Page 19 of The Sweetest Mistake

Chapter Five

Connor lifted her up then, and she wrapped her legs around his waist as he carried her down the hall to her bedroom. But unlike the first time they’d had sex, they didn’t immediately rip each other’s clothes off. This time, his movements were slow, deliberate, and he stripped her defenses with every look, every kiss, every caress.

She needed this, needed him, and she suspected that he needed this too. It was like they were reaffirming the relationship that they’d just started building before it had all come crashing down. When Connor removed his shirt, Julia’s hand immediately went to his tattoo, and as she traced the design with her finger, she remembered the first time she’d seen it up close…

Breathing hard, Connor looked down at her and said, “You sure about this?”

“Positive.”

Acting like he hadn’t heard her, he said, “Because the last thing I want is for you to regret this in the morning.”

“No regrets,” she said, untucking his shirt from his jeans.

“I mean it, Julia. I’d rather be your friend than have you hate me.”

“Who says I’m going to hate you?”

“Just saying.”

She’d untucked his gray Henley, and now she slid her hands underneath it, reveling in the feel of his solid, warm chest beneath her fingers. And then she stilled her hands and gazed up at him.

“Regretting it already?” he asked, his voice gruff.

“No. Just wondering if you’re going to kiss me or not?”

“That was one of the songs they played tonight,” he said as her hands splayed over his chest.

“Just answer the question.”

“Hell yeah, I am.”

And the next thing she knew, his lips were on hers, capturing her mouth in a searing kiss. She melted into it, letting herself get swept up in the moment. They were slammed up against the front door, her hands roaming under his shirt, when suddenly he cupped her butt cheeks, picked her up, and started walking toward the couch.

“No. Not here,” she said, her lust-drunk voice barely recognizable to her own ears. “The bedroom.”

Other than the dim light that filtered in through the blinds, it was dark, so she couldn’t read his expression, but he halted mid-stride. “I’m gonna ask you one more time…”

“Stop asking. I thought you wanted this.”

“I do, but it’s you I’m worried about.”

“Well, don’t be. Last door down the hall on the right.”

When they reached her bedroom, Connor let her slide down his body until her feet touched the floor. And it was then that she realized what she was agreeing to. She’d never done this before—invited a man into her bedroom that she wasn’t seriously involved with. But something about it felt extremely liberating and right. And it wasn’t about Connor and what he wanted. It was about her and what she wanted. Looking at him standing there in the moonlight that was seeping in through the blinds, she was even more sure.

“You gonna stand there and stare, or are we gonna get naked?” he asked, his voice smooth and sexy.

“Oh, we’re going to get naked, but you first.”

Eyebrows raised, he said, “Whatever the lady wants.” And with that, he yanked his shirt over his head and let it fall to the floor.

She saw a glimpse of the black ink on his right bicep as he moved his hands to his belt buckle, and she shivered.

Smiling, Connor continued his striptease, slowly unbuckling his belt and then unfastening his jeans.

Frozen to the spot, Julia waited, and then in a flash, his jeans and boxer briefs hit the floor.

Swallowing hard, she took it all in, letting her eyes leisurely wander over him from head to toe and back again. She’d known he was built from seeing him work outside at the studio. The way his muscles strained and rippled when he’d shoveled mulch or trimmed the trees and bushes. The way his jeans had stretched over his tight butt and rode low on his narrow hips when he’d reached for something. But she’d never seen him like this—erection jutting out proudly, begging for her touch.