Chapter 14
FOURTEEN
The realization hits me like a train, but I can’t really say it isn’t one I didn’t see coming, even if it was subconsciously. But now that she’s staring up at me, panting with wide eyes, lips kiss-swollen from mine, it’s something I can no longer ignore.
“Is that what you wanted, Birdie? You wanted me to kiss you? All you had to do was ask,” I say, and a smile tips at the edges of my lips.
She blinks up at me with dazed eyes, eyes unfortunately lined in exhausted circles, but then there’s a flash of irritation, and her hands move up to the back of my neck, pulling me down to her once more.
“You’re such an ass,” she grumbles right before she pulls my lips down to hers.
I laugh into the kiss, feeling lighter than I think I ever have, but she simply pulls me closer as if she feels the same all-consuming urge to get as close as humanly possible to me.
Her body is shifting, squirming, grinding as she kisses me, and I wonder…
I shift her, eager to do the same, and shift my legs so my thigh rests between hers, her sweet, uncovered thighs nearly straddling me. My hand moves to her hip, and I pull her closer, and a squeak falls from her lips, swallowed quickly by mine when it turns into a moan.
A moan as she grinds herself onto my thigh, my lips on hers.
Fuck.
Her breathing goes a bit frantic, her hips moving in a steady pattern, and my cock hardens in response.
I wonder for a moment if she could come just like this, my leg between hers, fully clothed, my kisses the only skin-on-skin contact we have.
Unfortunately, we’re both reminded of where we are when a door closes not far from us, and her body goes tight again, like she’s been snapped back into her common sense.
Even though I don’t want to, I break the kiss, moving to press my forehead to hers and gaze down at her.
Her chest is rising and falling rapidly, little pants coming from her lips, and her eyes are hooded with fleeting desire when they finally meet mine, fire blazing there.
She’s pinned to the wall, my leg between hers, her hips still shifting against it like she desperately wants more, breaths panting from her lips.
I’m going to take her home.
I’m going to strip her out of her sweet little outfit and kiss every inch of her body, make her feel so fucking good until she forgets about everything and everyone.
She forgets about responsibilities and promises and favors, only focusing on what she wants, what feels good, and the pleasure I can bring her.
More importantly, I’m going to make her beg for each and every touch until it’s deeply ingrained in her mind that she has to ask for what she wants, that she has to speak up for herself.
That’s my plan—that is, until her lips purse and her eyes squeeze shut as she fights back a yawn.
With it, my plan changes instantly.
“We’re going home.”
Those bright blue eyes go wide with panic and confusion. “What?”
“I’m taking you home. I’m going to get you out of here before you agree to more insane things that will eat at the very few hours you let yourself have to yourself, and you’re going to get to bed at a reasonable fucking hour.
” I step back, reaching for her hand to move her, but her feet stay cemented where they are, her jaw adorably tight.
Instead of her dazed, turned-on look or her sweet, tired one, I realize I have stubborn Wren on my hands once again.
“No, I’m not.”
“You’re exhausted, Wren. If I’m kissing you the way I just did and you’re responding the way you just did, and you’re yawning after it, something is very wrong. You’re going home, and you’re going to bed.”
“Maybe it just wasn’t that good,” she says, looking at me with all the attitude she can muster.
“Feel free to tell yourself that, Wren, but we both know the truth. Now come on. We’re going home.”
“I am an adult, Adam. I don’t need you telling me when my bedtime is or that I need to go home.”
I raise an eyebrow at her, and despite myself, my irritation starts to grow. She so badly wants to prove herself, but she’s missing the most important part: taking care of Wren.
“Then act like one and take care of yourself. You keep this up, you’re going to send yourself into an early grave.”
“You’re being dramatic.”
“You almost fell off a ladder the other day,” I remind her.
“That wasn’t because I was tired. It was because it was icy and cold.”
I stare at her, trying to make her see that she’s simply proving my point. “Just another situation where you weren’t worried about your health or safety.”
She rolls her eyes, and the movement goes straight to my cock. I reduce the space between us once more and pin her to the wall.
