumbles with a hum and I feel the gravel through each nerve in my body.

My shorts are so far up my ass right now, but I don’t even care with Kai’s body covering mine. Giving him permission to stay, I slightly lean back, my head resting on the broad plane of his chest.

He inhales and speaks in a whisper, his friends in the next room over. “You smell nice. Sweet, ironically.”

“How is that ironic?” I chuckle. “I bake for a living.”

“Because you like to pretend as if you’re all spice.”

I know what he’s doing, trying to break down my defenses, bringing me to a cozy family dinner after his son took his first steps. Telling me he knows I’m sweeter than I let on. But I allow it, letting myself indulge in the idea of simple days when I know soon enough, I’ll be back to the chaos of chasing life’s checkmarks in a stressful kitchen.

Wandering, his hand skims over my bare thigh, fingertips grazing the hem of my frayed cutoffs. He follows the line of fabric, the pads of his fingers dusting my bare ass before he pulls the material down to cover me again.

“These fucking legs, Mills.”

Involuntarily, I arch into him. He feels good. He smells good and I’m really tired of his no-kissing rule.

Kai’s hand splays over my lower stomach to keep our contact. “Today was a good day.”

It really was. Simple and good.

Turning, I look at him, our lips almost brushing. “They can all be good days.”

His eyes bounce to my mouth.

“Really? In my kitchen? Next to the food?” Ryan stands in the entryway with his hands full of dirty dishes. “At least use a spare bedroom. We’ve got three more besides the one Max is sleeping in.”

Kai takes a step back and I create more distance. The last thing I need is his friends comparing their situation to Kai’s while they’re getting married and having babies, and I’m over here only allowing myself to indulge in his lifestyle for my brief stay.

“You guys could sleep here, you know?” Ryan sets the dishes in the sink and starts to clean them. “That way you don’t have to move Max.”

And dear God, that sounds couple-y as fuck, spending the night at his friends’ house after we’ve all had dinner and drinks together.

Kai quickly glances my way, most likely noting the look of absolute terror on my face. “Thanks, man, but we leave on a road trip tomorrow, so we should get back.”

It’s one of the few times I’m thankful he can read my mind.

Max is still passed out on his dad’s shoulder by the time we get to the front door of their house. Kai unlocks it, standing back to usher me inside.

But I can’t go in. It’s almost as if there’s a force field keeping me out. After tonight, things feel too sticky, too connected for me to go inside with him.

Running my hand over Max’s hair, I place a quick kiss on his little forehead.

“I’m gonna . . .” I toss my thumb over my shoulder towards the side gate that leads to his backyard. “I’m just going to go to bed.”

“Mills.” Kai’s tone is somewhat begging. “Please don’t sleep out there.”

God, that plea hits me right in the heart, cracking a bit more of the armored shell that surrounds it.

And for that reason, I take two steps backward toward the side gate and slip into the backyard without another word.

“Miller,” he whisper-shouts. “Are you serious?”

I get myself inside the van, immediately locking the door behind me, needing to create some sort of barrier from the domestic, homey, and settled feelings that have invaded my chest tonight.

I just need to sleep it off. Maybe I’ll take a drive tomorrow before the flight and remind myself that there are places other than Chicago, the city I’m leaving in a month. I just need a bit of fresh air to remind me who I am, that I don’t care about his friends’ opinions of me or the fact that I’d really like to see those girls again. I can be by myself for a moment, just the way I’m used to living.

Shaking it off, I reach for my toothbrush next to my sink, but come up empty.

That’s weird. I put it right back where I always do after I used it this morning.

Searching around my tiny van, I don’t find it anywhere. Nor do I find my skin care, my toothpaste, my goddamn slippers.

Me: Did you steal my toothbrush?

Baseball Daddy: You didn’t even say goodnight.

Me: Malakai Rhodes. Where’s my toothbrush?

Baseball Daddy: Oh, she full-named me.

Me: Kai!

Baseball Daddy: Next time, don’t leave before saying goodnight.

Me: Goodnight. Happy? Where’s my fucking toothbrush? And all my other shit.

Baseball Daddy: I think I saw it in my guest room. Can’t be sure, though. You should probably come inside and check.

