Page 15 of A Night With You

"I want to fall in love and not have my heart broken," Aubrey whispers against my lips.

God. I think I've always been in love with her. I'm already there.

"I wouldn't," I promise her, though I want to tell her that for me, it's already over. She's the one.

"One step at a time?" Aubrey questions.

"That's what I'm thinking. One step at a time." I kiss her again, slow, but this time I tease her a little bit, licking at her bottom lip and giving it a gentle bite.

"Maybe we could repeat some steps?" Aubrey's breathing heavier now. "Like...the last step was nice."

"Was it? We should do it again to make sure."

I pull her under the covers with me, and she lets out a squeal. Then we go back over every step we took, again and again, just to make sure it's perfect.

AUBREY

I wake up in the morning in a bed that's not mine.

The sun's pretty high in the sky, and it comes back to me in a blink--the reason I slept so late is that we stayed up so late last night.

Me and Bennet.

Together. Tangled in the sheets. Me all over him, him all over me. The memories zing through my body with a palpable energy. I can feel how he was last night, even if he's not touching me right now.

He's not touching me, but the bed is warm, and I can hear him breathing. I close my eyes and savor the heat of him on the mattress next to me. This is how I wished it could be when I woke up yesterday, and now it is.

I almost want to go back to sleep for a few minutes so I can wake up next to him all over again.

Almost.

I roll over and find Bennet watching me from his pillow, his hair sticking up in all directions. It's the most handsome bedhead I've ever seen. Men have it so damn easy. Just at the thought I wonder what my hair looks like and I do what I can to tame it but then I’m caught red handed.

“Morning,” Bennet smiles at me.

I smile back, not able to hide my blush and then snuggle back into the sheets.

"Now I guess when the town says we hooked up, they won't be lying." Bennet's voice is low and gravelly from sleep, and I like it a lot. He stretches out, yawning and manages to wrap an arm around me.

"What will you say when they do?"

The corner of his mouth turns up. "That I plan on hooking up with you again tonight, and if they have opinions on it, maybe they should tell someone who cares."

That makes me laugh although he’s quick to add, “or whatever you want me to tell them.”

I shrug, “I don’t care much to be honest. I like the idea of maybe telling them we’re a thing though,” I suggest. My attempt at being casual falls flat though and a bit of nervousness comes over me as I twist my hair around my finger.

“I like the idea of saying that too.”

A small smile slips into place as I think about dinner last night and how word may have gotten around. Not that it matters.

"What about Steve and Sarah?"

"It's none of my business." His face softens. "I just hope they come out of whatever they're going through alright. And knowing the two of them, they will."

"Yeah. Me too."

He reaches over and brushes a lock of hair out of my face. "They'll be alright."