Chapter 6
SIX
Kian
I whistle as I head out of work, climb into my truck, and drive to the bank. I scan the parking lot as I pull up, grinning when I see Larsen waiting for me out front.
She waited for me. That has to be a good sign. She’s getting used to me being in her life.
I pull into the lot and up to the front door as Larsen hurries over and hops into the passenger seat.
“Hey,” I greet her as she buckles up.
“Hey,” she mumbles.
I frown slightly as I pull out of the parking lot and drive toward her place.
Silence wraps around us as I navigate the slush-covered streets in silence. I steal glances at her, but every time I look, she’s staring straight ahead out the windshield.
“Everything okay?” I ask after a few minutes.
“Yep.”
She’s still quiet, and she seems off. Did something happen since I saw her at lunch?
“How was your day?” I ask, trying to get her to open up to me.
“It was fine.”
I wait for her to elaborate, but she remains quiet.
I grip the steering wheel tighter, becoming anxious. Larsen is acting weird. I miss seeing her soft smiles. I miss listening to her tell me about her day. Whatever happened, whatever upset her, I need her to tell me what’s wrong so I can fix it.
Pulling into her driveway, I shift into park and turn to face her.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
“Clearly, something is wrong.”
“No.”
“Larsen, I don’t want to dance around shit. If you’re upset, you need to tell me so I can fix it.”
“You can’t fix this,” she insists.
“Yes, I can. Fixing things is what I do.”
She squirms in the passenger seat, and I narrow my eyes as she avoids my gaze.
She reaches for the door handle. “I think we should cancel the—”
“Nope.” I grab her and drag her onto my lap.
“Stop!” she snaps, trying to wriggle out of my grasp.
I hold her tighter until she calms down. She crosses her arms, sitting grumpily in my lap. I bite back a smile at her adorably cranky expression.
“Let’s try this again,” I say gently. “You were good at lunch, so what happened this afternoon to upset you?”
“Nothing.”
“Larsen!”
“I’m fine,” she lies.
Larsen gasps as I spank the side of her ass, jerking in my lap as she turns to look at me in surprise. A flush covers her face, and my cock hardens in my jeans.
Focus! I tell myself.
“What happened?” I grit out.
“You don’t have a girlfriend,” she mumbles.
I stare at her in confusion, thinking I misheard her. “What?”
“You don’t have a girlfriend,” she repeats.
“So?” I frown, trying to figure out what she means and how that would upset her. “How did that fact ruin your day?”
“You don’t want one,” she cries out.
“I never said that.”
Larsen huffs, turning away from me. “Yes, you did.”
“No,” I correct, “I said that I never saw the point in having a girlfriend before.”
“See?” she snaps.
I shake my head. “Take a deep breath, darling, and stop being crazy.”
Her head whips around, and she glares at me. “I’m not being—”
“You’re my girl.”
“—crazy! Do you even—wait. What?”
I bite back a laugh as she turns to look at me, her eyes wide with surprise.
I smile, cupping her face in my hands. “You’re my girl. My woman.”
She stares at me, unmoving.
I lean forward, pressing my forehead against hers. Taking a deep breath, I breathe in her sweet lemon scent. “And I’m yours…right?”
She nods against me. “Yeah,” she chokes out.
I smile as I press my lips against hers.
Larsen melts in my hold, and I nip at her bottom lip, growling as I lick my way into her mouth. My tongue tangles with hers, and she moans as I gather her closer against my chest. Her tongue is timid as it moves against mine, and I’m hard as a rock as I coax her to kiss me harder and deeper.
Her hands tighten on my shoulders as she rubs against me. She’s moaning, panting. Driving me crazy.
My balls tighten as she rocks in my lap on my cock. I grunt as she breaks the kiss and sucks in a sharp breath.
“Wait!” she cries out, pulling back
I pause. “Don’t stop kissing me.”
She shakes her head. “We should talk.”
“Later.”
“Kian!”
I lean forward, capturing her lips with mine again. She turns her head, and I groan as I lean back in my seat.
“What are we talking about?” I ask.
“Well, people usually have conversations before they start dating,” she explains.
“We’re already dating,” I grunt out.
“Okay, yeah, but we should still talk. If we’d talked about things before today, we would’ve been able to clear up quite a bit of confusion,” she points out.
I sigh. “Yeah, okay.”
“I… What does this mean to you?” she asks, pointing between us. “Are we casual or—”
“No.”
She blinks, licking her lips.
“I’m all in with you,” I tell her honestly. “You’re my girl, and I’m your man. Whatever you need, you come to me.”
“So this isn’t a hook-up thing then?”
“Stop being dumb,” I grumble.
She snorts.
I smile, and she smiles back.
“This is it,” I tell her. “This is forever for me.”
