Should’ve Known It’s You (Not You Again #7)

Chapter 36

CHAPTER 36

KENNEDY

I had told myself we couldn’t continue this part of our relationship. I had told him that too, and he’d agreed, but now that his lips were on mine, I couldn’t find a single inch of myself that wanted him to stop kissing me.

I was being weak and I knew it, but trying to be strong seemed really overrated at that moment. Why do we always have to be strong? What’s so great about being strong when what you want is to be weak?

Right then, what I wanted was Austin. His nearness. His comfort. His strength, and okay, his panty-melting kisses. His body. The pleasure I knew he could give.

Temporarily hitting pause on the idea of being only his business partner, I returned his fervent kisses and pushed my hands into his hair. When I felt him tremble under my touch, I moaned into his mouth. As always, the very air around us was charged with a snapping, bubbling, undeniable chemistry that sucked us both into its force field and refused to let go.

When Austin and I were together like this, logic and reason didn’t mean anything. They gave way to passion, desire, and a sense of rightness I would never understand. It just felt like this was how we were meant to be, and like even the atoms making up the molecules of oxygen we needed to survive knew it.

Everything else simply faded into the background. There was no reason to pull away as important as the reasons to keep going. As his tongue swept into my mouth, he let out a deep, guttural groan, slid his arms around my hips, and brought me closer to him.

We were still on our own chairs, but our chests were pressed so close together that a sheet of paper wouldn’t fit between us. I could feel his heart pounding against my breast and I had no doubt he could feel mine as well.

I kissed him hard, needing him to know that despite everything else, I still wanted him more than anything in the world. He responded with an intensity that left me breathless, pulling me into his lap before his fingers slid into my hair. He tugged at it, flirting with the line between pleasure and pain.

I let out a whimper, reached for the hem of his sweater, and pulled it off in as smooth a motion as I could manage. He lifted his arms to help me out, keeping them up so the shirt he’d been wearing underneath could follow.

It all happened between one breath and the next. The urgency of our kisses and our movements spoke to exactly how much we’d missed each other—and perhaps a touch of fear that one of us was about to pull away.

My top half was naked not a few moments later. Austin’s groans sent shivers of desire down my spine and he licked a circle around one of my nipples, pinching the other between his thumb and index finger. I moaned. My head dropped back and my hips started moving, grinding my core against the firm bulge in his pants.

Fueled by a fire only he seemed to be able to light in my body, I grabbed his hand and abruptly stood up. Austin grunted in surprise, his lids heavy and his pupils dilated as he glanced up at me. His eyebrows rose slightly in question, but then his gaze dropped to my hands when I moved them to the fly of my pants.

Neither of us said a word as I flicked open my button and unzipped before bending over to take off my boots. I kicked them away when they were open. My eyes rested on Austin’s as I shimmied out of my jeans.

His breathing became labored as he watched me, and he groaned when I was finally standing fully naked before him. Eyes still locked on mine, he slowly stood up too, following my example while I watched on this time, eagerly awaiting the moment the entirety of him would come into view.

He opened his jeans and lifted his boxer-briefs over the tip of his erection. I sucked in a breath, so freaking turned on I could hardly breathe. He let out a low chuckle, stepped out of his pants, and wrapped his fist around himself. Stroking slowly, he watched me watch him.

“What’s it going to be, Kenny?” he asked, a catch of arousal in his voice as the muscles in his thighs flexed.

I swallowed hard, but there was no question about what I wanted. Jumping into motion, I closed the distance between us and practically threw myself at him. My lips crashed into his and we sank down on the floor together. Our hands flew over each other’s bodies and grazed across every part that we could reach.

His fingers seemed to be everywhere all at once, reaching for me as I reached for him. As I wrapped mine around the base of his shaft, he slid one of his into me, sending sparks of pleasure cascading through me. My hips started rolling into his hand.

At the same time, I stroked him hard and fast, running my thumb across the tip of him and moaning when it came away wet. As if the sound had snapped him out of some kind of haze, he laid me down on my back. He started kissing a path along my stomach, but I grabbed his shoulders and shook my head when his gaze shot up to mine.

“Turn around,” I murmured.

He paused for a beat and grinned. He got onto his back instead, motioning me toward him. “Come here, baby. It’ll be more comfortable for you like this.”

With my heart hammering hard and my core reduced to liquid heat, I scrambled to get into position. My cheeks flushed as I practically sat on his face before I bent over. I’d never done this before, but I knew what to do and I had to admit that it gave me a thrill, being so up close and personal with his cock.

As he licked along my seam, my thoughts scattered and I ran my tongue around the head of him. Taking a much firmer grip on him this time, I brought my mouth down. Austin trembled and moaned, cursing softly between licks and sucks. Then he sank his fingers into me.

All the different sensations were overwhelming, but so pleasurable at the same time that I wasn’t even entirely sure what I was doing half the time, sucking and stroking him while also chasing my own pleasure. Our bodies rocked back and forth in complete harmony, each of our movements timed perfectly as we raced toward that delicious edge.