Me: You’re going to move me into your house without asking? Seriously?

Baseball Daddy: I’ve told you I don’t like you sleeping outside.

Me: You’re annoying.

Baseball Daddy: Back door is unlocked.

As soon as I step through the back slider, I find Kai already stripped down to his boxer briefs as he stands in his kitchen, ankles crossed with the electric tea kettle heating up next to him. “Chamomile tea? It’s good for the nerves.”

“I think I hate you again.”

He simply wears a proud smile.

I charge right past him towards the guest room. “I know what you’re doing, Kai. Dinner with your friends, moving me into your house.”

“I’m not doing anything. It was dinner, a meal you eat every day. And big surprise, I don’t like you sleeping outside. That’s all entirely casual and rational stuff. If you’re overthinking it, then that sounds like a you problem.”

I don’t have the energy to argue with his completely sane logic. Maybe I am overthinking it all, but this weird ball won’t unfurrow from my chest. It feels like homesickness which makes no goddamn sense. I don’t have a home to miss.

Kai’s guest room is the first door to the right past the kitchen, across from his spare bathroom. One of his team shirts is folded neatly on the duvet for me to sleep in and my slippers are lined up next to the door. Quickly undressing, I leave my underwear on and slip his shirt over my head. Kai’s huge and I’m not, so this shirt is practically a dress falling around mid-thigh.

Stomping across the hall to the bathroom like a child, I find my toothbrush and toothpaste sitting in a cup by the sink and my skin care thoughtfully laid out on the counter.

Through the mirror, I find an almost naked Kai behind me, long arms hanging onto the top of the doorframe, satisfied grin on his lips as he watches me brush my teeth.

“You’re annoying,” I mumble past the suds in my mouth.

“It’s a wall. The only difference between you staying in my house and outside of it is a wall. The other part, where you’re convincing yourself that because you sleep in a place with wheels it’ll keep you detached from everyone around you, that’s on you.”

I pin him with a scowl through the reflection. “It’s my home, and I’m going back out there tonight.”

“It’s your car, and if you stay inside the house, I can finally lock the back door again.”

“What are you talking about?” I spit out the toothpaste. “Why haven’t you been locking the back door?”

He shrugs. “I didn’t want you locked out of the house in case you needed . . . something. I haven’t locked it since the first night you stayed out there.”

My eyes shoot up through the reflection, instantly finding his. Standing there, toothbrush in my hand, his gaze wanders down my length in the mirror, watching the way his shirt drapes over my body.

Kai clears his throat. “I’ll be in the kitchen.” And with that, he and his shirtless body leave me to finish my night-time routine.

When I’m done, I find him leaning against the kitchen counter with a mug in his hands. He’s stunning and sleepy and I’m trying my hardest not to think about the single wall that’ll separate his bed from mine tonight if I stay in his spare room.

“Tea?” he asks, holding up his mug.

He would like tea, this family man who wears glasses and raised his younger brother. My original notions of him being overbearing and uptight could not be further from the truth. He simply cared too much, loved too hard. He almost cried tears of joy from watching his son take his first steps today for goodness’ sake.

“I’m okay, but thanks.”

I can sense his anticipation, expecting me to bolt. It’s my thing, after all.

I told myself I would get my stuff and go right back outside, but I find my feet glued to the kitchen floor. As much as I don’t want to admit it, experiencing the simple joys of Kai’s life today was the most fun I’ve had in a while. Here I am, supposedly showing this man how to have a good time when a Sunday night dinner and a toddler’s first steps beat anything I could come up with.

His attention drops to the mug in his hand as I lean on the counter opposite him. “Why were you so hesitant about meeting my friends?” he asks.

“I don’t know.”

His eyes flick up to me. “Don’t lie to me. Tell me why.”

Okay, him understanding me enough to know when I’m lying is quite annoying.

“I don’t really have many friends.”

He pins me with a look, silently asking me to elaborate.

“I’m on the move so much that my relationships are always temporary. It’s easier to go into each new city with that expectation already in place. It hurts less to leave that way.”

“But tonight, those were my friends. Why was that difficult for you?”

I shake my head. “Stop.”

Frustration thrums through me. We both know what he’s doing. He’s picking away, trying to get me to admit that I care. That I’ll still care when I leave.

