All day I'd been avoiding coming home. I didn't want to see the look of regret in James's eyes when he looked at me. Surely he regretted the drunken almost sex we'd had, if he even remembered it. I'd been playing back in my head all day what I would say to him or not say to him when it finally came up. I'd done everything that I could think of to do, but eventually I was out of errands to run and I made my way through the front door of my brother's house. I swallowed back my fear as I crossed to Katie's room. My footsteps sounded deafening as I crossed the expanse of the open floor plan.

I put some bags on her bed and pulled off my shoes. Already I was regretting my purchases. Not because what I'd purchased wasn't great... just that I didn't know how I would get it home with me in the suitcase I'd brought and I was burning through my savings like it was going out of style.

My breath caught in my chest as I heard the front door close.  Oh, why did the universe hate me? I wasn't ready for this. I wasn't ready.

"Ainsley?"

Fuck you, said the universe. I turned to my mirror and quickly fixed my appearance before making my way into the living room. "James?"

He was standing beside the couch, he'd just finished fishing his keys, wallet, and phone from his pocket. His eyes roamed my body like a man taking in a supermodel in a bikini, slow and dirty.

"James?" I crossed my arms over my chest but when I saw his eyes widen and his eyes pop to my cleavage I quickly dropped them again. "James!"

He stood up straight and sat down on the couch, removing his boots as if he hadn't just been mentally undressing me. "Is anyone else home?"

Maybe he was replaying last night in his head or maybe he was trying to remember if he'd even seen my boobs naked and was trying to conjure the image of them.

"Uh, no. Scott is working late and Katie already left for work, I think. What do you want for dinner tonight?"

He was silent for a long time. The only sound in the room was of his boots dropping onto the floor. He rose up and walked around the couch, stopping a couple of inches away.

Without a word he took another step towards me, his hands touched my hips and held me steady. My knees were quaking already at the intimacy of his touch. I tried to hold a steady gaze and keep my face neutral. Maybe it was a trick, maybe... his lips came down to mine and I swear to god I had a mini orgasm in my panties.

With no words between us he stepped in closer still and kissed me softly. His kiss was like a question, hesitant and unsure. His tongue came out and touched my lower lip and my dam broke. I wrapped my arms around him, my hands running up the length of his back as I answered his question with my lips.

Yes, they said, yes you can seduce me. I'm yours.

He groaned, his hands sliding in opposite directions, one on my ass, the other to the middle of my back, as he pulled me in closer and kissed me silly. His legs parted, and he stooped so we were more aligned.

He tasted like sweat and iced tea. And it was delicious and intoxicating.

I snaked my hands up his body, feeling the hard planes of his abdomen and chest before they came to rest on his shoulders. I wanted this. I wanted him. I knew I shouldn't, but I did.

His other hand moved down and gripped my ass. He didn't make a sound as he lifted me. I wrapped my legs around him as he carried me to the table. He continued to kiss me as he laid me down. His hands made fast work of sliding the skirt of my dress up and pulling my panties down.

When his lips left mine, he stared down at me, a little grin on his lips. "I want you for dinner tonight."

I gasped at his words and his hot finger that had slid between my folds, testing my readiness. His eyes closed, and he muttered a curse. He kissed me hard once more before he lowered himself to his knees, his face lined up with my folds. He hooked my legs on his shoulders and spread my thighs wider with his palms. His eyes flickered to me. "I want to hear you come, Ainsley. I won't stop until you're screaming my name." And then his hands and mouth were on me. And I was lost in the pleasure.

My body responded to him like magic. Every lick caused me to jerk. Every moan curled something hot and delicious in my belly. When his fingers joined in the fun I fell off the edge and exploded. With my hands in his hair and my thighs closed around his head I screamed his name.

True to his word he stopped, but only long enough for me to catch my breath. And then he did it again. And again. The man was a machine.