CLARE
Dale was the last person I’d wanted to see in my misery, yet after I’d napped for three hours, I felt much better and was ready to deal with the mess I’d created on the bathroom floor—only to find it had already been cleaned and the washing done.
There was no way I could put into words how grateful I was for his help, even if I wished I could’ve been spared the embarrassing encounter. It would only give him more things to hold against me.
Then again, were we still fighting, or had we now reached a weird limbo between hate and something more?
I showered, taking my time because the warm water eased some of my soreness.
Hell, throwing up hurt, especially if your stomach was practically empty. It also taught me to not jinx things. Maybe I wouldn’t have felt as bad had I not told Dale’s mom I hadn’t caught the worst of it.
After my shower, I slipped into long pajama bottoms and a loose shirt, deciding to forgo the bra. After all, I’d just be on the sofa until I either fell asleep or went back to bed.
It was getting late, yet I felt rested for a change.
I got myself some more crackers, and just when I was about to sit down on the sofa to watch some TV, my front screen door screeched and the door opened.
I really do need to start locking up.
Dale walked in. The soft glow of my reading light next to the sofa made him look haunted, shadows playing over his face.
“You’re up and walking. And you showered,” he commented, his tone somewhere between annoyed and worried.
“I thought that would be good news. Going somewhere?” I nodded toward the bottle in his hand. He stepped closer, holding it out to me.
“It’s ginger ale. Easy on the stomach. I couldn’t find any in your kitchen earlier, so I thought I’d drop it off and check on you again. Do you have parents or a sister you can call? Or a friend? Someone who can come check on you while you’re feeling out of it?” He placed the bottle on the coffee table. “I don’t have time to babysit you, you know?”
I snorted. “I didn’t ask you to. In fact, I remember very clearly telling you to get out. I think I repeated it more than once.”
I still stood next to the sofa, undecided as to what to do, and Dale just watched me. My heart ached at the care and consideration he’d shown, coming here to check on me again. No matter how much his words contradicted his actions, I liked that he’d taken care of me.
“Clare…”
His tone said it all. I’d heard the longing in it more than once, and as much as I doubted I could feel drawn to him after the day I had, I wanted him close, wanted him to undress me.
“Here.” I didn’t move, waiting for him to take the first step. He did, albeit hesitantly.
“How is the stomach feeling?” His voice was just a murmur as he took another tentative step forward. There were maybe three more between us before he’d reach me.
I swallowed. I knew what he was asking, and I knew what I wanted. Maybe I shouldn’t, but my skin flushed, my nipples pebbling under the loose shirt. My lips parted and I licked them, moving in until I could brush my hand across his chest, giving him the answer he was looking for.
A breath left him in a rush, as if he’d been prepared for rejection—a rejection I should be giving him. I was lying to myself about this not being anything serious. It was for me, but I feared losing those late nights more than I feared falling harder for him.
He cradled my face in his hands and kissed me slowly, much more softly than he had before, then picked me up and sat down on the sofa with me straddling his lap.
“I don’t have much time. My mother’s still awake and waiting,” he whispered against my lips. Through his sweatpants, I felt his erection press against my core.
“I hadn’t realized we needed much time.”
As much as I wished it weren’t true, I was ready for him, needing him inside me like I needed my next breath. I had no idea how I’d managed to go without sex for more than a year, now suddenly craving it on a regular basis.
Maybe it was just the Dale-effect.
Or maybe it was something entirely different.
“Fuck, Clare.”
I nodded. “That’s the whole purpose. Don’t get all patient now. What happened to taking my clothes off and chasing that high? Come on, Harris. Losing your edge already?” I shouldn’t make it sound as if those hours we spent together didn’t come to mean the world to me. I shouldn’t try to make light of what was definitely intense, but I didn’t want him to know, to realize my feelings had changed.
I rolled my hips against his hard dick, almost groaning at the friction it caused, then leaned in, kissing my way down his jaw and along his neck, nipping here and there, before I pulled back long enough to draw his shirt over his head.
I let my hands roam his chest while he cupped my breasts through my shirt, squeezing and teasing my nipples until I wanted to come from that alone. My panties were soaked, and if he kept it up, my pajama bottoms would be, too.
Making quick work of them and my top, I crawled back onto his lap, hoping he’d come prepared.
“Tell me you have a condom. I don’t exactly feel like…” I trailed off as he pulled a foil packet out of his pocket, shame shining in his eyes.
“I shouldn’t have, but when I come over here, I never know if I’ll be fucking or killing you.”
I choked out a laugh. “I’m glad you didn’t pull out a knife then.” My hand snaked under the waistband of his sweatpants and into his boxers. I stroked him a few times, but the velvety steel against my palm proved he was ready and didn’t need much coaxing. As I pulled his pants down, my body was eager to feel him inside me.
I took the pack and rolled it on him, then moved my panties aside before I slid down his length, enjoying every inch invading me. Dale cupped the back of my neck and drew me down for a demanding kiss even as his hips moved slowly, carefully, as if he feared he would hurt me.
“I’m good, Dale. Jesus. Just do your work the way I know you can.” I didn’t know what it was about him that had me always teetering on the edge, but when I pushed my hands through his hair and felt his tongue circling my nipple, I knew I wouldn’t last long.
I pressed my lips against the top of his head as he sucked and bit my nipples, making me more sensitive—and wet.
His hands wrapped around me and he drew me closer, causing my core to rub against him until I couldn’t hold in the moans anymore.
God, I was glad I didn’t have anyone else living in the house because I’d really regret not being as loud as I wanted when he made my head swim, my skin sing with happiness with each stroke of his body against mine.