Just One Orgasm!

The apartment had been quiet for almost an hour.

Peaceful quiet settled around you gently. It made room for your thoughts without demanding them.

This kind of quiet was worse. It gave every thought enough space to become impossible to ignore.

She sat on the edge of her bed, staring at the clock on her nightstand.

11:42 p.m.

She had spent the last hour pretending she wasn’t waiting.

She’d showered, changed, walked around her bedroom twice, checked her phone, put it down, picked it up again, opened Emilia’s messages, closed them, stared at the ceiling, and checked the clock.

11:44.

Her gaze drifted toward the red night dress she’d chosen without thinking too much about it.

At least, that was what she had told herself.

It was simple, soft, and red.

Thin straps rested over her shoulders, and the fabric fell loosely enough to be comfortable without being entirely innocent.

She had almost changed into something else since she already sent the man away. Then she’d looked at herself in the mirror and thought, ’Why am I changing?’

She wasn’t dressed for anyone.

Christain had every right to stay gone.

11:46.

Kylie exhaled. "He’s not coming back."

The words barely left her mouth before three quiet knocks sounded from downstairs. Her heart stopped.

Another knock resounded three seconds apart. Unhurried knocks.

Christian.

Kylie closed her eyes. "Oh, God." She sivhed softly. She didn’t know whether she meant that as a prayer or a complaint.

Probably both.

She walked downstairs.

The apartment seemed suddenly too small.

She reached the door, and her hand settled on the handle. She paused. There was still time to turn around.

Her fingers tightened around the handle. Then she opened it.

Christian stood on the other side with his hands resting loosely at his sides. He looked exactly as he had left.

His hair was slightly disheveled, like he’d run his fingers through it too many times.

When his eyes found hers, his expression changed. He looked over her slowly. Not like he was trying to undress her with his eyes.

Just one quiet look that made Kylie suddenly aware of the red fabric against her skin.

"Hi," he said.

Kylie didn’t answer.

She stepped forward.

Christian barely had time to register the movement before her hand caught the front of his shirt and she pulled him down into a kiss.

His body went completely still.

For half a heartbeat. Then he broke it immediately.

His hand caught her wrist. Not painfully, but just enough to stop her from reaching for him again.

His breathing turned ragged.

So had hers.

Christian stared at her.

"Is this like the last time," he asked quietly, "where you only kissed me because you sent the other man away?"

Kylie’s stomach twisted. "No."

Christian didn’t move.

She stepped closer. "I sent him away because I didn’t want him here."

His eyes searched hers. "And?"

"And I didn’t want you to leave."

Something flickered across his face.

Kylie swallowed. "I didn’t know what I wanted when you left." She searched his eyes. "And it was so wrong of me to bring someone else here."

Christian’s jaw tightened slightly.

Kylie almost laughed at the expression. "You know what I mean."

"Do I?" His voice remained firm.

"No."

She reached for his shirt again.

This time, Christian didn’t stop her.

"I don’t want another man standing in my apartment pretending I care about him when I was thinking about you the entire time."

His gaze dropped briefly to her mouth, then returned to her eyes.

"Kylie."

"Don’t ask me to explain it."

His voice softened. "I’m not."

Kylie whispered. "I don’t have a better explanation."

Christian looked at her for another long second. "Neither do I."

And then he kissed her. He did not kiss her cautiously.

His hand settled against her waist, pulling her toward him as the door swung inward behind her.

Kylie barely noticed.

The kiss deepened. One second they were standing at the threshold. The next second, her back met the wall.

The movement was so quick that she barely registered how they’d gotten there.

Her breath caught.

Christian’s hand braced beside her head.

He paused, just for a fraction. Enough to give her the choice.

Kylie closed the distance herself.

That was all the answer he needed.

His mouth found hers again. The kiss continued, hotter now, and more certain.

All the restraint they’d carried for weeks seemed to have finally reached the point where it couldn’t hold itself together anymore.

Kylie curled her fingers into the back of his shirt. Christian’s other hand settled at her slim waist, pulling her impossibly closer.

She could feel the warmth of him through the thin fabric of her dress. He tasted like the cinnamon rolls from earlier.

Her heart was pounding so hard she was almost certain he could hear it. She broke the kiss just enough to breathe.

"Where were you all theae while?"

Christian’s forehead rested against hers. "In my car. I saw him leave but I couldn’t come in."

She almost smiled.

His mouth curved.

There was that Christian. The one who could make her want to laugh even when her pulse was racing.

The one who had broken down against her shoulder because his grandfather had died without him knowing.

He wasn’t demanding anything. He wasn’t claiming anything. He had simply come back.

Kylie lifted her hand and touched his cheek.

Christian’s eyes closed briefly, and chased the warmth of her touch. The tenderness of it almost undid her more than the kiss had.

"Why did you come back?" she whispered.

His eyes opened. "I tried not to."

Her chest tightened. "That isn’t an answer."

Christian smiled faintly. "You think I drove around for an hour because I had nowhere else to go?"

His expression changed. The humor disappeared. "I couldn’t stop thinking about you. Like I said before, you are very likable."

She stared at him, and then looked away. "I don’t know what we’re doing."

"I like you, Kylie." He confessed. "I don’t want to scare you away with how I feel, so I’ll keep my feelings this simple."

Kylie’s eyes turned sad. "That’s a problem."

Christian leaned closer. "Whenever you are ready."

"Umm, you know what I mean." Her eyes lifted. "Last night, while scrolling through my instagram feeds, I stumbled upon your mum. She was telling the press about you upcoming wedding."

Christian went still.

She held his gaze. "You have a fiancé. My dad is a cheat. Don’t get me entangled with one."

Christian’s thumb brushed lightly against her waist.

"You are hurting her." She said quietly. "I couldn’t help but go to her page. Isabel Dolce. She’s a sweet soul."

Christian kissed her again. He had no words for what she had just said.

Kylie wrapped her arms around his neck.

His hand moved to the small of her back, drawing her closer until there was no space left between them.

The kiss became slower, and deeper. Not frantic anymore.

Kylie’s fingers slipped into his hair.

Christian exhaled against her mouth. "I am not getting married."

His eyes opened. He kissed the corner of her mouth, then her cheek, and then the place beneath her jaw.

Kylie inhaled sharply.

Her hands tightened around him. "Christian."

He stopped immediately. He lifted his head. "Too much?"

She shook her head. "No."

"You sure?"

"Yes."

He searched her face.

Kylie touched his jaw. "I’m sure."