She kissed me.

She kissed me.

Yes! my brain shouted.

Yes. Absolutely yes. Yes, yes, yes!

She may have started it, but I took control of the kiss immediately, cupping her chin with my hands and tilting her head to give me better access. She opened for me, and my tongue delved deep, tasting her. Yes! Before I knew it, I was pushing her back until her shoulders hit the concrete wall of the parking garage. She cried out, and I pulled away, my eyes flicking over her face, checking for signs of pain. Had I been too rough?

But then she grabbed me by the suspenders, pulling me to her and nipping my lower lip hard.

“Don’t you fucking dare stop,” she growled, her hazel eyes glowing fiercely under the fluorescent lights.

Son of a motherless goat. Was there anything hotter than a woman who knew what she wanted and wasn’t afraid to ask for – no, demand – it? Definitely not, I thought as I fused my lips to hers once more.

Kissing Sabine was everything I thought it would be and more. It was like every cell in my body had been rolled in gasoline and lit on fire. My skin was a live wire, energy crackling everywhere she touched me. And make no mistake, she was touching me everywhere. My face, my neck, my arms. She even pulled my shirt from my pants and snuck her fingers underneath, dragging her nails along my abs.

I let out a growl as I captured her hands in one of mine, lifting them above her head. If she kept that up, I was going to hit the finish line way before she did.

What? I told you, it’d been a while.

I wanted her. No, needed her. I needed to be inside her – yesterday. I needed to touch her, feel her, taste her. I wanted to play out every single one of my fantasies, over and over again.

No, not that. She said she didn’t do commitment. I tamped down another wave of disappointment as I broke the kiss. So maybe she wouldn’t be my forever love. Even though I liked her – a lot – it wasn’t what she wanted. That was okay. I could resume the hunt tomorrow.

Tonight, it was just me and Sabine.

I rubbed my thumbs across her cheeks, noting with satisfaction that she was breathing like she’d just run a marathon. “Your place?” I asked.

“Yea-” she started to say, then stopped. She squeezed her eyes closed as she tipped her head back, banging it gently against the wall. “Fuck. Jamy and Sam are there.” She opened her eyes again, giving me an apologetic look. “Jamy’s my roommate.”

I let out a frustrated sigh. “Shoot.” I’d already thought about how awkward this would be for our friends. But hooking up when they were right down the hall? No, thank you.

“Shoot?” She raised an eyebrow, smirking at my non-swear word.

I pursed my lips. Normally, I wouldn’t even bother to explain the reason behind my vocabulary choices to someone I barely knew. But something about her made me want to open up.

“My grandmother raised me. She used to whack me on the hand with a wooden spoon if I cursed.” I rubbed the back of my neck, embarrassed. “I guess she must have just… beat it out of me.”

She laughed. “My mom did the same.” Her eyes sparkled with mischief. “But I just took the beatings. Totally worth it.”

I smiled. “Somehow, that doesn’t surprise me.”

She grinned. “Well, how about your place?” she asked, getting right back to business. I shook my head, but she forged ahead. “I know most guys don’t want to bring a girl home with them, but I promise, I’m not some psycho hose beast.” She leaned in, kissing me softly. “I won’t try to stay the night.”

But I want you to stay the night. The thought popped into my brain before she was even done speaking, and I frowned, frustrated once again. This could only happen to me. I finally found a completely single woman, and we clicked like no one before her. But it turned out she was a little too single for my taste.

“It’s not that. It’s just that my place is…” I sighed, thinking of how impossible it would be to bring a one-night stand home right now. “It’s a no-go.”

She huffed in frustration. But then she gave me a devilish smile. “Your car, then?”

I let out a surprised laugh, shaking my head. Knowing my luck, we’d get arrested for indecent exposure. My gaze drifted away as I tried to think of a solution. But then I caught sight of a steel-and-glass building rising above the skyline a few blocks away, and a slow grin spread across my face.

“I think I have an idea.”