“Why, Miller? Why can’t you admit that you wanted them to like you? That there are ties here in Chicago that are going to make it harder for you to leave this time around.”

I pin him with a scowl. “Don’t.”

Setting his mug down, he steps towards me almost predatorily. Fingers raking through my hair, he pushes it behind my ear. “It’ll be hard for you to leave this time around, won’t it?”

“It doesn’t matter. I’m leaving regardless.”

His nostrils slightly flare at my words, his icy eyes holding mine. “I hope those words burned while coming out.” The pad of his thumb traces my lower lip. “Because your armor is awfully annoying.”

“So are you.”

His attention is glued to my mouth. “Please don’t sleep outside,” he softly pleads. “I don’t sleep well knowing you’re out there.”

His hand drops to my throat and I swallow against his palm.

“Tell me you’ll stay,” he continues.

There’s really no argument left. I nod, breathless. “I’ll stay.”

“Good.”

Tilting my chin with only his knuckle and thumb, he lifts my face up and presses his mouth to mine. It’s soft and intimate. A bit tentative, but only until I arch up and eagerly meet him. With a bit more confidence, his hand slides around the back of my skull, fingers threaded through my hair as he kisses me.

“What was that for?” I ask, searching for air.

“I like you vulnerable, Mills.”

“Well, don’t get used to that. That was a one-time thing.”

He chuckles. “Then I better make it worth it.”

His mouth is on mine, this time with urgency. He grips my hip, instantly pressing himself into me, and I meet him there, rolling against him while he wears nothing but a pair of briefs. Kai releases a desperate moan into my mouth, the sound sending heat pooling between my legs, and I’m over here wanting to do everything in my power to hear it again.

He nips my bottom lip. “What did I tell you about these fucking legs?”

“That you get hard just looking at them?” The confirmation is pressing into my lower belly.

His fingers skim my thighs, lifting his shirt to see them better.

“You’re the one who didn’t leave me any pants to wear,” I remind him.

A wicked grin tilts on his mouth. “I’m a smart man.”

Kai lifts me onto the counter. The cold surface sends a shock to my system, goosebumps scattering my legs that instantly open around him. Inviting him closer, I drape my arms over his broad shoulders while he inches my shirt up over my hips to expose my soaked underwear.

“Fuck,” he curses when he looks down to see it. Head falling back and eyes towards the ceiling, he lets out a deep sigh. “This is why I wasn’t supposed to kiss you.”

“Why?” I keep playing with the hair at the nape of his neck, grinding my seeking hips into the air, needing something. “Because every little thing you do makes me wet?”

“Jesus,” he groans. “Because now, all I can think about is fucking you.”

“Then stop thinking about it and do it.”

He chuckles without humor. “You’re so much fucking trouble, Miller.” His eyes meet mine again, our noses brushing. “What happens if I become addicted?”

“Then lucky us, we still have a month to indulge in that kind of addiction.”

“You really think I could quit you after it’s all done?”

I nod with enthusiasm, hoping to convince him. “I’m easily forgettable.”

“You’re a little liar tonight, huh?”

Hooking my ankles around the back of his thighs, I pull him into the cradle of my hips. “Just don’t let it mean anything and we’ll both be fine.”

A flash of annoyance passes over him before he gives in and seals his mouth to mine.

Inhaling, I pull him closer, deepening the kiss. My entire body is on fire as his palms coast over the raised skin of my legs, grabbing my ass, his tongue slipping easily into my mouth.

He rolls his hips into mine, his erection giving me just enough friction that a needy cry slips from my throat.

Kai swallows the sounds with a gravelly groan of satisfaction. “Goddamn,” he exhales, pulling away for only a second. “Who knew you’d sound so pretty when you whine?”

I arch into him. “You could’ve heard it weeks ago if you weren’t so stubborn.”

His hands slip under my shirt, palms engulfing my bare back as they run the length of it. He crosses his arms, holding me to him as tightly as possible with a kiss that feels far too intimate for a casual hook-up, but I forget all about that notion when his hands start exploring, running over my hips and curving over my stomach. He flicks my nipples with his thumbs, hard and sensitive for him.

“Do that again,” I beg breathlessly.

