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As I take a bite of the strawberry, my lips don’t touch his fingers, but the moment is no less erotic because of it. Especially when Lucas reaches forward to swipe Nutella off my upper lip.

And then immediately sucks it off his thumb.

I use the time that it takes me to chew and swallow the fruit to compose myself. It’s late, we’re not wearing clothes, now melted chocolate is involved… This could easily escalate.

I just don’t expect to be the person who escalates it.

I watch as Lucas dips another strawberry into the jar and takes a bite for himself. And I stare as a bit of Nutella falls from his lips and lands on his chest.

It’s instinct for me to dart forward and swipe it off his skin, quickly popping my index finger into my mouth to suck it off.

I don’t know who’s more surprised by the sudden proximity, me or Lucas. We both stand frozen in front of each other, barely six inches between us, with our chests heaving with breaths we desperately need. I can’t bring myself to look into his eyes. I just stare at his neck and chest—and the spot I had dragged my touch over.

Fuck, he smells good.

I want a taste.

It takes more time than I’d like to admit, but eventually, the reality of this moment hits me square in the chest.

I want to lick my roommate/landlord/pseudo-boss.

I want to lick a man.

Should I lick him?

Does he want me to lick him?

Out of my peripheral, I see Lucas raise a shaking hand. It settles on the base of my neck with a heavy exhale, the puff of air parting my bangs and leading me to close my eyes.

But with closed eyes, I can get lost in the feel of Lucas’s hand on me.

“Fuck, Charli,” he breathes. “You have no idea what you do to me.”

I don’t move.

And then he asks in a raspy voice, “Am I allowed to return the favor?”

I nod before I know what I’m agreeing to.

With my eyes still closed, I can’t see what he’s doing, but I can feel him reaching around me. Then with the hand still on my neck, he tilts my head to the side, baring my skin to his intentions.

I shiver when the scent of chocolate hazelnut hits my nose—and when the feel of it hits my skin.

And I moan when Lucas bites off a curse and changes the game completely, suctioning his mouth directly to my neck.

My knees buckle at the feel of his tongue, my hands going to his waist to brace myself. But that just reminds me that he’s not really wearing any clothes, which makes my heartbeat infinitely faster.

I let out a whimper and press closer to his body, angling my neck for more.

I can’t make out Lucas’s curse with the way he nips at my skin. But I can feel his urgency as he spins us and backs me against the fridge.

“Christ, you drive me crazy,” he groans, both hands going to my hips.

I gasp when he rocks his hips forward and I get a full sense of how crazy I drive him.

I want to wrap my legs around his waist and feel more of him. I want his mouth back on my neck. But I also want his mouth on mine.

Dropping my head back against the wall, I look up at Lucas’s face for the first time since this all started.