Panicking just a little bit, Tory lead Pierce upstairs to her apartment, keys jingling in her hand as she opened up the door to her rental. There were still some boxes strewn around in the hallway which she quickly pushed to the side, feeling more flustered than ever before.

The decision to invite Pierce up had not been a thought-out one. It was borne more of an impulse, and the question had tumbled over her lips before she could stop herself. Like Joanne had advised, she was going with her gut, and hoping this time, it wouldn’t fail her.

Shrugging off her jacket and kicking off her shoes, she waited for Pierce to do the same before showing him inside to the living room. Luckily, the mess in there was minimal, with only a couple of dishes in the sink and a box of CDs on the floor.

Yeah, so CDs were a little outdated. That didn’t mean she was going to throw away her collection. Besides, each album carried with it a memory, a dance choreographed to one of the songs, or just a tune that had been a soundtrack to her life at one point or another.

Her senses were keyed up as she walked over to the fridge, listening to Pierce move around behind her. The place had an open plan, with exposed brick walls and a spacious living room leading straight into the kitchen.

A bedroom was tucked away in the back, with a big closet she had always dreamed of. It was a mess right now, though, as she had spent a good half an hour tossing her wardrobe around, deciding on what to wear for the date.

“Nice place,” Pierce commented.

“Thanks,” she said. “I was lucky to get it on such short notice. And I could barely afford a shoebox in New York for the price I’m paying for it.”

She rummaged around in the refrigerator as if hoping for a miracle, since she knew damn well there was nothing in there but some leftovers and a tray of ice cubes in the freezer.

Well, how was I supposed to know future Tory wouldn’t be able to resist inviting Pierce over? she sighed to herself.

“Uh,” she stammered, closing the fridge and resting her back against it. “I’ve got water and… water,” she admitted, as Pierce’s gaze swung to her.

“Ms. Jones,” Pierce gasped. “Did you entice me here with a drink that doesn’t exist? You don’t have any ulterior motives, do you?”

His tone was teasing, his eyes glittering as his gaze moved up her body, and suddenly her throat was so dry, she wouldn’t mind a glass of water herself. Why had she invited him up? It was painfully obvious now it wasn’t just to share a drink.

No, she wanted more than that. She wanted to have him all to herself, away from everyone else. The urge was stronger than common sense or being careful and reasonable about their budding relationship.

That ship had sailed. She was already too drawn to him, to the way he made her laugh, the way he made her feel. He made her reckless, and she liked it. The rules didn’t matter when she was with him.

“What if I do?” she found herself saying.

“I wasn’t that thirsty anyway,” he shrugged, his broad shoulders moving under his shirt.

Tory stood silently as he stepped toward her, his palms flattening against the fridge on either side of her head. A shiver of anticipation ran down her spine as he boxed her in, bending his head down.

His lips brushed against hers, gentle and soft, as if gauging her reaction. Butterflies filled her stomach, the moment feeling a lot more intimate than when they had shared a kiss at the dance studio.

She knew exactly where this was leading. Was she ready for that? Just yesterday, the answer would have been a resounding no. Tory wasn’t sure exactly what had changed, but she could recognize her interactions with Pierce were profoundly different from anything she had experienced before.

When Pierce deepened the kiss, she couldn’t help but arch her back and press against him, needy and desperate. It was the sort of kiss you felt from head to toe, the kind that melted two people together with the pure heat of it. How was she expected to resist that?

More problematic, she didn’t want to resist. He wanted her and she wanted him. Boiled down to that, it was simple, really. Why should she deny herself something she wanted? Pierce was single, and so was she. They were both adults.

But all of her reasoning aside, it was the throb in her core and the heat in her veins that ultimately made the decision for her. And once she let herself just go with the flow, her instincts took over.

Reaching out, she ran her hands up the sides of Pierce’s torso, feeling the ripple of muscles beneath her fingers. He groaned, his hands falling away from the fridge and grabbing onto her hips instead.

From there, they dipped lower, sliding between her and the fridge, squeezing her ass and pulling her closer. A jolt of adrenaline surged through her, lust clouding her thoughts. Locking her hands behind his neck, she reveled in the slow, lingering way he kissed her breath away.

Bodies pressed together, she could feel his erection digging into her stomach, and it only fueled her need for him. Knowing she turned him on just as much as he did her was intoxicating.

She gasped when he suddenly lifted her up, guiding her legs to wrap around him. With her back still pressed against the fridge, she couldn’t help but grind against him, the want building inside her making her stomach twist in knots.

Being that overwhelmed was a new and heady feeling. Pierce’s erection now pressed firmly against the apex of her thighs, rubbing against her throbbing clit. She squirmed and bucked her hips in blind need, her hands moving from his neck down his broad shoulders and sculpted arms.

When he broke the kiss, her lips were tender and swollen and her breath ragged. He dragged his mouth down her neck, nipping at her flesh until goosebumps broke out over her body.

Resting her head against the fridge, she gulped in a breath as he trailed fire down her skin, stopping to kiss the tops of her breasts. Tory tried to gather herself enough to get words out, but he was making that really difficult.

“Did I…” she rasped, stopping to whimper when he pulled down the front of her dress and started kissing around her nipples. “Did I show you the bedroom yet?” she tried again, her voice throaty and unfamiliar.

He chuckled, his breath warm against her skin.

“You did not,” he said simply, before going back to teasing her nipples until they were hard, aching nubs.

“Maybe I should,” she replied.

“Maybe?” he asked, looking at her with dark, fiery eyes.

This was it. Her last chance to back out before lust took over completely and she couldn’t turn back even if she wanted to. Everything inside her was already screaming out for more, responding to Pierce’s every touch as if it were the first time she had ever had someone else’s hands on her.

“Definitely,” she ended up saying, going with her gut for once.

She had a feeling it wasn’t going to let her down this time.