Out of Focus (Love in LA #3)

She answers me with a nod, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

“Oh, I love this part.” She slips her shoes off and tucks her legs up on the seat, resting her chin on her knee. We watch the rest of the movie like that, and when Love & Basketball starts, she settles into the seat and falls asleep within ten minutes. She doesn’t even stir when I buckle her seat belt, and I drive us home, reliving every perfect moment of the night.

Once I’m in the parking lot of her building, I start to wonder how I’ll wake her up, but the second the engine shuts off, she stirs and stretches. “Blimey, I’ve done it again. Would you believe me if I said I’ve never fallen asleep on a date before?” Rubbing her eyes and stifling a yawn, she sits up straight, noticing we’re no longer at the drive-in with wide eyes. “I’m home.”

“I just figured you’re obviously tired, so I didn’t want to keep you out any later. I’ll help you take your stuff up.” I open my door and retrieve her books from the trunk while she gets the stuff from the back seat. When I walk around to her side, she’s already waiting for me. Charlie in skin-tight pants is wildly sexy, but Charlie in sweat pants with her hair in a bun and sleepy eyes? Well, that’s a sight I could live with every day.

We walk up to her apartment in silence, and just as I’m about to say I don’t even know what, she speaks up. “I’m sorry I ruined our date.” She takes off her shoes, but I leave mine on, standing just inside the door as it clicks shut.

I set her things down. “Why do you think you ruined our date?” Because she didn’t. If anything, I’m the idiot who should have taken her home after dinner and ended the night on a high.

“Because I made things weird. And I fell asleep. Twice!” A groan rumbles out of her, and she shakes her head, staring at her socked feet.

I take two steps toward her and cup her face with my hands. “You didn’t ruin anything, carrot cake. I liked you falling asleep on me. I liked you falling asleep in my car. You wouldn’t do that unless you were comfortable enough to.” I leave a kiss on her forehead, and she finally looks up at me.

“You’re such a nice guy,” she says, her brows furrowing. Then, she surprises the shit out of me when she winds her hands behind my neck and pulls me down for a scorching kiss. After the initial second of shock, I catch up and move my hands to her ass, picking her up and backing her against the door. Her legs wrap around my waist, pulling us impossibly closer as our kiss becomes feral, all tongues and teeth, a delicious push and pull of control.

I drag my mouth down her neck, sucking on her pulse point. When she gasps, I know I have to make a decision: drag her to the closest couch or bed and fuck her until she can’t walk straight, or stop this now before we go any further. “I should go,” I say against her skin. I guess I’m going with option two. It’s the right thing to do.

“You should stay.” Her fingers tangle in my hair, holding me in place as I kiss every inch of her skin I can reach.

“It’s late.” My fingers grip her a little tighter. “I should go,” I repeat. She answers me with a moan that has me wanting to punch myself in the face for choosing to stop this. “As much as I want to stay and fuck you right here against this door…” She arches her back, her heat lining up perfectly with my painfully hard cock, and my eyes roll to the back of my head. “We should wait.” I pull my lips away from her flushed chest, which she protests to with a whimper, and I rest my forehead on hers. “Fuck, I must be the biggest fucking moron on the planet.” I set her on the floor gently as her hands settle on the nape of my neck.

“No, you’re probably right. I’m sorry I’m walking away from this date with an orgasm and two naps, and all you get is blue balls.” The direct way she recounts our date makes me laugh, and there’s immediate relief that we can still be ourselves, even with this new dynamic, even with the promise of sex and whatever else Charlie has on that list of hers. “Text me when you get home, okay?” She touches her lips to mine one last time, and we reluctantly separate.

“Okay. I’ll text you in a few minutes.” I take a mental picture of her flushed skin, her swollen lips, and her bright eyes. “Goodnight, red.”

“Goodnight.” She steps away from the door so I can open it and let myself out. I hear the click of the lock behind me and walk down the hall.

I don’t even remember the elevator ride down or the drive home. I step inside, check that Pumpkin ate her food, and head straight to my room, where I unlock my phone to text Charlie. There’s already a text from her waiting for me.

CHARLIE:

What would you have done if you had stayed?

Shit. Fuck. One question, and I’m already hard again, for, what? The fourth time tonight?

ME:

I’m home.

CHARLIE:

Great.

Now tell me what you would have done.

Would you really have fucked me against the door?

ME:

Maybe with my mouth, or my hand, yes.

CHARLIE:

I need details.

Tell me where you’d put your mouth.