Page 44 of Tripped Up

“Hey, it’s okay,” he murmurs. “Nothing has to happen that you don’t want.”

“I know,” I snap. He can’t force me to do anything I don’t want to do. Not that I think he ever would. He might be an asshole, but he’s not that way. He’d never push me past my limit or do anything without my explicit consent.

“And if you want me to leave, I can⁠—”

“Don’t.” The word slips out before I can stop it, and I swallow my hesitation, my eyes flicking up to his. “Don’t go.”

Wyatt nods slowly. “Okay. I won’t go.”

He takes the key from me to unlock the door, holding it open for me. I probably should have picked up before I left for the game, but I wasn’t exactly expecting company.

“Do you want to watch a movie?” he asks.

“Shut up, Wyatt.”

“Shutting up.”

Okay. Oxygen floods my lungs as I take a slow, deep, calming breath, steadying my nerves. I’m not sure what my limit is, but he seems game to play, so… Fake it until the confidence is real. I can do that.

As I press on his chest, he takes a step back, then another, until he lets me walk him over to the couch. The cushion dips as he sits automatically, and before I can regret it, I straddle his lap.

“Hi.” My voice comes out hoarse.

“Hello.” His smile is audible. “What do you want, Elsy?”

“Why do you keep asking me that?”

“Because I want to know.” He runs a hand through the wispy tufts of hair that have fallen out of my ponytail. “I want to know everything about you.”

Hesitantly, I wind my arms around his neck, and he lets out a soft sigh, adjusting my positioning until we’re practically nose to nose. He darts forward and pecks my lips. A simple, quick kiss.

“Why?”

“Because I do.” He gives a little shrug. “Why not?”

“Most people don’t.” I look away, but his hand on my cheek brings my focus back to him.

“I’m not most people.”

“No, you’re not.”

His eyes search mine. There’s a heaviness in his gaze, some deeper meaning I’m not sure of.

Carefully, he cups the back of my head, then brings his lips to mine. The kiss is soft. Tentative.

I don’t want tentative.

Deepening the kiss, I sweep my tongue into his mouth, tasting him again. He fights me for control, but I stand my ground, not backing down. He’s always so controlled, so careful. Just once I’d love to see what he’s like when he lets go.

sixteen

Wyatt

Elsy doesn’t give me an inch and I fucking love it. Her fingers tiptoe over the column of my sternum, then down to my abs before I have to stop her.

It’s with great reluctance that I pull my hands away from her.

“What do you want?” I ask again. “What can I give you?”