Page 16 of Fake Autumn Crush

"I think so. Natalie will get back to me tomorrow, but everything I've seen so far has been positive. Everyone definitely seems to have moved on."

"Good." He pulls my knees over his until I'm half-sitting in his lap. "Now, I know I have zero right to ask you for any more favors after all you've done, but I meant what I said about the cabin. Would you consider coming with me?"

My mouth falls open. "I mean… Tomorrow is Friday. I guess I could take a long weekend. How far is it?"

"Only a two-hour drive. Yeah – come with me for three days. If you want to stay longer, great. If you feel you should get back to the office, I'll drive you home Sunday night."

My heart is pounding from the way he looks at me. There's a sweet warmth in his gaze. There's also a smoldering heat in the way he strokes my back and runs his palm up and down the outside of my thigh.

"Julia, I'm not expecting anything. I think it's pretty obvious that I'm nuts about you. But if you want to put this fake girlfriend stuff on hold and hang out just as friends, we can return to whatever this is when we get back to the real world. I don't want you to feel that you're trapped out there with me or anything."

He waits patiently while I stare at the dancing leaves on the TV. I probably shouldn't tell him he’s the sexiest man I’ve ever seen. But what about the part that I haven't been with a man before? Is he going to expect me to know what I'm doing?

“You're thinking real hard about something." His lips brush against my cheek and hair, then drift down to the shell of my ear. "I'll answer any question you have. And you can tell me anything. I'm an open book for you, angel."

My eyes close as I exhale slowly. Then I open them again and watch his expression carefully. "My entire dating history has been limited to the last two days,” I explain. “I don't want you to expect that I'm…you know…good at anything. Or have a clue about it.” My head twists as I whisper into his ear. "But I've been dreaming of doing everything from the second I saw you in person." My breath is shaky. "Am I allowed to say that?"

"Julia…"

I moan as he kisses me, consuming me, laying us across the couch and pulling my leg over his hip so I won't fall off. "Beautiful, from the second I saw you, I knew that I wanted you. I've been dreaming of the right woman for years and then there you were, just sitting and having coffee."

"You can't possibly know that I'm the right woman."

"Well, I'm going to operate under that assumption for now." He grins, sliding his hand up the back of my shirt. "We click. I've never clicked with anyone. I'm happy to move as slow as you like. Hopefully I can at least kiss you and hold you. Is that fair?"

"What if I want to move fast?" I blurt, gasping as the words leave my lips. "Crap – I shouldn't have said that. I guess I'm curious. I'm sorry."

Sam laughs, holding us together as I giggle with him. "Nothing to be sorry about." He brushes the hair out of my face. "Just talk to me, all the time. Tell me what you want. What you don't. Super open. Will you do that for me?"

I'm already nodding. “Yes."

“Am I making up the guestroom for you?"

Slowly, my head drags back and forth. "I think I'd rather sleep with you, if that's okay."

"More than okay, angel." He kisses my forehead gently, then I feel a twitch between us. His jeans are now straining against my skirt. Knowing that I'm arousing this gorgeous man does something to me. It's as if the part of my mind usually concerned with being shy has gone quiet.

He untucks my shirt, then lets his hand wander around my stomach, my side, and up my back. "I love touching you," he whispers. “You’re so soft. Everywhere." His eyebrow raises. "Well, as far as I know. Should I check?” He chuckles, a rich sound that I feel in the center of my chest. “Or should I wait for another day when you're not jacked on adrenaline from our big restaurant getaway?"

I love the way he keeps things light. "You can check if you want to.” When I feel his fingers clutch my side, I add, "You can do anything you like with me."

His hand involuntarily jumps an inch. "Really?"

"Really."

I gasp at the ferocious way his lips possess mine. Maybe he feels he doesn't have to be so polite anymore, now that I've confessed I want everything from him. With him.

He moves slowly, rolling me onto his chest as he reaches up my back to find the hook on my bra. It takes him a few tries to undo it, then it falls forward under my shirt. "Success," he says. "Nimble guitarist fingers can do anything. Never forget that."

My laughter turns into a gasp when his hand slips around and his fingertips skim across the underside of my breasts. "So soft," he whispers against my lips, capturing my mouth in another long, slow kiss.

A spark fires through my entire nervous system. I've always wondered how it would feel to have a man take control of my body. His teeth nip at my bottom lip, then he eases me up, shoving my shirt and bra aside to wrap his mouth around my nipple. I'm already clutching his hair, running my hands along the back of his strong, muscular shoulders. Honestly, he must have been living in the gym recently.

Sam runs his teeth across my nipple, tonguing my breast as his hand drops to reach under my skirt. His callused fingers drift up and down my inner thigh, then skim slowly across the center of my panties.

"If you're tired, we could just sleep," he murmurs. "But if you're stressed, I could make you come, so you sleep even better." His mouth lifts to kiss my lips again, then he looks into my eyes. "More importantly, I really need to feel you come, angel."

I'm already smiling. "I meant it before. You can do anything you want with me."