34. Chapter Thirty-Four
And the text message from Sandra to Sal reads, “They’re dating. Did you know that? They are actually dating. Charles Malloy is going to have a fit. This isn’t going to work.”
* * *
When I’d offered to stay at Christina’s house, she said she wanted to stay at my place and not hers because my place has personality.
And while I throw together something for us to eat, I can hear her in the other room playing Ms. Pac-Man and laughing to herself.
I rest my hip against the counter and listen to her make those all too familiar sounds when you’re fighting ghosts, dots, and the joystick, and I smile.
There is a deep-seated need in me to give Christina as much compassion as possible, because it has become very clear she’s never had any—therefore, she never gave any.
But even in the past month, I’ve seen that change a bit.
I’ve seen her bring Penny coffee and engage in conversations with her, where before, Penny was just there to be at Christina’s beck and call.
She’s still laughing as she walks into the kitchen.
“Did the ghosts get the better of you?” I ask.
Christina smiles as she walks to me and wraps her arms around my waist.
I wonder if my face shows my surprise at that. Until this very moment—okay, minus her straddling me—I’ve made all the moves in this weird relationship.
“I suck at video games,” she says with some pride.
“You just need more practice,” I say, brushing my hand up into her hair.
“Maybe I do.”
She looks at the thrown-together charcuterie board I’ve put out for us and then back at me.
“That’s transportable,” she says.
I look at the board. “I suppose it is. Where did you want to go?”
Something shifts in her eyes. They grow dark, and I swear the heat in the room climbs ten degrees.
Christina steps back and picks up the tray. “Milo is out of town?”
All I can do is nod.
She starts down the hallway with the tray. “Are you going to follow me?” she calls back to me.
I look around the kitchen as if it’s going to give me answers. Then I pick up the two glasses of wine that I’d poured and head toward my bedroom.
The tray is set on the top of my dresser, but Christina isn’t in the room.
I notice that the bathroom door is half open, and the light is on.
“Did you want to watch something?” I ask as I set the glasses on my nightstand.
A moment later, Christina steps out of the bathroom, her hair now pulled up into a bun on the top of her head. Wisps of hair frame her face.
The front of her dress is unbuttoned and opened enough I can see a lacy pink bra peeking out.
She walks toward me, and I’m damn glad I set those glasses down.
She slips her arms around my waist again, and I wrap my arms around her. Our bodies are pressed together, and I realize, even through that make-out session the other night, we weren’t pressed together this tightly.
“I want you to know, I was all in the other night,” she says softly.
I lift my hand to brush back one of the wisps of hair and tuck it behind her ear. “I don’t you want to regret anything,” I say. “But I was all in too.”
She lifts on her toes and wraps her arms around my neck. “We’re not pretending anymore, right?”
My heart is hammering in my chest, and I wonder if she can feel it. “We’re not pretending.”
“Good. Take me to bed, Crowley. I desperately want to be your girlfriend.”
I swallow hard as I let that sink in. This woman has a way of making me feel things I never have, and I don’t want to feel them with anyone else—ever.
Lowering my mouth to hers, I hoist Christina to my waist, and her legs wrap around me as her tongue sweeps through my mouth.
There’s no way she can’t feel my heart, because I can feel hers.
I turn us toward the bed and ease her down beneath me. Christina’s hands come to my chest, and she begins to unbutton my shirt with nimble fingers that are eager to touch me.
My hand slides up her thigh, taking her skirt, bunching it up at her hips.
Christina’s hands press to my bare chest, and my erection throbs as I press myself between her legs.
“God, Christina,” her name come out on a breath. “You’re going to kill me.”
She grins up at me. “I’m going to make you never forget me.”
I chuckle. “I can promise you that I will never forget you.”
I press my hand to her warm, wet panties, and her back arches, pushing her against me harder.
“I want to touch you,” I say. “I want to explore you.”
She shakes her head. “Later.”
“Later?”
“I don’t want to take our time with this. Not this time. I can’t wait,” she says, wrapping her legs around me, pulling me tightly to her. “Please, Graham. We have all night—the rest of our lives—to explore.”
“You’re sure?”
“I’ve never been more sure,” she says, reaching between us and cupping me.
“Oh, yeah,” I groan. “You’re going to kill me.”
We are at each other in that moment. She’s pulling my shirt from my body, and I’m pulling those pretty lace panties from her thighs.
Our mouths tangle in a kiss, stealing breath, but giving us life. Christina works my belt and the buttons of my pants, and I lift her dress up and over her head, exposing that pink bra that she’d teased me with.
“Fuck, Christina. You’re lovely.”
The smile that turns up the corners of her mouth lights in her eyes. “I am?”
“You are,” I say, pissed that she questions it. She should know how lovely she is. “Everything about you is lovely.”
She lets out a little laugh as she runs her fingers down the length of my back and into the waist of my pants.
I can see it in her eyes. She questions what I’ve told her. It’s hard for her to believe that I would think that—that anyone would think that.
I lower my mouth to her throat and feast on her tender flesh as she claws at my back. She doesn’t want to take our time, but I have to know she’s ready for this. This changes everything.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” I breathe the words into her ear.
“Yes.” The word comes on a sigh.
“It changes everything,” I say.
“I want it. I want this. I want it all to change.” She moves so that she’s looking me right in the eye. “I want you, Graham. I want you.”
I stand and step out of my pants, then move to the nightstand, opening the drawer and pull out a condom.
Christina is watching me appreciatively, and for that I’m grateful.
I lay back on the bed and roll on the condom.
“I’m glad we came here,” she says. “I don’t have any of those at my house.” She bites down on her lip.
“I’ll always take care of this part. I promise.”
Her eyes bat quickly. “Don’t think I’m weird, but I’ve only done this a few times.”
I admire that. No one in this town can say that—or at least that’s what I’d thought.
“We can wait,” I offer.
She shakes her head. “I don’t want to wait. I want all of you right now,” she says, maneuvering herself until she’s straddling me.
“I’ll be gentle,” I say, gripping her hips as she poises herself right over me.
“You don’t have to be,” she says.
“I’ll always take care of you,” I say, because it’s in my heart and it’s what I feel. “Let me love you, Christina. Let me show you just how special you are.”