“Roll your eyes like that again, and I’m putting you over my knee and spanking your ass until you listen to me.”
With my words, I expect a tight jaw.
I expect a flare of anger or some angry response.
Instead, her lips part.
A sharp little inhale comes from her lips.
Her eyes widen in shock.
And then they light up with heat.
Fuck.
My little birdie likes the idea of that, even if she would never admit it.
“Now, you’re going to follow me out into the bar, and you’re going to say goodbye to our friends.
Then you’re going to get into your car and drive home, and I’m going to tail you, making sure you don’t get into a wreck on the three-mile drive home.
Then I’m going to watch you walk into your house, turn off all the lights, and go the fuck to sleep. ”
A small pink tongue dips out of her mouth, wetting her lips, and I watch it with fascination.
“I came here with Hallie,” she says, voice low and conciliatory. “I’m not making her leave just because my asshole neighbor thinks I have a bedtime.”
“Even better. I’ll drive you home,” I say.
“I don’t need you to drive me home. I’ll wait until my friend is ready to go.”
Her irritation is rising once again, and I fight the grin pulling at my lips. God, I really like this push and pull between us.
“No, you won’t. You’re going home. Now.” I step away, motioning for her to follow me again, but she crosses her arms on her chest, glaring at me.
“What are you going to do, drag me? I’m not going to just go with you, Adam.”
I let the smile win.
“If that’s what it takes.”
“You wouldn’t.” I lift an eyebrow in challenge. “Why—” she starts, but her question turns into a yelp as I bend my knees and put my shoulder into her belly, tossing her over my shoulder as I stand. “Adam!”
I ignore her shriek as I move back the way we came to the bar with her over my shoulder.
“Put me down!” she shouts, slapping my back.
I just laugh, feeling freer than I have in months—years, maybe—as I move toward the table she was at to grab her things on our way out.
As we approach the loud, populated area, I shift my free hand to the hem of her dress to hold it down and keep it from drifting up.
“Are you feeling me up?” she asks, voice aghast.
“I’m covering your ass, Wren.”
“That’s essentially the same thing!”
“Do you want the entire bar to see your ass?”
Silence fills the air before her sass kicks in.
“I don’t want you touching my behind!”
So goddamn sweet, she doesn’t even want to say the word ass.
“Trust me, if I were feeling up your ass, Wren, you would know.” She goes silent for a moment as we move toward her friends.
“I’m taking Wren home,” I tell Hallie as we approach the table she was sharing with another brunette. Both of them are staring at me with wide eyes, the brunette looking nervous while Hallie looks thoroughly entertained.
“No, he’s not! He’s kidnapping me! Someone help me!”
“You’re making a scene, Birdie,” I say over my shoulder.
“No, you’re making a scene! By kidnapping me!”
I ignore her, shifting my attention to Hallie.
“Is this him? The hot neighbor?” the brunette asks Hallie, and she nods. “Nice.” There’s a pleased smile on her lips that Hallie returns, all three of us ignoring an arguing Wren. “I’m Nat, Wren and Hallie’s friend.”
“Adam,” I say, then turn to Hallie. “I’m taking her home because she’s exhausted and needs to go to bed early.”
”You’re treating me like a child!” Wren says from behind me.
“You know who else fights a reasonable bedtime? Children.” I say, looking at her over my shoulder. Her face is angry and red, and I have to fight not to laugh.
“Oh, I think I like him a lot for you, Wren,” Hallie says, and despite myself, I let out a chuckle that I try to hide with a cough. Wren hits my back again. “Make sure she actually goes to bed.”
“Plan on it,” I say, thinking of the key to her back door. I fought the urge to use it the last few nights while she stayed up late, but I won’t be fighting that urge anymore.
“Hallie! You’re supposed to be on my side!” Wren shouts.
“Oh, I definitely am,” Hallie says with a grin.
“And if you saw what we see right now, you’d know we are definitely trying to get you what you need,” Nat says.
“This is insane,” Wren grumbles, but stops arguing.
