“We’ll be there,” I agree, reminding myself of my promise to be a better friend. “Are you sure it’s okay that I come?” I confirm, and Dillon chuckles.

“I don’t think you got much choice in this. I think these two bringing it up now is just a warning of what will happen tomorrow,” he says with a smile, and I smile back then look at Ashlyn.

“Thank you for having me over.”

“You’re welcome anytime,” she urges, giving me a hug before wrapping her arm around mine and leading me toward the front of the house, with Sage and Dillon following us. As soon as we reach the door, she opens it, giving me one last hug with a quiet goodbye before moving to stand under Dillon’s arm.

Sage takes my hand in his and leads me outside then down the steps to my car. “I’ll follow you to your place,” he tells me, opening my door, and I tip my head back to look up at him then shake it.

“That’s okay. I’m sure you want to get home after being gone.”

“I do, but we’ll go to my place after we stop at yours to pick you up some clothes.”

Blinking at him, I open and close my mouth like a fish out of water, trying to get my brain and mouth to work. “I’m not staying at your place,” I finally get out, while taking a seat behind the wheel and hitting the button to turn on my car. He doesn’t reply to my comment, and I wonder if he heard me, but I don’t have a chance to ask if he did before he shuts my door.

Watching him in the side mirror as he heads for his ride that is parked behind mine, I let out a breath, thinking I may be in way over my head this time.

And that’s proven true an hour later when I’m getting into his car and heading to his place with the bag I packed.

*

Sage

LOOKING OVER AT Kim sitting in my passenger seat, I smile at the windshield when I notice the scowl she’s still wearing. “You still pissed?” I ask, hiding my grin, and she turns her narrowed eyes on me.

“I think you cheated,” she states, and I start to chuckle but fight it back. “I don’t know how you did it, but I’m pretty sure you cheated.”

“You can’t cheat at Rock, Paper, Scissors, babe. It’s a game of chance,” I correct, and she gives a little huff that’s way too fucking cute.

I purposely ignored her statement about not staying with me when we were out in front of Ash and Dillon’s place and followed her home, figuring I could convince her to stay with me when I got her alone. It didn’t work. She had dug in her heels and refused to come with me, so I did the only thing I could: I challenged her.

Chris and her parents all said on more than one occasion that Kim was stubborn and would never turn down a challenge. Knowing that, I used that weakness against her. I told her that if she won a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors against me, I’d let the idea of her staying with me go and head home, but if I won, she had to pack a bag. She lost, even after demanding a rematch two more times.

“Well, somehow you found a way around that rule,” she grumbles as we turn into my driveway, and I smile at that comment.

It’s not hard to know someone’s next move in Rock, Paper, Scissors. People tend to use the move you used before them, and Kim did just that every time, not even realizing she was giving herself up.

Reaching my house, I shut down the engine and turn to look at her. “Are you always a sore loser?”

“Yes,” she admits, and I lean over, sliding my fingers over her cheek, then down her throat, and around the back of her neck to pull her toward me over the center console.

“I’ll teach you how I did it sometime, if it makes you feel better.”

“You did cheat.” Her eyes widen, and I grin right before I touch my lips to hers.

The second I feel the softness of her mouth under mine, I nip her bottom lip and she opens her mouth on a gasp, giving me exactly what I wanted, what I’ve been missing. Sliding my hand up into her hair, I use my grip to deepen the kiss then groan when she whimpers against my tongue. Her hand moves to my chest then up to my shoulders, where her nails dig in. Pulling back, I slow the kiss and rest my forehead against hers.

“I’m not having sex with you,” she says suddenly, and I chuckle, tip her head down, and press a kiss to the top of her head.

“I’m not having sex with you either,” I confirm, letting her go. It’s not that I don’t want to. There is nothing I want more than to feel her heat around my cock, to hear the little whimpers and pleas she makes when she’s under me or over me, but we need to take things slower this time. The last time we were together, it was sudden and spur of the moment, and I’m not willing to let us burn bright only to fizzle out.

“I said it first,” she gripes, and I laugh as I open the door and get out. Pulling open the rear door, I reach in, grab her bag and mine, and then meet her at the sidewalk.

Leading her into the house, I flip on the light, and then shut the door. Turning around, I stop mid-step and scan the room. The beams have all been re-stained, and the plastic that had been covering the floors is all folded and stacked in the corner with the ladder and paint cans. “What the fuck?”

“My dad and Chris got all but two of the beams done before my parents went back to Florida, so I decided to finish them while you were gone,” she says, sounding nervous, and I pull my eyes from the room to look at her as she slips off her jacket. “I’m sorry. I should have asked if it was okay to keep going.” Her eyes drop from mine.

Shaking my head, I let both bags fall to the floor, grab her jacket from her, and toss it toward the coatrack near the front door. Then I turn and pick her up, listening to her squeak as her arms fly around my neck.

“What are you doing?” she asks breathlessly as I head toward the sitting room off the kitchen.

“Thanking you,” I reply. As soon as I reach the couch, I bend at the waist and lay her down, covering her body with mine.

“Sage.”

“Right here.” Dropping my mouth to hers, I move my knee between her legs so she’s straddling my thigh. Roaming my hand down the back of her calf, I pull her ankle around my hip. Her head tips to the side, and her mouth opens on a quiet whimper. Hearing that sound and tasting her on my tongue, I press my already hard cock into her hip as her hands slide up the back of my shirt and her nails dig into my skin.

Jesus.

I move my hand over the top of her thigh, her hip, and then her stomach. Biting her lip, I cup her breast and roll my thumb over her hard nipple through her shirt, hearing her moan as I move my mouth down her chin and the column of her throat.

“Please,” she whispers, and I pick her up without thinking and take a seat on the couch with her straddling my waist. Wrapping one hand around her hip, I slide the other up her back and into her hair at the back of her head. Dragging her mouth back to mine, I feel her heat through the fabric between us as my hips lift into hers and my balls draw tight. “Please,” she repeats, rocking into me, making my teeth ache as my jaw clenches.

Ripping my mouth from hers, I fight myself for control, when every instinct is telling me to take what’s mine. With a frustrated groan, I drop my forehead to her chest.

“Um…?” She pants, and I pull in a breath through my nose and tip my head back to look at her. Her hair is wild, her eyes are glazed with lust, and her lips are swollen from my kisses. She looks beautiful. “You stopped,” she says, and I don’t smile at the disappointment in her voice, even though I want to. I’m glad I’m not the only one affected in this situation.

“You said you’re not having sex with me,” I remind her quietly as my hands smooth over her soft skin.

“Right.” She nods, looking uncertain.

Moving my hands to her hips, I rock her against my cock, letting her feel what she’s doing to me. “I want you, Kimberly.”

“Sure,” she agrees as she tries to stand, but I don’t let her. In one quick motion, I flip her to her back and nip her neck. Once I have her attention, I move my face above hers.

“Your mouth is sweet.” I lick across her lips, smiling when she gasps. “But I know for a fact your pussy’s sweeter. So until I can have all of you, I need us to slow down. You almost had me coming in my jeans like a fourteen-year-old kid who just got his first taste of pussy.”