Page 64 of Power Play

“Nosy.”

“Ryan.”

He leaned closer. “You want another kiss or a timeline?”

“That is manipulation.”

“It’s efficient.”

I reached for him before I could think too hard about what the answer meant.

This kiss was different. It was still hot enough to make my toes curl inside my sandals, but the urgency softened into something slower. Ryan kissed me with one hand at my waist and the other cupping my jaw, keeping me close without pushing for anything more.

That somehow felt more intimate.

I touched his face, letting the rough edge of his beard scratch lightly beneath my fingertips.

When we finally separated, Ryan rested his forehead against mine. My breathing was uneven, and so was his.

“You’re trouble,” I whispered.

“So I’ve been told.”

“I should go.”

“You should.”

Neither of us moved.

I laughed softly, and Ryan did too.

“This is going well.”

“Excellent boundaries.”

“Very healthy.”

“Practically inspirational.”

I kissed him once more, quickly this time, before sliding off the counter.

Ryan caught my waist automatically as my feet hit the floor. My body settled against his for one brief second, and the ease of it scared me more than the kissing had.

It felt like I had always fit there and only just noticed.

Ryan must have felt something too because his hands stayed at my waist while his expression shifted. The warmth in his eyes tightened beneath something wary, as though he trusted the way I fit against him even less than I did.

We looked at each other without saying it.

Whatever this was had already moved beyond harmless. That didn’t mean either of us was ready to name it.

I stepped away first and reached for the books on the coffee table.

Ryan picked up the theory guide before I could. “You’re taking this one.”

“I had already selected it.”

“And the Victorian essays.”