“See ya, Wren,” Nat says with a sweet voice. “You really do need more sleep.”
“I’m not talking to either of you for weeks,” she says. “You’re off my Christmas list, too!” She says it like a threat, but the women just laugh it off.
I wave at them goodbye, then turn, waving at Colton. “Mind if I get you next time?”
“This round’s on me. Worth the show!” he says with a laugh. Wren groans, and I give him a nod and a wave before heading for the door.
“Let me walk, Adam!” she says as we walk out into the December chill.
I shake my head, reaching in my pocket for my keys and unlocking my truck, but I don’t answer.
Not as I open the passenger-side door, and not as I place her gently into the seat.
Surely not when I lean across the seat to grab the seatbelt, tugging it over her and hearing her breath hitch before buckling her in.
When I jog around the front, I start the engine before closing my door and fight a laugh when I see her sitting there with a scowl, looking straight ahead with her arms crossed on her chest. She’s silent the entire five-minute drive back home, but every chance I can, I look over at her, watching the way the lights play along her face and the way her eyes widen with interest when she sees some new decoration she must not have noticed.
When she catches me, she rolls her eyes, her jaw going tight again, and I have to look away so I don’t laugh.
When I pull into my drive, I cut the engine, then slide out of my seat, slamming my door as I make my way over to her.
“Oh, you’re going to let me walk now?” she asks with exaggerated snark as I open the passenger door. I grin widely at her. I can’t stop it, not when she’s like this, all frustrated and annoyed. Not when I have a feeling I’m the only one who gets her riled up like this.
And surely not when she was mewling into my mouth as she rubbed herself against my thigh ten minutes ago.
“Nowhere for you really to run off to, and I can’t see you heading back to the bar.
” She doesn’t respond, and I reach out to help her out of my truck.
She sneers at my offered hand like it’s poisoned, then shifts her body out, avoiding me completely.
I slam the door behind her as she makes her way up to her walkway, then stomp angrily up her front steps.
I follow her, and when she reaches the door, she turns on a heel and glares at me. “Are you also going to follow me inside and make sure I brush my teeth and go right to bed?”
I stare at her, fighting the overwhelming desire to say yes.
But if I follow Wren King inside, neither of us will be going to bed anytime soon, and considering the exhaustion written over her face and the clear irritation in her words, I’ll have to shelve that idea for a bit.
“I could follow you in, but it wouldn’t help with your sleep issue.” Her jaw goes a bit slack, and I feel the satisfaction of stunning her in that way, especially when a little blush burns across her cheeks.
“You’re a pig,” she says under her breath, but the words are lacking conviction.
“Never said I wasn’t. But next time you want me to come over, you just have to ask for what you want, and I’ll be right there.” Her brows furrow at me, masking the flash of desire.
“Why the fuck would I want you to come over?” she asks, hands on her hips and glaring up at me.
“I think you made your feelings clear in the bar, sweetness,” I say, lifting a hand and tucking a piece of loose hair behind her ear. “And so did I. But I’m not acting on them until you’ve gotten some rest.” Those pretty eyes roll, and I think that I’d like to make them roll in another way.
Get your head together, Porter. Stick to the plan.
“That is not happening again. It was a lapse of judgment. A tired lapse of judgment.”
“Sure it was, sweetness,” I say.
“I’m serious! Why would I want anything to do with you? You’re a jerk who hates Christmas and is constantly manhandling me.”
I take a step back and nod.
“Well, when you decide you want to make another lapse of judgment, you come over. But you’re going to have to ask for what you want, baby.”
“In your dreams.”
“Don’t you know it?” Her mouth opens as I say it, looking at me with shock as I take a step backward down her porch. “Now go inside and go to bed, Wren.”
I stand at the foot of her steps, watching her as she takes me in before she must decide she doesn’t want to argue, turns on her heel once more, and heads inside, slamming the door when she does.
And despite what she said, that night I watched her place from my office. Over the next twenty minutes, the lights go out one by one in each room until all lights are off at 10:12.
I’d call that a win any day.