“How can you say that?” she asks. “We just met!”
“I feel it.”
“I… This would be a great way to pick someone up,” she says uncertainly. “I mean, you’re saying all the right things.”
“It’s real.” I pat the steering wheel. “I let you drive my baby. I can’t stop thinking about you. I want to spend all of my time with you. You’re it for me, and I’m going to do everything I can to make sure that I’m it for you.”
Larsen is silent as she processes my words. I give her time.
Finally, she smiles softly and relaxes in my lap. “So, I don’t have a choice in all this?”
I smirk. “You do, but if you don’t choose me, I’m going to do whatever I have to do to change your mind.”
Larsen bites back a smile and dips her chin to hide her sparkling eyes. “I choose you, too.”
I grab her, dragging her against me. “Thank fuck.”
I slam my lips down on hers again. I can’t seem to keep my hands off her, not that Larsen is complaining. Thank fuck for that, too.
Her lips are soft and warm and completely addictive.
I kiss her like I mean it, with no hesitation this time.
No teasing, no slow build. I’m already gone for this woman, already drowning, already fucking ruined, and Larsen kisses me back like she feels it, too.
Like she understands what this is and what it means.
Her fingers curl into my shirt, gripping tight as my mouth moves hungrily against hers. I drag her closer, one hand sliding up her back, the other tangling in her hair.
Mine.
That word pounds through my head with every breath.
Mine.
Mine.
Mine.
Larsen makes the sweetest little sound in my mouth, soft, breathless, and wrecked. My entire body tightens in response. I slide my tongue against hers, slow and deep, and she melts against me like she was made for my lap.
For my arms.
For me.
Fuck, I can’t get enough.
Every kiss makes me want another. Every taste makes me need more.
I tilt my head, deepening the kiss, and Larsen gasps, her body shifting instinctively against mine.
That tiny movement nearly destroys me because she presses right against my cock.
And she knows it.
I groan into her mouth, my grip tightening as heat explodes low in my gut. Larsen shivers, rocking her hips slightly before she stills, but it’s too late. My blood is already burning.
“You’re going to be the death of me,” I mutter against her lips.
She lets out a shaky laugh, her breath fanning across my mouth. “You started this.”
I grin. Then I kiss her again, slower this time, deeper, like I’ve got all the time in the world. My hand slides down her spine, fingers digging into the soft curve of her ass as I pull her firmly against me. Larsen immediately sighs into the kiss, her body going soft and pliant in my arms.
Jesus Christ.
She fits. Perfectly. Like she was built for me.
Her lips move against mine with growing confidence, soft but hungry, and I swear I feel the exact moment her brain stops working because her kiss changes.
Deepens.
Turns desperate.
My chest rumbles with a low growl as Larsen’s fingers slide into my hair. She tugs gently, and my hips jerk before I can stop them.
“Fuck, Larsen…” Her name leaves my mouth like a warning, like a promise, like something far more dangerous.
She whimpers softly in response, and I’m done for.
Completely.
I pull back to look at her. Her lips are swollen, eyes glazed, cheeks flushed pink, and she’s staring at me like I’m something she wants to climb.
My cock throbs painfully in my jeans.
“You have no idea what you do to me,” I murmur.
Larsen swallows, and her gaze drops.
Right to my mouth.
Then—
She kisses me. Hard and hungry, like she can’t stand the distance.
That’s it.
That’s fucking it.
I grip her tighter, devouring her mouth as heat spirals wildly between us. The truck fills with our harsh breathing, soft gasps, quiet moans, and the slick, intoxicating slide of lips and tongues.
The windows fog, the air thickens, and everything disappears except her.
Larsen suddenly pulls back, panting, her eyes wide. “Oh, my god.”
I grin lazily, completely wrecked and not even a little sorry. “Yeah.”
Her cheeks turn even pinker. “We’re sitting in front of my house.”
I glance toward the fogged-up windshield, then back at her. Larsen is smiling as she cuddles against me. We’re both breathing hard, and I wrap her in my arms as we catch our breath.
“Do you want to come in?” Larsen asks after a minute.
I don’t bother answering her. I just grab her, turn off the truck, and climb out with my girl in my arms.
Larsen blushes as I carry her to the front door. She passes me the keys from her purse, and I unlock the front door.
“Which way to your room?” I ask, kicking the front door shut behind us.
“There.”
I follow where she pointed and smile as I step into her room. The space is so warm and welcoming, just like my girl. A soft gray rug covers the hardwood floor. A small pile of clothes sits on the dresser, and a blanket is thrown over the chair in the corner.
Larsen takes a step away from me, towards the king-size bed. She’s not looking at me. Her eyes dart around the room like she’s not sure what to focus on.