Something that I didn't have to share or explain or analyze. I didn't know what that meant.
I woke the next morning, freezing, with a kink in my neck. I pushed off the couch, cursing myself for falling asleep, and hurried to get dressed.
I was late.
I got to work almost forty minutes after I was supposed to be there
"You're late, buster."
"I know. Sorry," I muttered and quickly got busy. "I fell asleep on my couch. Don't worry, I'm paying for it big time."
I rubbed my neck and winced. I grabbed the bottle of Tylenol from his desk and downed a few at the water fountain.
"Good," he mumbled playfully. "The public caning will be postponed then."
I shook my head and got to work to make up for the time I'd lost.
I called Maya on my lunch break. She made some joke about a three-day rule or something and said I was breaking guy code. I spent my whole break laughing at her and didn't even get to eat before it was time to go back.
She asked if I wanted to have dinner at her house again the next night. I agreed.
When I showed up, she answered the door with a hand towel thrown over her shoulder. Her smile hid nothing as she grabbed my hand and pulled me inside. She took me straight to the kitchen. I didn't see Will anywhere as we went through the house. The table was set for three though, and I could tell she went all out. It made me extra smug, if I was honest, that she would go to all the trouble for me.
She hadn't seen the box in my hand so as she peeked over a tall pot and stirred, I went up behind her, put my chin on her shoulder, my arm around her waist, and brought the plain white box around in front of her. She turned her head and her nose touched mine. She didn't lean away. I could feel her heartbeat pick up as it pulsed through her body, along with her breaths.
"You got me fortune cookies."
I nodded, my nose rubbing the end of hers. Her eyes fluttered, and the ecstasy of that look would haunt and be the star of my dreams for the rest of my life. "Mmhmm."
She took the box.
"Open one," I commanded.
She opened the wrapping and broke a cookie in half, my face waiting right there over her shoulder. She licked the crumbs off her thumb and held the paper between her fingers. "The love you fight for is the love that can mend bridges, heal scars, and open closed hearts."
She made a small gasp and looked over her shoulder at me again. We waited. It was like a dance and we weren't sure who was supposed to take the lead. I didn't want to move too fast with her, but she did kiss me first at that meeting. We both held back this part of us that no one was allowed to touch. But if I didn't kiss her right now, I was going to bust wide open.
I eased into her space and smiled to myself when her eyes closed. She had been waiting on me. When my lips touched hers, she relaxed her entire body, leaning on me and turning toward me. She blindly set the cookies on the counter and I wrapped my arms around her. My palm found the small of her back and she gasped just a little when I used that spot to pull her all the way to me.
She fisted the front of my shirt and dragged me with her as she leaned against the counter, never breaking our kiss. I lifted her easily to sit on the counter, and only barely moved between her knees. I needed to leave some space between us. I wanted her to feel safe with me, in every way. As much as I wanted her, as much as she set me on fire, more than anything else, I wanted her to open up her soul and let me into that part of her she didn't let anyone see.
Her hand pushed through my hair and tugged. I almost lost it. I groaned into her mouth before pulling away. She looked so stunned, her mouth and eyes wide—I cursed myself for going too far. "I'm sorry," I said gruffly.
"Why?" she said, her face looking truly puzzled.
"I don't know how to act with you, Maya." I sighed. "I can't feel out the line I'm not supposed to cross."
She smiled, bemused. "Okay. Here's the line," her hand
I woke the next morning, freezing, with a kink in my neck. I pushed off the couch, cursing myself for falling asleep, and hurried to get dressed.
I was late.
I got to work almost forty minutes after I was supposed to be there
"You're late, buster."
"I know. Sorry," I muttered and quickly got busy. "I fell asleep on my couch. Don't worry, I'm paying for it big time."
I rubbed my neck and winced. I grabbed the bottle of Tylenol from his desk and downed a few at the water fountain.
"Good," he mumbled playfully. "The public caning will be postponed then."
I shook my head and got to work to make up for the time I'd lost.
I called Maya on my lunch break. She made some joke about a three-day rule or something and said I was breaking guy code. I spent my whole break laughing at her and didn't even get to eat before it was time to go back.
She asked if I wanted to have dinner at her house again the next night. I agreed.
When I showed up, she answered the door with a hand towel thrown over her shoulder. Her smile hid nothing as she grabbed my hand and pulled me inside. She took me straight to the kitchen. I didn't see Will anywhere as we went through the house. The table was set for three though, and I could tell she went all out. It made me extra smug, if I was honest, that she would go to all the trouble for me.
She hadn't seen the box in my hand so as she peeked over a tall pot and stirred, I went up behind her, put my chin on her shoulder, my arm around her waist, and brought the plain white box around in front of her. She turned her head and her nose touched mine. She didn't lean away. I could feel her heartbeat pick up as it pulsed through her body, along with her breaths.
"You got me fortune cookies."
I nodded, my nose rubbing the end of hers. Her eyes fluttered, and the ecstasy of that look would haunt and be the star of my dreams for the rest of my life. "Mmhmm."
She took the box.
"Open one," I commanded.
She opened the wrapping and broke a cookie in half, my face waiting right there over her shoulder. She licked the crumbs off her thumb and held the paper between her fingers. "The love you fight for is the love that can mend bridges, heal scars, and open closed hearts."
She made a small gasp and looked over her shoulder at me again. We waited. It was like a dance and we weren't sure who was supposed to take the lead. I didn't want to move too fast with her, but she did kiss me first at that meeting. We both held back this part of us that no one was allowed to touch. But if I didn't kiss her right now, I was going to bust wide open.
I eased into her space and smiled to myself when her eyes closed. She had been waiting on me. When my lips touched hers, she relaxed her entire body, leaning on me and turning toward me. She blindly set the cookies on the counter and I wrapped my arms around her. My palm found the small of her back and she gasped just a little when I used that spot to pull her all the way to me.
She fisted the front of my shirt and dragged me with her as she leaned against the counter, never breaking our kiss. I lifted her easily to sit on the counter, and only barely moved between her knees. I needed to leave some space between us. I wanted her to feel safe with me, in every way. As much as I wanted her, as much as she set me on fire, more than anything else, I wanted her to open up her soul and let me into that part of her she didn't let anyone see.
Her hand pushed through my hair and tugged. I almost lost it. I groaned into her mouth before pulling away. She looked so stunned, her mouth and eyes wide—I cursed myself for going too far. "I'm sorry," I said gruffly.
"Why?" she said, her face looking truly puzzled.
"I don't know how to act with you, Maya." I sighed. "I can't feel out the line I'm not supposed to cross."
She smiled, bemused. "Okay. Here's the line," her hand
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