He does, rolling them before he pinches them between his fingers.

“You like that?” he asks, though he doesn’t need the confirmation. I think he just likes to hear me ask for it.

I quickly nod, my eyes pleading as our foreheads rest against each other, swirling breaths shared between us.

He smiles wickedly. “You like when I play with your tits, Mills?”

“Yes,” I hiss through another pinch that sends a throb straight to my clit.

“You think I could make you come just from this?”

Before tonight, that would’ve been a resounding no. I’m the kind of woman who needs a shit ton of warm-up before and if I ever come. We’re talking toys and a whole lot of direction when, most of the time, I finish myself later.

But if there’s anyone who could get me off from a little nipple play it’d be this man, who has a whole confident side I’m starting to see.

“I think you should try,” I suggest with a kiss.

He chuckles lightly before molding his mouth to mine again, our tongues tangling. I pull him closer, but every inch of our somewhat clothed bodies is already touching, and still, it’s not enough. I want us naked. I want him inside of me. I’d let him fuck me right here on this counter where I could replay it in my mind each and every time I baked in his kitchen.

He squeezes me in his palms, rolling my nipples between his fingers as our lower halves continue to writhe into each other. My ass is barely on the counter with how hard we’re dry-humping, my hips seeking his with every thrust.

Quickly, he removes one of his hands from my shirt, pulling off his fogged-over glasses and tossing them onto the counter, but instead of replacing his fingers on my sensitive nipple, he cups my hip, pads bruising my flesh with an almost painful but desperate grip as he moves our bodies together.

We both look down and watch ourselves grind against each other.

“Fuck, Mills.” His breaths are labored. “You feel incredible.”

I toss my head back when he pulls my nipple between two fingers. “Please don’t stop. Please. Please.”

I’m so wet, so close. I can feel my body pulsing, ready to come just from grinding on his dick.

His hand curves around, cupping my ass to keep me in place as he ruts into me, his cock brushing my clit with every roll.

“Yes,” I cry. “Yes, Ace. Right there.” The nickname slips off my tongue without thought, but I’m a panting mess right now, and can’t be held accountable for my actions.

“Jesus.” His hand slams against the cabinet next to my head, looking for leverage. “Call me that again.”

“Ace? You like when I call you by your nickname?”

His face falls into the crook of my neck with a nod. “It sounds pretty coming from you. Especially when your pussy is soaked and rubbing on me.”

He continues to slide us together against the edge of the counter, kissing my neck and collarbone, mapping out my jaw before biting my ear.

Every muscle in my body tightens with that, my hips moving instinctively as he hits my clit over and over.

Then I fall, right over the edge. Still clothed on the kitchen counter, I come from a bit of dry-humping and nipple play.

Hot-as-hell dry-humping and nipple play, might I add.

When he feels my body tense with an orgasm, Kai’s hold on me tightens, keeping himself right where I need him. Lifting his head from my neck, he watches me fall apart.

“Fuck yes,” he whispers, mesmerized.

Utterly fascinated, his attention never leaves me as I moan and shutter my way through it. He watches so intently, as if he’ll never see me come again and needs to commit it to memory, but fuck, if this is how my body responds to his with our clothes on, I need to know what it feels like to touch him without.

Chest heaving, my entire body slumps as I come down, tired muscles falling limp and thankful that he’s holding me upright. Catching my breath, I fall onto his shoulder, mindlessly playing with the dark hair on the nape of his neck. My body absent-mindedly rubs against his, still on edge from my high when I feel his erection slide against my inner thigh.

I cup him, stroking my hand over his length and ready for everything else.

“Miller.” His voice is ragged, desperate. “Stop.”

What?

Lifting from his shoulder, my breaths are still labored when my eyes find the bulge in his briefs that I know has got to be borderline painful at this point. “But—”

“Please.” His ice-blue eyes are pleading with me. “All I can think about is fucking you right now, but you’re out of your goddamn mind if you think any of this could be easily forgettable for me.” He shakes his head, running a palm over his disbelieving face. “I think I’m ruined by simply watching you come, so please, do me a favor and go to bed.” Fixing my shirt, he gives me one last quick kiss. “And for the love of God . . . lock the fucking door.”