Shut Up and Kiss Me by Madeline Sheehan, Claire C Riley Page A

knowing that if she hadn’t interrupted us, we would most definitely be having sex right now. And here, in the kitchen—where I make coffee, no less.
    “ Definitely not stolen,” I whispered hoarsely.
    “ Cheesy, but whatever,” Nikki said, shaking her head and smiling.
    Slipping down off the counter, I turned toward the mess we’d made and sighed. “Do you want a coffee, Nikki?” I asked.
    Part of me prayed that she said yes, because I wanted the interruption, needed her distraction. Because I wanted to take things slowly with Will; I didn’t want whatever this was to be based on cheap, meaningless sex—no matter how good that sex may have been. Yet another part of me begged that she said no and went back to her room, because I wanted Will all to myself. I wanted to continue with what we had been doing and where it had been leading only moments ago. But when she didn’t answer me right away, I glanced over to find her linking an arm through Will’s and pulling him into the hallway.
    “ Yes please,” she called over her shoulder.
    Scowling, I turned back to the coffee, listening intently as Nikki plied him with random, nonsensical questions that, despite my frustration, were making me giggle.
    “ Do you have siblings, Will?” she asked.
    “ Unfortunately,” he replied. “Two brothers and a sister.”
    “ Mmhmm,” Nikki murmured. “And do think that having a higher ratio of brothers versus sisters has made you crave femininity?”
    Will began to laugh, and by the time I finished preparing our coffees, Nikki’s questions had become so incredibly ridiculous that I was laughing too. Nikki was just…so very Nikki.
    Passing out the drinks, I took the seat beside Will on the couch, greedily pressing myself up against him, eager for his warmth and the feel of his body beside mine.
    “ Reality TV, anyone?” Nikki asked, waving the remote in the air. “Ohh! A housewives marathon!”
    Settling my head against Will’s arm, I let out a silent sigh. I was grateful for the cold shower Nikki had supplied us with—we both wanted to take this slowly—but that didn’t mean I was happy about it.
    Hours later, when Nikki was snoring softly in her armchair, I glanced nervously up at Will. The feelings hadn’t abated, even after coffee and several hours of bad late night television. I wanted him every bit as badly. And the fact that he shared my feelings, had the same hungry look in his eyes, wasn’t helping.
    “ Do you want another coffee?” I asked softly.
    He stared at me for a moment before nodding resolutely. Sighing, I pushed myself off the couch and headed to the kitchen, acutely aware that Will was following me.
    Grabbing hold of the coffee pot, I was stilled when Will’s hands found my waist and his lips pressed against my neck. Moaning quietly, I closed my eyes and tipped my head to one side, allowing him better access.
    “ I really want to take you to bed,” he muttered.
    “ Yes,” I whispered, releasing the coffee pot. I reached up and slid my fingers into his hair.
    Tugging gently on my earlobe with his teeth, he pressed himself against my backside, eliciting a sigh from me.
    “ I can’t, Mila. I like you.”
    “ That’s a good thing,” I murmured.
    I felt him chuckle against me. “I don’t want to fuck this up.”
    Opening my eyes, I released his hair and turned to face him. Sucking my bottom lip beneath my teeth, I tried to compose my thoughts, but facing him now, looking into his eyes and seeing the same feelings I had mirrored there…
    Sighing, Will took a step backwards. Rubbing a hand across the back of his neck, he glanced down at me through hooded eyes. “I’m going to go,” he eventually said, and stared down to his feet. It was the first time I’d seen him look unsure of himself, and I found it absolutely endearing.
    I took a steadying breath before speaking. “But we didn’t have dessert,” I stammered out nervously.
    “ No, we didn’t, did we?” He laughed lightly,