I felt my muscles contracting around him a moment before I crashed right over it. “Austin!”

The vibration of his groans against my core took me to all new heights. My toes curled as sparks flew behind my eyes. My world was reduced to euphoric pleasure as he tensed below me. I swallowed everything he had to offer. In my orgasmic haze, I nearly crushed him when I finally collapsed.

He held me up, though, helping me into a more comfortable position so I could lie with my head on his arm. Panting and with my eyes still closed, I cuddled into his side and tried to catch my breath.

It took a few minutes before I managed to pry my eyelids apart. When I did, he flashed me a devilish grin. Still breathing hard, he pushed himself into a sitting position. “Let’s take this to the bathroom for a quick shower and then back to my bed?”

I looked into those dark eyes. My gaze swept across his strong, handsome features and the curve of those lips I so wanted to kiss again. It took everything I had in my soul to stop. I sat up and wound my arms around his shoulders, bringing my face closer to his. Our labored breaths mingled as I fought against my instincts to say what I needed to say.

Austin gave me the moment of nearness I was craving, pressing his forehead to mine, and he let out a long, soft sigh. “You’re pumping the brakes, aren’t you?”

“Business partners, remember?” I closed my eyes, relishing the heat of his skin against my own. The short hairs at the nape of his neck tickled my fingers as I toyed with it. “I’m sorry, Austin.”

“It’s okay.” When I looked at him again, I found he’d closed his eyes as well, simply breathing me in before he let go, backed off, and grabbed his shirt. “We’ve done just about all the planning we can do tonight, but you’re welcome to stay over. In the guest room, of course. No pressure for anything else. It’s just a long way home for you and it’s cold outside.”

“I’ll be okay.” I ran my palms across my cheeks and groaned, letting my head hang for a beat before I looked around in search of my shirt.

Austin pulled his own over his head, then plucked mine from where it had landed over the back of his couch, handing it over to me with a soft smile on his lips. “You really can stay over, Kenny. The guest room door even has a lock on it.”

I chuckled, but now that the snapping chemistry between us had faded to a dull ache, I knew I had to get out of there. It wasn’t my door being able to lock that I was worried about. It was his. The guy had the self-control of a saint.

Me? Clearly, I had none.

“I should get home, but thank you.” I put my shirt on, quickly followed by my panties, pants, and socks. The more layers between us, the better. I might have to invest in a chastity belt to keep myself honest around him.

Once I was suitably covered, I finally stood up and got my boots on. With that done, all I still needed was my coat and that was in his foyer, so it was time to say goodbye.

For a long moment, I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I watched him step into his sweats, his feet still bare and his hair all sexy and tousled. After the day, he had a five-o’clock shadow on his jaw and it was so easy to imagine staying there with him.

The dining, kitchen, and living areas of Slate’s house were modern and open concept. While we were technically in the dining room, the backs of the couches creating the living area were only steps away.

With the kitchen right behind me, we could have snacks and a movie ready in no time. We could cuddle up on the couch, switch off the lights, munch on some popcorn, and eventually make out a little bit more until we went up to his bed, where I could spend the night running my tongue all over every inch of his body and riding him until my legs cramped.

And it would all be so easy. And so good. And it would feel so darn right that all I had to do was smile and tell him I had changed my mind.

All these thoughts raced through my head while he stood only a few paces away, those dark eyes on mine with a gleam in them that suggested he knew what I was thinking. When I reached for the planning binder and slid it under my arm, his shoulders caved just the tiniest bit and he nodded.

“Yeah. Alright. Let me walk you out.”

Starting forward, he strode past me, giving me a smirk over his shoulder when I didn’t immediately move to follow. He cocked an eyebrow at me. “Are you staying after all?”

“No, I, uh…” I finally convinced my feet to move and fell into step behind him. “I guess I’ll just see you tomorrow? To set up at the house?”

“Sure,” he said easily, once again not sounding too fussed about any of this and yet I’d seen the way he’d looked at me just a minute ago.

Like he wanted me to stay.

Urg, why is he so confusing? Just say the damn thing, Austin Merrick.

As soon as I had the thought though, I realized it wasn’t that simple. This wasn’t about him saying anything. I knew he wanted me to stay and he knew I didn’t want to leave, but neither of those things mattered.

I had told him I needed to take a step back, and he was respecting my wishes. All it took to strengthen my resolve was to flash back on the hope in Winrey’s eyes when my parents had told her about that trust fund.

It had meant the world to her, and without their help, I knew she and Benji needed mine. At this point, it didn’t seem like the fundraiser would do us much good, but we still had a couple of potential investors coming. If all else failed, at least I would get to see my dream in action for one night.

The day after, I would come up with a new plan, but that hope in Winrey’s eyes kept me moving toward Austin’s front door. It kept me moving forward once I reached it and it helped me to keep going until I was in my own bed, alone and already missing him, but knowing that it had to be this way.

For my sister. For the baby. And for myself.

I was in too deep with him already, and if I didn’t forcibly create some distance between us, I would inevitably end up with a broken heart—which definitely wasn’t conducive to coming up with a plan for a new beginning.