Page 40 of The Reckless Rookie

“You are currently the entire problem.”

She laughs, then she does it again, and I catch her hip.

“Behave.”

“No.”

Of course not. Slow suddenly feels like the stupidest lesson I have ever agreed to learn.

“Finn.” Her cheek rests against the counter, half a laugh still in her voice. “Tonight, ideally.”

“You can’t rush the…”

“I will hurt you.”

I lose it. I’m laughing and she’s laughing, and the whole thing is so different from every version I imagined that somehow it’s better.

“Hold that thought.”

I reach for my jeans where I dropped them against the cabinet and dig the condom out of the pocket.

Catt looks back. One eyebrow goes up.

“You brought one.”

“I’m twenty-three, not brain-dead.”

“Debatable.”

“Mean.”

“Prepared.”

I tear the packet open. “Also prepared.”

“Finn.”

“I’m working on it.”

I get the condom on, toss the wrapper onto the counter, and step back between her thighs.

Her humor fades. Mine does too.

I put one hand low on her back, the other on her hip. She pushes back against me. And I enter her slowly.

The breath leaves both of us at once. Heat closes around me, and every instinct I own says move. Hard. Now. Instead I stop.

Catt makes a sound into the wood. Not English. I don’t need the translation.

I grip her hip harder. “Jesus.”

She shifts underneath me. “Finn.”

“I know.”

“No, you don’t.”

“I’m trying very hard to.”